[On Stage] The Tragedy of Werther Expressed as a Single Sunflower

Sunflower Usage Not in Original Novel Conveys 'Resonance'... Evokes Tragic Life of Gogh

'Lotte' role Kim Ye-won (right) and 'Albert' role Park Eun-seok [Photo by CJ ENM]

[Asia Economy Reporter Byunghee Park] The musical Werther ends with the scene of a single sunflower falling down. It is a metaphor symbolizing the death of the protagonist Werther. The lyricism is deeply felt.

Werther’s final appearance is the moment he points the gun at his right temple. Then the stage set moves, and Werther disappears from the audience’s view. Just as the audience expects to hear the "bang" of the gunshot, the sunflower standing at the front of the stage falls. No gunshot sound is heard. It gives the impression of being faithful to the original novel.

The original work of Werther is the novel The Sorrows of Young Werther, written by the great German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749?1832) when he was twenty-five years old, in just 14 weeks. Goethe does not directly describe the scene where Werther commits suicide with a pistol in the novel.

On the night Werther makes his extreme choice, he writes farewell letters to his acquaintances including his beloved Lotte. After the chimes of midnight are heard, he says goodbye to Lotte alone with "Farewell." The following sentence reads, "A neighbor saw the flash of the powder and heard the gunshot. But since it soon became quiet, they paid no further attention."

The musical Werther gives the impression throughout the performance of being a beautifully crafted work. It is tragic that the original novel was misunderstood as glamorizing suicide, giving rise to the term "Werther effect." However, conversely, it also means that the novel powerfully expressed a passionate love leading to death, resonating deeply with people’s hearts.

The musical Werther also has a significant emotional impact. It effectively portrays the beautiful yet intense love of the original novel on stage.

'Lotte' Station Lee Ji-hye [Photo by CJ ENM]

In Act 1, serenades of love continue relentlessly. Lotte sings that "one night feels like a thousand years" as she waits for her beloved. Despite the cheesy lyrics, there is no sense of rejection. This is because Lotte’s endlessly cheerful and bright personality is so vivid that Werther sings, "How can you be so pure?" Lotte is like a candy born into a noble family. She is portrayed as a pure character who performs puppet shows on the street and freely shows kindness even to strangers. Her bright and childlike innocence is well revealed in her first meeting with Werther. Lotte’s personality, brighter and more cheerful than in the original novel, seems to be an effective strategy to breathe life into the play.

The musical Werther cleverly uses devices reminiscent of the Dutch Post-Impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh (1853?1890) to stir the audience’s emotions. The sunflower, an important motif in Werther, is a flower frequently painted by van Gogh. The original novel does not mention sunflowers. Instead, the plant that plays a significant role in the original is the linden tree. In the original, Werther writes in his last letter that he wishes to be buried under the linden tree.

In the musical Werther, the linden tree is symbolized by a lonely tree standing behind the pillar on the left side of the stage. However, the sunflowers decorating the right side of the stage and the orchestra pit are more eye-catching. The sunflowers overlap the lives of Werther and van Gogh.

Van Gogh lived a life burning with pure passion and love for painting. He left behind so many works that one might think he never slept and only painted. However, he was not recognized during his lifetime. Similarly, Werther shows blind and passionate love for Lotte. But Lotte marries Albert, so Werther’s love is not accepted in reality. The tragic lives of van Gogh and Werther both end with a young-age suicide by pistol. The flower language of the sunflower means "devoted love." Letters can also serve as a device indirectly connecting Werther and van Gogh. Van Gogh wrote countless letters to his younger brother Theo during his lifetime, and The Sorrows of Young Werther is an epistolary novel composed of numerous letters Werther sent to his friend Wilhelm.

Werther is a creative musical adapted to Korean sensibilities from The Sorrows of Young Werther. It premiered in the early 2000s and celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. It is performed at the Kwanglim Art Center BBCH Hall until November 1. The role of Werther is played by Um Ki-joon, Kai, Yoo Yeon-seok, Kyuhyun, and Na Hyun-woo; Lotte by Kim Ye-won and Lee Ji-hye; and Albert by Lee Sang-hyun and Park Eun-seok.