The world doesn’t need another recording of Werther, since so many terrific ones are available: the glorious 1931 Vallin-Thill set; Victoria de los Angeles still peerless in her pathos on EMI; Frederica von Stade and José Carreras lush and utterly convincing on Philips; Kasarova and Vargas young and impeccably troubled on RCA; and the Alagnas (EMI again) at their very best, as individuals and as a team (not to mention the odd, compelling, Italian-languaged Gencer and Tagliavini set from 1959 in Trieste on Arkadia). But here is one, taped live in Lille in 1999. It’s at a bargain price and it’s well-sung and played; but it can’t hold a candle to any of those listed above.
The orchestra, under Jean-Claude Casadesus, plays very well and very sensitively, setting a lovely moonlight moment before the first-act duet for the non-lovers. Immediately thereafter our Charlotte enters, and Béatrice Uria-Monzon sets the tone for her whole performance: the voice is healthy but not particularly attractive, and the emotional level is low. The lack of drama might be suitable for this part of the opera, but rarely has Werther’s name been intoned so plainly by a Charlotte at the start of the third act, and although she eventually works herself up, we never get involved.
The Werther, Marcus Haddock, is a terrific lyric tenor, with nice phrasing, an appealing sound, and an easy, secure top. But his shadings are all-purpose–that is, desolation, more desolation, self-pity. The Sophie and Albert are really good, she less the squeaky soubrette we all-too-often get, and he sounding refreshingly younger than usual. The recording level is low but the sound is excellent once the volume is turned up. In brief, the whole performance is too matter-of-fact–precisely what this opera does not need.
