Werther

About

Werther is a lyric drama in four acts by French composer Jules Massenet, with a libretto by Édouard Blau, Paul Milliet and Georges Hartmann drawn from Goethe's 1774 epistolary novel. The story follows the young poet Werther and his hopeless love for Charlotte, who is bound by a deathbed promise to marry another man. The opera premiered in Vienna in 1892 - in a German translation - and reached the Opéra-Comique in Paris the following year, where it has since become one of the most frequently performed works in the French repertoire. Massenet's score is celebrated for the way it maps every shift in the characters' inner lives, giving the tragedy an emotional directness that still holds audiences.

130+

years in the international opera repertoire since the premiere in 1892

major international productions in the 2025-2026 season alone

What's new

2026-09
The Royal Theatre performs Werther at Gamle Scene in Copenhagen from 11 September to 8 October 2026, conducted by Marie Jacquot with Jacob Skov Andersen in the title role and Elisabeth Jansson as Charlotte - a co-production with Opernhaus Zürich.
2026-05
Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona performed Werther in May 2026 with tenor Xabier Anduaga in the title role and Henrik Nánási as conductor - a revival of Christof Loy's production.
2026-01
Opéra-Comique in Paris presented a new production of Werther from 19 to 29 January 2026, directed by Ted Huffman and conducted by Raphaël Pichon with Ensemble Pygmalion - and with Pene Pati and Adèle Charvet in the two leading roles.
2026-01
ABAO Bilbao Opera opened 2026 with Werther, where Spanish tenor Celso Albelo stepped in at short notice after a sudden cancellation of the originally planned tenor.
2025-03
Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris performed Werther from 22 March to 6 April 2025 in a new co-production with Teatro alla Scala, directed by Christof Loy and with Benjamin Bernheim and Marina Viotti in the two leading roles.