Steppin' Out

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'Werther' offers romance to die for

By Heather Zimmerman

Christmas isn't the most wonderful time of the year for the titular hero of Werther. But composer Jules Massenet wrote beautiful music for Werther's tale that uplifts even as Werther himself heads for heartbreak.

Opera San José's season continues with Werther, a deeply romantic opera in every sense, Nov. 17-Dec. 2, at the California Theatre, 345 S. First St., San Jose.

The sensitive young poet Werther falls for the good and beautiful Charlotte, who is already engaged to Albert, having agreed to the match at her dying mother's request. Once Charlotte is married, Werther pines for her. She returns his affections, which Werther realizes during a Christmas Eve visit, giving rise to one of the opera's most-loved numbers, "Pourquoi me reveiller." But honor will forever keep the two apart, so Werther commits suicide--using a pistol borrowed from Albert.

Massenet based his opera on The Sorrows of Young Werther, a novel by Goethe that was immensely popular at its publication during the 18th century. The character of Werther so enraptured romantic young men of this time that they not only copied his style of dress, but also his fatal "solution" for unrequited love.

Werther is sung in French with English supertitles. David Rohrbaugh and Bryan J. Nies split conducting duties; Cybele Gouverneur and Tihana Herceg alternate as Charlotte and Isaac Hurtado and Christopher Bengochea share the role of Werther.

Tickets are $66-$88. For more information, call 408.437.4450 or visit www.operasj.org.