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{{short description|1892 opera by Jules Massenet}}
{{About|the opera by Massenet}}
{{Infobox opera 
| name              = Werther
| composer          = [[Jules Massenet]]
| image             = File:Eugène_Grasset_-_Jules_Massenet_-_Werther.jpg
| image_upright     = 1.3
| caption           = [[Eugène Grasset|Grasset]] poster for 1893 French premiere of ''Werther''
| type       = ''drame lyrique''
| librettist        = {{plainlist|
* [[Édouard Blau]]
* [[Paul Milliet]]
* [[Georges Hartmann]]
}}
| language          = French
| based_on          = {{based on|''[[The Sorrows of Young Werther|Die Leiden des jungen Werther]]''|[[Johann Wolfgang Goethe]]}}
| premiere_date     = {{Start date|1892|02|16|df=y}}
| premiere_location = [[Vienna State Opera|Hofoper]], Vienna (in German)
}}<!-- Commented out because image was deleted: [[Image:167382Werther.jpg|thumb|right|Werther poster for the Paris Opéra-Comique]] -->
'''''Werther''''' is an [[opera]] (''drame lyrique'') in four acts by [[Jules Massenet]] to a French [[libretto]] by [[Édouard Blau]], [[Paul Milliet]] and [[Georges Hartmann]] (who used the pseudonym Henri Grémont). It is loosely based on Goethe's [[epistolary novel]] ''[[The Sorrows of Young Werther]]'', which itself was based on Goethe's own early life. Earlier examples of operas using the story were made by [[Rodolphe Kreutzer|Kreutzer]] (1792) and [[Vincenzo Pucitta|Pucitta]] (1802).<ref name="Groveopera">[[Rodney Milnes|Milnes R]]. Werther. In: ''The New Grove Dictionary of Opera''. Macmillan, London and New York, 1997.</ref>

==Performance history==
Massenet started composing ''Werther'' in 1885, completing it in 1887. He submitted it to [[Léon Carvalho]], the director of the Paris [[Opéra-Comique]], that year, but Carvalho declined to accept it on the grounds that the scenario was too serious.<ref name="Groveopera"/> With the disruption of the fire at the Opéra-Comique and Massenet's work on other operatic projects (especially ''[[Esclarmonde]]''), it was put to one side, until the Vienna Opera, pleased with the success of ''[[Manon]]'', asked the composer for a new work. ''Werther'' received its premiere on 16 February 1892 (in a German version translated by Max Kalbeck) at the Imperial Theatre [[Vienna State Opera|Hofoper]] in [[Vienna]].<ref name="Groveopera"/>

The French-language premiere followed in [[Geneva]] on 27 December 1892.<ref name=grove>''[[Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians]]'', 5th ed., 1954</ref> The first performance in France was given by the Opéra-Comique at the [[Théâtre de la Ville|Théâtre Lyrique]] on the Place du Châtelet in Paris on 16 January 1893, with [[Marie Delna]] as Charlotte and [[Guillaume Ibos]] in the title role, conducted by [[Jules Danbé]], but was not immediately successful.<ref name="Groveopera"/>

''Werther'' entered the repertoire at the Opéra-Comique in 1903 in a production supervised by [[Albert Carré]],<ref name="Groveopera"/> and over the next half-century the opera was performed over 1,100 times there, Léon Beyle becoming a distinguished interpreter of Werther.<ref>Wolff, Stéphane. ''Un demi-siècle d'Opéra-Comique (1900–1950).'' André Bonne, Paris, 1953.</ref>

The [[United States]] premiere with the [[Metropolitan Opera]] took place in [[Chicago]] on 29 March 1894 and then in the company's main house in [[New York City]] three weeks later.<ref>[http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/frame.htm MetOpera database]</ref> The UK premiere was a one-off performance at [[Royal Opera House, Covent Garden|Covent Garden]], London, on 11 June 1894<ref name=grove/> with [[Emma Eames]] as Charlotte, [[Sigrid Arnoldson]] as Sophie, and [[Jean de Reszke]] in the title role.

