By Natalia Di Bartolo —
Pathos, emotion: the finals of the ’ Opera. After having upset with their woes, our protagonists are on track toward the inevitable final destiny…contrary to the final inescapable destiny: death on stage. Often it is the tenor exhale l ’ last breath on the boards of the stage.
And here the Vieweralready hooij, prepares the basis of handkerchiefs that you brought from home, since the close of the subscription concerts armchair has already seen to premiere the Opera in question and has advised: the tears!!! To be paid all, down to the last…There ’ is no escape…
Here's that l ’ orchestra starts to narrow end So what the tenor…But…those who take as an example? Simple! An absolute dead-EE on stage: Werther.
Yes, Werther is the one who takes an entire Act to die…around the fourth Act focuses on his harrowing death…Who better than him?
Even when the time comes, you will hear the gunshot fatal. And there he begins to argue: but if Massenet had predicted at a precise point in the score, because the Director moves two pages before? When you shoot Werther? In short: you decide, because the emotion tightens the throat and gives no rest: already do not know at what point you will hear a bang mortal shakes the viewer engrossed and displaces: "I take or do not take the handkerchief? And when I take it? "
But here at last the gun shoots. Glad it was charging! Albert guns arrive empty in Werther or, as is often shown, he takes one and finds loads for this purpose? A mystery unresolved and unresolvable you ever asks how it is possible that Albert keep loaded guns that are usually displayed in a showcase or around the House in a wooden box. Who do you explain?…
Not to mention when the Director Decides that suicide should be accomplished a curtain open. It has been seen Werther that gun pointed at my head, jamming already; Werther indeciso che non sapeva dove puntare la pistola, se alla tempia, alla gola o al petto; Werther così pignolo da cercare con suprema attenzione il punto preciso dove puntare la pistola, Werther shooting where it happened before…In short: If the librettists had meant that it shot to his head as in the novel by Goethe, or throat, how they could make an agony sung a whole Act? ERGO: it was necessary that you shot in the chest, to allow time to sing all the fourth Act. Why make it doubt, giving this tremendous dilemma? Extreme cruelty! The viewer shudders.
But here at last He shot himselfas it is written it is. Charlotte rushes…Spesso è scalza (nella neve, la notte di Natale, in Germania!), a volte in abito da sera, altre in camicia da notte e vestaglia…In short…Here she comes…and find his beloved riverso sul pavimento. Ma non sempre. A volte sta sul letto, ma perfino con le scarpe ai piedi (!)…altre volte è a terra, ma come? Seduto con le spalle appoggiate al letto (così la respirazione diaframmatica non ne soffre)…Oppure è addirittura in piedi ancora (un fenomeno clinico!) appoggiato al muro…Never a Werther that fall the right way, a quanto pare, tranne rare eccezioni.
And the blood? But so much blood! But so much, sometimes it seems they quartered. Others, however, a small stain at heart level reports the area affected; more blood is printed on the shirt and not shedding not a drop, to protect morals.
But most importantly of all: he must suffer. As suffers, poor Werther! And here the audience waits eagerly his every sigh, adapts to his ultimate suffering and tear, tear…
The tenor sings in agony: the music is sublime, but the master decided that the fourth Act is too long (will the plane departing), that the times written are too slow and then accelerates: the agony is abbreviated…But the times written must be longotherwise the torment not manifests itself. Then another bike stunto, fin troppo ligio al dovere filologico, Decides to stretch them yet, facendo morire il protagonista anche di sfinimento, insieme allo spettatore esausto. Poi c’è the master who decides how tighten or expand i tempi a pagine alterne della partitura, perché altrimenti il tenore non tiene i fiati lunghi e il soprano boccheggia, evitando però di alterare i momenti orchestrali…Dov’è il Maestro giusto? Raramente lo si incontra sul podio. Lo spettatore esigente freme.
Insomma, the fourth Act He started anyway in more grim tragedy and here Werther must sing and suffer simultaneously. Come fare? Ma sì, la tosse è il rimedio sovrano: the Werther coughing come la Traviata sono i più consueti, guardando bene di alternare la tosse agli acuti del soprano per non coprirli. Oppure è meglio tossire silenziosamente, ma è pericoloso, perché può essere scambiato per cattiva digestione, non per un colpo di tosse: molto poco tragico per un agonizzante! Meglio suffering Catatonic, then: Werther Catatonic is one of the solutions that best guess and more virtuosic for the mortal coil.
Lying on the floor without any support under the head, eyes closed, does not react even to the kiss of Charlotte. Magnificent: a Masterful hand in supine position, the perfect feeling of pure agony, suffering: that you can't see but you perceive only in singing. Maybe all Werther died so well!
But no! The Viewer is caught by a wave of terror on seeing sometimes impressed the dying man getting up even standing in the children's Carol! How does a guy who shot himself in the chest for over ten minutes, which lost a 100 litres of blood, which until then was almost unconscious, to find the strength to stand up and, mooning, listen a Christmas Carol? Yet it happens! The Viewer stay with the handkerchief in half an ’ air between the eyes and nose: a moment of supence: how, where and when it will fall? Why must also fall back, if he must die at the end of the Act!
And here he before falling back even dance with Charlotte. The viewer more demanding storing the handkerchief, he gets up and walks away…What patient bears…to good mouth, admired, continues in lagrimazione…However, those who remain waits Werther falls and fallswith a thud, in fact, impressive. Better if on the bed, though: it's softer; or on the sofafor this purpose, ibid.…But even better if on the ground: there is the place dedicated to the most excruciating death. On the floor.
The tenor ansima e canta, sings and pants: too! Where did the singing line? Then sings and not pants. Yes but it is a painless death? Possible? Or pants. And the singing? Just murmurs. No! The moment is sublime.. The hand cannot go unnoticed in favor of contortions or the swoon! Soil the attacks is the worst; fade the finals it take? The viewer pauses a moment of wipe away the tears and if you ask…
Poi, peggio ancora se c’è, IN FRENCH, some imperfection in pronunciation…"Yes, but the divine Interpreter I said so ": but I do got, it wasn't a perfect delivery source: go to listen to it and you will find a disaster every three words! So what? Perfect Werther must be French for strength? And here the viewer demanding reply: "Yes!"…What patient"It would be better, but a good lesson in pronunciation may be enough"; What ninny still they crying and doesn't notice anything.
But here it comes: the tenor must expire. But how? Silently: is it better for the ropes and you do not risk to issue some ugliness; theatrically: leaning desperately on the elbows, lifting toward Charlotte, pronounced "goods", then, regardless of cervical, falls to crash, disjointed; If Catatonic you have to show that something happens…Maybe a hand falling limp enough to increase some tears in the audience.
Charlotte l acute excruciating ’ check this end both suffered. The teacher gives power to the orchestra…the latest jokes: End of ’ Work.
And here the parties s ’ reverse…and when s ’ reverse happens that the Viewereven that fussy hopefully entranced, stop they crying placing handkerchiefs dripping, get up from the Chair and come home to their daily chores in the vague memory of that Werther; While the tenor in person remains hooij ground at the end of the Opera, oblivious of the curtain that will reopen; and then, rising, continues during the applause; and even after that, throughout the evening, dinner at the restaurant including: and therein lies the miracle of ’ art, se e quando si compie. Sì, perché quando è grande, the tenor, dying, lagrima too together with the viewer and remains Werther for quite a while’ di tempo, apparentemente fino alla fine delle recite, ma, in cuor suo, Forever.
Natalia Dantas