Giordano’s passionate tragedy stars tenor Piotr Beczała as the virtuous poet who falls victim to the intrigue and violence of the French Revolution. 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. Met Principal Guest Conductor Daniele Rustioni takes the podium to lead Nicolas Joël’s gripping staging live on the Met stage on December 13.
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From the Met: "Giordano’s great tragedy 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.
"Giordano’s score is lush and stirring, with emotions expressed powerfully and immediately by the orchestra and by the singers. In Act I, for example, the title character’s famous solo 'Un dì, all’azzurro spazio' pulls the listener directly into the world of Chénier. The soprano must produce an amazing depth of expression in her great Act III aria, 'La mamma morta,' and the baritone has the thrillingly impressive solo 'Nemico della patria.' The tenor and soprano also express their love in two of the most charged duets in Italian opera, one in Act II and another as they face the guillotine together in the opera’s finale."
Read the synopsis from the Metropolitan Opera.
Composer: Umberto Giordano
Libretto: Luigi Illica
CAST
Maddalena: Sonya Yoncheva
Andrea Chénier: Piotr Beczała
Carlo Gérard: Igor Golovatenko