''Werther'' is still regularly performed around the world and has been recorded many times. Although the role of Werther was written for a [[tenor]], Massenet adjusted it for a [[baritone]], when [[Mattia Battistini]] sang it in [[Saint Petersburg]] in 1902. It is very occasionally performed in this version, in which the changes affect only the vocal line for the title character. There are no other changes to the words, to the lines for other characters, or to the orchestration.
{{-}}

== Roles ==
[[File:Ernest Van Dyck as Werther - NGO4p1142.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Ernest van Dyck]] in the title role, its first singer, ca. 1892]]
{| class="wikitable"
!Role
![[Voice type]]
!Premiere cast, 16&nbsp;February&nbsp;1892<ref>[http://www.artlyriquefr.fr/oeuvres/Werther.html Werther page at the French Art Lyrique webpage] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210130055452/http://www.artlyriquefr.fr/oeuvres/Werther.html |date=2021-01-30 }} accessed 5 September 2014.</ref><br>(Conductor: [[Wilhelm Jahn]])
|-
|Charlotte, ''aged 20''
|[[mezzo-soprano]]
|[[Marie Renard]]
|-
|Sophie, ''her sister, aged 15''
|[[soprano]]
|[[Ellen Brandt-Forster]]
|-
|Werther, ''a young poet, aged 23''
|[[tenor]]
|[[Ernest van Dyck]]
|-
|Albert, ''betrothed to Charlotte; aged 25''
|[[baritone]]
|Franz Neidl
|-
|Le Bailli, ''Charlotte's father; aged 50''
|[[Bass (voice type)|bass]]
|Karl Mayerhofer
|-
|Schmidt, ''a friend of the Bailli''
|tenor
|Anton Schlittenhelm
|-
|Johann, ''a friend of the Bailli''
|baritone
|Benedikt Felix
|-
|Brühlmann, ''a young man''
|tenor
|August Stoll
|-
|Käthchen, ''Brühlmann's fiancée of seven years''
|mezzo-soprano
|Emma Karlona
|-
|Children of the Bailli – Fritz, Max, Hans, Karl, Gretel, Clara
|children's voices
|
|-
|colspan="3"|''Inhabitants of Wetzlar, guests, servants; off-stage women's and children's voices''
|-
|}

==Instrumentation==
2 [[Western concert flute|flutes]] (2nd doubling [[piccolo]]),
2 [[oboe]]s (doubling [[English horn]]s),
2 [[clarinet]]s in [[soprano clarinet|B-flat and A]],
[[alto saxophone]],
2 [[bassoon]]s,
4 [[French horn|horns]] in F,
2 [[cornet]]s in B-flat and A,
3 [[trombone]]s,
[[tuba]],
[[timpani]],
[[percussion]] (1) ([[bass drum]], [[Triangle (music)|triangle]]),
[[harp]],
[[string section|strings]].

==Synopsis==
:Time: Within the period July to December, in an undefined year in the 1780s.
:Place: [[Wetzlar]] in Germany.
[[File:Claire Croiza as Charlotte in Massenet's Werther.jpg|thumb|upright|left|[[Claire Croiza]] as Charlotte in 1907]]

===Act 1===
In July, the widowed Bailiff (a Magistrate, rather than one who comes to seize property), is teaching his six youngest children a Christmas carol ("Noël! Jésus vient de naître"). His drinking companions, Johann and Schmidt, arrive as Charlotte, the eldest daughter, dresses for a ball. Since her fiancé Albert is away, she is to be escorted by Werther, whom the Bailiff and his companions find gloomy. Werther arrives ("O Nature, pleine de grâce"), and watches as Charlotte prepares her young siblings' supper, just as her mother had before she died. He greets her and they leave for the ball. Albert returns unexpectedly after a six-month trip. He is unsure of Charlotte's intentions and disappointed not to find her at home, but is reassured and consoled by Charlotte's younger sister Sophie. He leaves after promising to return in the morning. After an orchestral interlude, Werther and Charlotte return very late; he is already enamoured of her. His declaration of love is interrupted by the announcement of Albert's return. Charlotte recalls how she promised her dying mother she would marry Albert. Werther is in despair.

