United Kingdom Massenet, Werther: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of Irish National Opera / Philipp Pointner (conductor). An Táin Arts Centre, Dundalk, 2.5.2023. (RB)
Production:
Director – Sophie Motley
Arranger – Richard Peirson
Set and Costume designer – Sarah Bacon
Lighting designer – Sarah Jane Shiels
Children’s Chorus director – Medb Brereton Hurley
Assistant director – Chris Kelly
Movement director – Jessica Kennedy
Language coach – Caroline Moreau
Cast:
Le Bailli – Wyn Pencarreg
Johann – Owen Gilhooly-Miles
Schmidt – Eamonn Mulhall
Sophie – Sarah Shine
Werther – Paride Cataldo
Charlotte – Niamh O’Sullivan
Albert – Charles Rice
Children – Ethan O’Connor/Molly Verdier/Nora Verdier
Massenet’s Werther is Irish National Opera’s eleventh manufacturing particularly designed to be taken on tour throughout Ireland. The venue for this efficiency was the An Táin Arts Centre within the charming metropolis of Dundalk which is midway between Dublin and Belfast.
Massenet composed Werther between 1885 and 1887 however it didn’t obtain its premiere till 1892. It is loosely based mostly on Goethe’s epistolary novel, The Sorrows of Young Werther. Werther is an archetypal impulsive Romantic who falls head over heels in love with Charlotte when he first meets her. The emotions are reciprocated, though Charlotte is torn between ardour and responsibility as she promised her dying mom she would marry Albert. In the tip Charlotte decides to grant her mom’s needs and marries Albert. Werther is unable to just accept Charlotte’s determination and commits suicide.
The motion within the opera takes place in Wetzler in Germany within the 1780’s. In this manufacturing Irish National Opera have transferred the motion to 1950’s Ireland in the course of the nation’s post-war rural electrification programme. This was a time of change and of recent potentialities when the entire of Irish society was starting to open up. However, there have been nonetheless strict societal expectations notably of girls.
Sarah Bacon’s set consisted of a corrugated iron backdrop with some fundamental furnishings. New electrical units turned up in Act II and so they had been blessed by the native parish priest. The set for Act III was extra sombre and reflective with the sacred coronary heart portray on the wall underlining the Irish setting. The costumes had been acceptable for the time interval, though they weren’t notably eye catching. The determination to put the opera on this time interval helped to light up key factors. Werther is a disruptive power within the opera and a catalyst for change. In the identical means the agricultural electrification programme was opening new potentialities for society. The chance of change can be there for Charlotte who can break away from conference and marry the person she loves. The determination she in the end takes maybe underlines the truth that she is a product of an Irish rural neighborhood from which she is unable to interrupt free.
Italian tenor, Paride Cataldo, did a superb job portraying the love-struck Werther. He has an excellent voice and introduced a simple flowing lyricism to the early scenes. He was capable of surge and soar effortlessly to the highest of the vocal register and his high notes packed a strong emotional punch. His rendition of ‘Lorsque L’Enfant Revient d’un Voyage’ was touching and eloquent in equal measure whereas ‘Pourquoi me réveiller’ burned with ardent ardour. Niamh O’Sullivan was equally spectacular within the position of Charlotte. She crystalised the dilemmas which Charlotte confronted with distinctive readability and was constantly convincing within the numerous twists and turns of her relationship with Werther. She sang with nice great thing about tone within the pivotal Act III letter scene the place she moved seamlessly from stoicism to unleashed ardour.
The different members of the solid all acquitted themselves properly of their respective roles. Charles Rice’s Albert was convivial, though more and more trenchant because the opera progressed, whereas Sarah Shine captured completely Sophie’s candy, naïve nature. There had been some occasional steadiness points with the orchestra, though these resulted from the truth that the venue doesn’t have an orchestral pit.
Given that this was a touring manufacturing and the comparatively small measurement of a few of the venues the work needed to be rescored for a smaller instrumental ensemble. Richard Peirson did a superb job rescoring the work for a small group of string and woodwind gamers and a horn participant. Phillipp Pointner ensured solid, refrain and orchestra remained on observe all through. The use of a smaller group of instrumentalists can generally convey higher readability to a rating and Pointner and the orchestra expertly highlighted the vary of ingenious instrumental textures and sonorities Massenet makes use of on this opera. The chief of the orchestra, Sarah Sew and the principal cellist, David Edmonds had been notably spectacular.
Overall, this was a really fantastic manufacturing that includes some first price singing and enjoying. Italian tenor, Paride Cataldo, was very spectacular certainly and I strongly suspect he might be singing main roles on the planet’s best opera homes within the not-too-distant future.
Robert Beattie