Werther

I listened to the broadcast and it brought back vivid memories of a thrilling performance at Brussels' La Monnaie last december. Indeed, I believe the recording was made on the very day I was there, as I remember seeing the van of the Belgian radio outside the theatre! JL gave a touching performance of a woman trapped in the bourgeois conventions of the 18th & 19th centuries: The director had emphasized the very narrow space her world comprised by the almost claustrophobic stage setting of a kind of doll's house, making of Charlotte a "desperate housewife" out of Ibsen! The huge christmas tree in the 3rd act dwarfed the humans and was more threatening than festive. Charlotte sang her heart-rending Letter Aria sitting on a stool in the corner - like a "cornered" or trapped animal, which made the last words "...il se brise" all the more poignant. I literally held my breath during this whole act, and when Charlotte cried out embracing her sister and bidding farewell to her, my heart missed a beat! In the 4th act Charlotte's desperation comes over most vividly, and her cries are agonizing. JL really makes you live through the agony and the pain with her! When she sobs "Tout est fini!" you really feel as if the world has come to its end! And I must say Ludovic Tézier as Werther died most movingly. The part was, of course, originally written for a tenor, but I am grateful to M. Massenet that he also wrote this alternative version. I admit I am biased, as I love the baritone voice and have never much cared for tenors (and baritones are in most cases much more handsome to boot!)! In short, it was an evening to remember and I can only join Paul in his wish for a dvd of this performance!