===Act 2===
It is three months later, and Charlotte and Albert are now married. They walk happily to church to celebrate the minister's 50th wedding anniversary, followed by the disconsolate Werther ("Un autre est son époux!"). First Albert and then Sophie ("Du gai soleil, plein de flamme") try to cheer him up. When Charlotte exits the church, he speaks to her of their first meeting. Charlotte begs Werther to leave her, though she indicates that she would be willing to receive him again on Christmas Day. Werther contemplates suicide ("Lorsque l'enfant revient d'un voyage"). He encounters Sophie but the tearful girl does not understand his distressing behavior. Albert now realizes that Werther loves Charlotte.

===Act 3===
{{listen|type=music
 |filename= Jeanette_Ekornaasvaag - Jules Massenet - Werther - "Va!_laisse_couler_mes_larmes".ogg
 |title="Va! laisse couler mes larmes"
 |description=Charlotte in act 3, sung by Jeanette Ekornåsvåg
}}
Charlotte is at home alone on Christmas Eve. She spends time rereading the letters that she has received from Werther ("Werther! Qui m'aurait dit ... Ces lettres!"), wondering how the young poet is and how she had the strength to send him away. Sophie comes in and tries to cheer up her older sister ("Ah! le rire est béni"), though Charlotte is not to be consoled ("Va! laisse couler mes larmes"). Suddenly Werther appears, and while he reads to her some poetry of [[Ossian]] ("Pourquoi me réveiller?"), he realizes that she does indeed return his love. They embrace for a moment, but she quickly bids him farewell. He leaves with thoughts of suicide. Albert returns home to find his wife distraught. Werther sends a messenger to Albert, requesting to borrow his pistols, explaining he is going on an extended trip. After the servant has taken them, Charlotte has a terrible premonition and hurries to find Werther. An orchestral intermezzo ("La nuit de Noël") leads without a break into the final Act.

===Act 4===
"The death of Werther": At Werther's apartment, Charlotte has arrived too late to stop him from shooting himself; he is dying. She consoles him by declaring her love. He asks for forgiveness. After he dies, Charlotte faints. Outside children are heard singing the Christmas carol.

==Noted arias==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}
'''Act 1'''
:Werther: "O Nature, pleine de grâce"
'''Act 2'''
:Werther: "Un autre est son époux!"
:Sophie: "Du gai soleil, plein de flamme"
:Werther: "Lorsque l'enfant revient d'un voyage"
{{col-break}}
'''Act 3'''
:Charlotte: "Werther! Qui m'aurait dit /Ces lettres!" (Letter Scene)
:Charlotte: "Va! laisse couler mes larmes"
:Werther: "Pourquoi me réveiller?"
{{col-end}}

==Recordings==
[[File:Werther (47789434092).jpg|thumb|Scene from a 2019 [[Florida Grand Opera]] production]]
A well-regarded recording of the complete opera was made in January 1931 by French Columbia with a French cast, led by [[Georges Thill]] and [[Ninon Vallin]], with the orchestra and chorus of the Opéra-Comique under the direction of [[Élie Cohen (conductor)|Élie Cohen]]. This was later released in a 2-CD set by EMI in its References series.<ref>{{Citation |title=Massenet: Werther {{!}} Elie Cohen |date=1989 |url=https://www.discogs.com/release/13444569-Massenet-Georges-Thill-Ninon-Vallin-Germaine-F%C3%A9raldy-Marcel-Roque-Choeurs-et-Orchestre-Du-Th%C3%A9%C3%A2tre?srsltid=AfmBOoow19pHAokthJcJ6qzYfc5YI1G4l3a3lpybQaie9n_n5AsEuVgC |access-date=2025-05-05 |language=en}}</ref> [[Alan Blyth]] of the [[Gramophone (magazine)|''Gramophone magazine'']] commented in his 1990 review, "''If you want to hear just how thoroughly prepared, technically secure, idiomatic and deeply felt French singing could be between the wars, you need only listen to this wonderful performance, now brought to new life on an excellent EMI transfer to CD.''"<ref>{{Cite web |title=Massenet Werther |url=https://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/massenet-werther-10 |access-date=2025-05-05 |website=Gramophone |language=en}}</ref> Henry Fogel of ''[[Fanfare (magazine)|Fanfare]]'' magazine, writing in 1992, counted 14 complete recordings and considered it the finest of the lot.<ref>Fogel, Henry (September/October 1992). Review of the recording with Georges Thill as Werther (EMI CHS 7 63195 2). [http://www.fanfarearchive.com/articles/atop/16_1/1610050.zzhf_MASSENET_Werther_Elie_Cohen.html ''Fanfare'', '''16''' (1)]. Accessed November 16, 2010. Subscription required.</ref> This recording was later released by Opera d'Oro and Naxos in different transfers.<ref>[[Alan Blyth|Blyth, Alan]] (March 2004). [http://www.gramophone.net/Issue/Page/March%202004/83/745001/ "''Werther''{{'}}s Return".] ''[[Gramophone (magazine)|Gramophone]]'', p. 83]. Accessed November 16, 2010.</ref>
{{clear}}

