MASSENET, Jules
Werther
“Pourquoi me réveiller”
Joyce DiDonato, guest professor
Daniel Domínguez Quintero, student
Natalia Kuchaeva, accompanying pianist
After the student sings Werther’s aria, the professor congratulates him and explains that tragedy is expressed differently depending on the language, and that it is difficult not to convey the drama “in the Italian way” but rather to do so “in the French way”. It is important to follow Massenet’s indications, as he articulates everything and composed in an academic manner, noting in detail how he wanted it to be sung. Unlike Handel, for example, he leaves little room for decision, so one must find the right balance: convey the emotion without sounding overly sentimental. To that end, using the language well when singing helps: French is quite nasal; in the high register it poses no problem, but for the low register she suggests trying to sing with more warmth, so that it sounds rounder, without pushing the sound, but letting it come out as if blowing the air.
They start again from the beginning and work on pronunciation, legato, and phrasing according to the exact indications in the score, avoiding dynamic changes or accents that are not written, and always trying to respect the language and the text as much as possible in order to achieve the most appropriate character at all times.
Language: English
