Giordano’s passionate tragedy stars tenor Piotr Beczała as the virtuous poet who falls victim to the intrigue and violence of the French Revolution. Following their celebrated recent partnership in Giordano’s Fedora, Beczała reunites with soprano Sonya Yoncheva as Chénier’s aristocratic lover, Maddalena di Coigny, with baritone Igor Golovatenko as Carlo Gérard, the agent of the Reign of Terror who seals their fates. Daniele Rustioni takes the podium to lead the performance.
Heard for the first time at Milan's Teatro alla Scala in 1896, Andrea Chénier blends verismo’s focus on the raw emotions of everyday people with the spectacle of historical grand opera. The marriage of sound and text is exemplary. More than anything, Andrea Chénier relies on engrossing performances from its lead performers for success, but the central characters are placed within an effective, larger musical canvas that bolsters the compelling star turns, rather than relying on them wholesale.