{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!Cast<br>(Charlotte,<br>Sophie,<br>Werther,<br>Albert)
!Conductor,<br>opera house and orchestra
!Label<ref>[http://www.operadis-opera-discography.org.uk/CLMAWERT.HTM Recordings of ''Werther'' on operadis-opera-discography.org.uk]</ref>
!Notes
|-
|1931 || [[Ninon Vallin]], <br>Germaine Féraldy,<br>[[Georges Thill]],
Marcel Roque
| Élie Cohen <br>[[Opéra-Comique|Orchestra and Chorus of the {{nowrap|Opéra-Comique}}]] ||Originally French Columbia<br>CD: Naxos 8.110061-62, <br>Opera d'Oro OPD 1366
|-
|1934
|[[Gianna Pederzini]],                   
Marisa Merlo,                        
[[Tito Schipa]],                            
Piero Biasini                          
|Franco Ghione                                                              
Orchestra e Coro del [[La Scala|Teatro alla Scala]] di Milano                        
|Edizioni Timaclub 1983
|in Italian
|-
|1952 || [[Oralia Domínguez]],<br>Eugenia Rocabruna,<br>[[Giuseppe Di Stefano]],<br>Piero Campolonghi || [[Guido Picco]]<br>Orchestra e Coro del [[Palacio de Bellas Artes|Palacio de las Bellas Artes]]||CD: Gala<br>Cat: B0040V420O ||In Italian
|-
|1953 || [[Pia Tassinari]],<br>Vittoria Neviani,<br>[[Ferruccio Tagliavini]],<br>Marcello Cortis || [[Francesco Molinari-Pradelli]]<br>Coro di Voci Bianchi, Orchestra Sinfonica di Torino ||CD: Warner-Fonit<br>Cat: 8573 87494-2
|-
|1953 || [[Suzanne Juyol]], <br>Agnes Léger, <br>Charles Richard, <br>[[Roger Bourdin]] || [[Georges Sébastian]] <br>[[Opéra-Comique|Orchestra and Chorus of the {{nowrap|Opéra-Comique}}]] ||Originally [[Nixa Records|Nixa]]/Urania<br />CD: Andromeda<br>Cat: ANDRCD 5073
|-
|1954 || [[Maria Maksakova Sr.|Maria Maksakova]], <br>Maria Zvezdina, <br>[[Ivan Kozlovsky]], <br>[[Vladimir Sakharov]] || [[Onisim Bron|Onissim Bron]] <br>Moscow Radio Orchestra ||CD: Myto<br>Cat: B000027HNO ||In Russian
|-
|1959
|[[Leyla Gencer]],<br>Giuliana Tavolaccini,<br>[[Ferruccio Tagliavini]],<br>Mario Borriello ||[[Carlo Felice Cillario]]<br>Coro di [[Teatro Lirico Giuseppe Verdi|Teatro Verdi di Trieste]] Orchestra e Coro ||CD: Opera d'Oro<br>Cat: 1234 ||In Italian
|-
|| 1964 || [[Rita Gorr]], <br>[[Mady Mesplé]], <br>[[Albert Lance]], <br>[[Gabriel Bacquier]] || [[Jésus Etcheverry]] <br>[[Radiodiffusion-Télévision Française|Orchestra and Chorus of the Radiodiffusion-Télévision Française]] ||CD: Accord<br>Cat: 472 917-2
|-
| 1968-69 || [[Victoria de los Ángeles]], <br>[[Mady Mesplé]], <br>[[Nicolai Gedda]], <br>[[Roger Soyer]] || [[Georges Prêtre]] <br>[[Orchestre de Paris]] ||CD: [[EMI]]<br>Cat: 562 6272
|-
| 1971 || [[Virginia Zeani]], <br>Valeria Mariconda, <br>[[Alfredo Kraus]], <br>[[Domenico Trimarchi]] || [[Antonino Votto]] <br>[[Teatro Massimo|Orchestra e Coro del Teatro Massimo di Palermo]] ||CD: G.O.P.<br>Cat: 749-CD2 ||In Italian
|-
| 1977 || [[Brigitte Fassbaender]], <br>Marianne Seibel,<br>[[Plácido Domingo]],<br>[[Hans Günter Nöcker|Hans Günther Nöcker]]|| [[Jesús López Cobos]] <br>[[Bayerisches Staatsorchester]] ||CD: Orfeo<br>Cat: B00000AFDE
|-
| 1979 || [[Tatiana Troyanos]], <br>Christine Barbaux, <br>[[Alfredo Kraus]], <br>[[Matteo Manuguerra]] || [[Michel Plasson]] <br>[[London Philharmonic Orchestra]] ||CD: [[EMI]]<br>Cat: 7 49610-2
|-
| 1979 || [[Elena Obraztsova]], <br>[[Arleen Auger]], <br>[[Plácido Domingo]], <br>[[Franz Grundheber]] || [[Riccardo Chailly]] <br>[[Cologne Radio Symphony Orchestra]] ||CD: [[Deutsche Grammophon]]<br>Cat: 477 5652-1
|-
