Customer Reviews

Massenet - Werther / Vargas · Kasarova · Trekel · Kotoski · Ch. Genz · Chiummo · Jurowski

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Jules Massenet's masterpiece Werther gets a performance that it deserves on this RCA set. The bottom line for this recording is that it is very well sung. Ramon Vargas, who is indeed a treasure, sings the poet the way he should be sung- that is full of melancholy passion. Werther is not a character that can be convincingly performed without a lot of thought from the singer. And Vargas obviously put a lot of effort into understanding his role. He puts much passion into his beautiful, lyric voice. The only critical statement that I can make about Vargas' performance is that the last words of the duet between Werther and Charlotte ("un autre son epoux!") is not sung with the, in my opinion, reckless abandon that is necessary to make it effective. He is just too casual with this line. And conductor Vladimir Jurowski is also too casual with the music ending Act One. But this is a minor point. Charlotte is sung by Vesselina Kasarova. Her beautiful mezzo is ideal for the character. Through her voice, one can easily understand why Werther is so madly in love. Some have criticized Kasarova for being too cold. There is some coldness in her portrayl of Charlotte, but she is a very confused girl. I think Kasarova more than convincingly sings her part. In the more minor roles Christopher Schaldenbrand is an excellent Albert. Also good is Dawn Kotoski as Sophie. Umberto Chiummo is adequate as Le Bailli, but this is a small and rather inconsequential role anyway.

Out of all the new tenors to grace the opera scene, Mexican Tenor Ramon Vargas is the most interesting. He has an incredible top that shows no limits, and his phrasing is reminiscent of the legendary Jussi Bjoerling. In this Werther recording Vargas interprets the tragic character perfectly. This is truly a must have for any opera lover. Vargas is the Domingo of the future. Kasarova is lovely as Charlotte. she has a wonderful top, and a strong voice. This recording simple a gem.

Of the three new tenors--Alagna, Cura, and Vargas---I far prefer the third. I first heard him on a recital disc of opera, then one of Spanish songs, and I was greatly impressed with his voice and delivery. Honestly I did not think that Werther was a role suited to him; and I cannot help but compare him with the slightly more elegant version with Gedda in the title role on an old EMI album. But on its own terms, this new RCA Victor set is just fine and has, of course, far better sound.

It would be instructive to hear the rival set with Alagna and his wife to see how these two compare in the same roles. Frankly what I have heard and seen of Alagna does not impress me at all, despite the acolades he has received in some quarters. Vargas has by far the more thrilling voice, but he will have to learn to modify it lest he become just another Del Monaco: all brilliance and forte with no depth of characterization at all.

Kasarova is fine as his beloved; but again she does not have quite the fraility that Victoria de los Angeles managed to include in her reading of Charlotte. Still in all, a fine performance of a role with a "letter scene" but no popular aria to make the audience keep their seats to hear.

Of the three new tenors--Alagna, Cura, and Vargas---I far prefer the third. I first heard him on a recital disc of opera, then one of Spanish songs, and I was greatly impressed with his voice and delivery. Honestly I did not think that Werther was a role suited to him; and I cannot help but compare him with the slightly more elegant version with Gedda in the title role on an old EMI album. But on its own terms, this new RCA Victor set is just fine and has, of course, far better sound.

It would be instructive to hear the rival set with Alagna and his wife to see how these two compare in the same roles. Frankly what I have heard and seen of Alagna does not impress me at all, despite the acolades he has received in some quarters. Vargas has by far the more thrilling voice, but he will have to learn to modify it lest he become just another Del Monaco: all brilliance and forte with no depth of characterization at all.

Kasrova is fine as his beloved; but again she does not have quite the fraility that Victoria de los Angeles managed to include in her reading of Charlotte. Still in all, a fine performance of a role with a "letter scene" but no popular aria to make the audience keep their seats to hear.

If ever one has doubts as to why modern opera is fast dwindling, the answer is simple - the ears of the listeners have changed.
Here, in this wonderful performance, at least two top singers deliver their absolute best in the wake of a critic's 'wait 5 more years' nonsense.
Werther is not an easily digestible opera. You need to have the best line up to allow the composer's work to take off.
In this recording, young Russian conductor Vladimir Jurowski (not more than 26 years old at the time) directed a wonderful ensemble of orchestra and singers. The approach is red hot - youthfully passionate interpretation against a musical shroud of deep pathos and unsettling emotional background.
Werther is the story of a young man's unrequited love. Basically, it needs youthful interpretors to bring out the feelings embedded in the music and the score. Jose Carreras and Frederica von Stade had a wonderful recording back in the 1970's.
Ramon Vargas and Vesselina Kasarova's interpretations in this recording match Carreras and von Stader point by point.
The best lyrical tenor since the great Alfredo Kraus, Ramon Vargas owns an ultra sweet timbre with an incredibly focused top register. This top register is a prerequisite for a successful Werther - it brings out the passion, the pathos, the yearning of the character. As Jonas Kaufmann proved to be similarly capable in this aspect (see his DVD for the Bastille performance in 2009), Vargas also boosts of an incredibly focused top. His solo arias and duets in this recording are nothing short of exemplary. All the drama of Werther's unrequited love culminates in the third Act's great 'Spring' Aria of Werther, and the listener cannot escape getting tearful with Vargas' terrific rendition.
Vesselina Kasarova has an incredibly beautiful mezzo voice at the time of this recording. Her vehement declarations in the latter Acts are so powerful that Charlotte's torture becomes at once the listeners' very own. The letter scene and the following duet with Sophie are so affecting that no listener with ears could remain aloof.
A highly successful performance, ably assisted by the baritone and soprano roles in Albert and Sophie.
The orchestra, under young Jurowski, sets a wonderful musical backdrop to the work. The brass, the solo strings, the woodwinds, all sing together with the protagonists. If you do not care for vocal music, just listening to the various preludes would be quite enough.
This is a modern operatic recording that no lovers of opera would afford to miss.

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