Niamh lands a dream role
“Charlotte has been my number one dream role for as long as I’ve been singing professionally.”
Those were the words of Cork’s mezzo-soprano Niamh O'Sullivan as she prepares to take to the stage soon in ‘Werther’.
Irish National Opera (INO) is on the road again, for an extended tour of one of French composer Jules Massenet's best-loved operas ‘Werther’, a story based on Goethe’s great novel of painful and destructive suppressed love.
The title role is sung by the prize-winning young Italian tenor Paride Cataldo who is making his INO debut. Werther's love interest, Charlotte, the woman who married his best friend, is Niamh O'Sullivan.
She said: “Vocally, Charlotte’s music in 'Werther' is an absolute dream, as he writes long luscious lines for the middle of the mezzo voice and then occasionally jumps up to high note without sitting up there. Charlotte is a young woman torn between duty and love and I am so looking forward to delving deep into Charlotte’s confused and heartbroken self.
“I am so excited to get to sing my dream role, Charlotte, for my beloved Cork audience. I have performed many a time at the Everyman in musicals and theatre and to now come back and sing my ultimate dream opera role is a real 360 moment for me!”
The new production, which relocates the time and place from late 18th century Germany to a setting much closer to home, is directed by Sophie Motley, Artistic Director of The Everyman, designed by Sarah Bacon (winner of an Irish Times Irish Theatre award for set design), and conducted by Philipp Pointner.
The opera is based on the loosely autobiographal epistolary novel, ‘The Sorrow of Young Werther’, that catapulted the 24 year old Goethe to fame in 1774. The composer visited the house in Wetzlar where Goethe had written the book and where Massenet's publisher gave him a copy of the book.
He started reading it in what he described as “one of those immense beer halls which are everywhere in Germany”, and the impact of the book was huge. “Such delirious, ecstatic passion,” he wrote, “brought tears to my eyes.”
Anna Marie Coughlan, Sponsorship and Relationship Manager at The Everyman said: “We are so excited to host a beautiful evening with the INO and our wonderful Artistic Director, Sophie Motely, directing the spectacular opera ‘Werther’. It will be a great opportunity to glam up on May night and soak up some beautiful opera in The Everyman.”
‘Werther’ will be performed at the Everyman Theatre on Saturday 6 May at 8pm.