|[[Werther (Colin Davis recording)|1980]] || [[Frederica von Stade]], <br>[[Isobel Buchanan]], <br>[[José Carreras]], <br>[[Thomas Allen (baritone)|Thomas Allen]] || Sir [[Colin Davis]] <br>Orchestra of the [[Royal Opera House]], Covent Garden ||CD: [[Philips Records|Philips]]<br>Cat: 416 654-2
|-
|1985 || [[Brigitte Fassbaender]],<br>[[Magdaléna Hajóssyová|Magdaléna Hajossyová]], <br>[[Peter Dvorský]],<br>Hans Helm || [[Libor Pešek]] <br>[[Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra]],<br>Chorus of the [[Bambini di Praga]]<br>(Television film directed by [[Petr Weigl]])||CD (soundtrack): [[Supraphon]]<br>Cat: 11 1547-2 632<br>[[Laserdisc|LD]]: Amadeo PHLK 7503<br>{{nowrap|DVD: Image Entertainment}}<ref>[https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00000JMP9 1985 recording of ''Werther''], amazon.com</ref>
|-
|1998 || [[Vesselina Kasarova]], <br>[[Dawn Kotoski]], <br>[[Ramón Vargas]], <br>Christopher Schaldenbrand || [[Vladimir Jurowski]] <br>[[Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin]] ||CD: [[RCA Victor]]<br>Cat: 74321 58224-2
|-
|1998 || [[Angela Gheorghiu]], <br>[[Patricia Petibon]], <br>[[Roberto Alagna]], <br>[[Thomas Hampson]] || [[Antonio Pappano]] <br>[[London Symphony Orchestra]] ||CD: [[EMI]]<br>Cat: EMI 81849
|-
|1999 || [[Béatrice Uria-Monzon]], <br>Jaël Azzaretti, <br>[[Marcus Haddock]], <br>[[René Massis]] || [[Jean-Claude Casadesus]] <br>[[Orchestre National de Lille]] ||CD: [[Naxos Records|Naxos]]<br>Cat: 8.660072-73
|-
|2005 || [[Elīna Garanča]], <br>[[:de:Ileana Tonca|Ileana Tonca]],<br>[[Marcelo Álvarez]], <br>[[Adrian Eröd]] || [[Philippe Jordan]]<br>[[Vienna State Opera]]<br>(Video of a performance in March)|| DVD: [[TDK]]<br>Cat: DVWW-OPWER
|-
|2004 || [[Susan Graham]],<br />[[Sandrine Piau]],<br />[[Thomas Hampson]] (baritone),<br />[[Stéphane Degout]] || [[Michel Plasson]]<br />[[Orchestre national du Capitole de Toulouse|Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse]]<br>(Video of a concert performance on 29 April)|| DVD: [[Virgin Records|Virgin Classics]]<br>Cat: 359257-9
|-
|2010 || [[Sophie Koch]],<br />[[Anne-Catherine Gillet]],<br />[[Jonas Kaufmann]],<br />[[Ludovic Tézier]]|| Michel Plasson<br />[[Opéra National de Paris]] || DVD: [[Decca Records|Decca]]<br>Cat: B0014794-09<ref>[https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003ZWTGKU 2010 recording of ''Werther''], amazon.com</ref><ref>Performance, both conductor and singers, are reviewed quite favorably by Matthew Gurewitsch in ''[[Opera News]]'' (February 2011, p. 66). He has strong reservations about the production and the video direction, however.</ref>
|-
|2012 || [[Sophie Koch]],<br />Eri Nakamura,<br />[[Rolando Villazón]],<br />[[Audun Iversen]]|| [[Antonio Pappano]]<br />Orchestra of the [[Royal Opera House]] || CD: [[Deutsche Grammophon]]<br>Cat: 0289 477 9340 3<ref>[http://www.deutschegrammophon.com/cat/single?PRODUCT_NR=4779340 Details of this recording of ''Werther'' on DeutscheGrammophon.com]</ref>
|- 
|2018 || Anna Stéphany,<br />[[Mélissa Petit]],<br />[[Juan Diego Flórez]],<br />[[Audun Iversen]]|| [[Cornelius Meister]]<br />Orchestra of the [[Zürich Opera House]]<br />(Video of a 2017 performance) || DVD / Blu-Ray: Accentus<br /> Cat: ACC10427 (Blu-Ray), ACC20427 (DVD)<br>
|-
|2024 || [[Véronique Gens]],<br />Hélène Carpentier,<br />[[Tassis Christoyannis]],<br />Thomas Dolié|| [[György Vashegyi]]<br />Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra<br />||CD: [[Bru Zane]]<br>Cat: BZ1056
|}

==References==
'''Notes'''
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book|title=The Standard Opera Guide|last1=Upton|first1=George|author-link=George Putnam Upton|last2=Borowski|first2=Felix|author-link2=Felix Borowski|year=1928|publisher=Blue Ribbon Books, New York|pages=187–8}}
* {{cite book|title=[[The Complete Opera Book]]|last=Kobbé|first=Gustav|author-link=Gustav Kobbé|year=1976|publisher=G. P. Putnam's Sons|location=New York|pages=864–9}}
* {{cite book |title=French Opera at the Fin de Siècle: Werther |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KSQGZOTQKmwC&q=%22Stagecraft+Massenet%27s%22&pg=PA113 |last=Huebner |first=Steven |year=2006 |publisher=Oxford University Press, US |pages=113–34 |isbn=978-0-19-518954-4 }}

== External links ==
* {{IMSLP|work=Werther_%28Massenet%2C_Jules%29|cname=''Werther''}}
* [http://www.dlib.indiana.edu/variations/scores/aby3341/large/index.html ''Werther'': Full orchestral score], indiana.edu
* [https://archive.org/details/wertherdramelyri1893mass Werther : drame lyrique en quatre actes et cinq tableaux (d'apres Goethe)], 1893 publication, French, digitization by [[Brigham Young University|BYU]] on archive.org

{{Jules Massenet|state=collapsed}}
{{The Sorrows of Young Werther}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Operas based on works by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe]]
[[Category:Operas by Jules Massenet]]
[[Category:French-language operas]]
[[Category:1892 operas]]
[[Category:Operas]]
[[Category:Operas set in Germany]]
[[Category:Operas based on novels]]
[[Category:Works based on The Sorrows of Young Werther]]