Andrea Chénier

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Operas by Umberto Giordano

Andrea Chénier (1896)
Fedora (1898)
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Andrea Chénier is an opera in four acts by the verismo composer Umberto Giordano, set to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica. It is based loosely on the life of the French poet, André Chénier (1762-1794), who was executed during the French Revolution.

Contents

[edit] Performance history

The work was first performed at the Teatro alla Scala, Milan, on 28 March 1896 with Evelina Carrera, Giuseppe Borgatti and Mario Sammarco. It was given in New York at the Academy of Music on 13 November 1896, and in London (in English) on 16 April 1903.

[edit] Background

Andrea Chénier remains popular with audiences, though now less frequently performed than in the first half of the 20th Century. One reason the opera has remained in the repertoire has been because of the magnificent music provided by Giordano for the tenor lead, which gives a talented singer many opportunities to demonstrate his skill and flaunt his voice. Giuseppe Borgatti's success in the title part at the first performance propelled him to the front rank of Italian opera singers. He went on to become, surprisingly enough, Italy's greatest Wagnerian tenor.

Famous Cheniers prior to World War 2 included Giovanni Martinelli, Beniamino Gigli, Giacomo Lauri-Volpi and Antonio Cortis, all of whom have left superlative 78 rpm recordings of the part's showpiece arias. Franco Corelli and Mario del Monaco were arguably the most famous interpreters of the title role in the 1950s and '60s, while Plácido Domingo became its foremost interpreter in more recent times. The Wagnerian tenor Ben Heppner tackled the role at the Met in the early 21st Century with mixed success; the voice was suitably powerful but he lacked the Italianate vocal colouring that operas such as Andrea Chenier demand.

The opera also contains a memorable aria for the soprano heroine, an exciting one for the baritone villain and a stirring final duet for the male and female leads.

[edit] Roles

Role Voice type Premiere Cast, March 28, 1896
(Conductor: - )
Andrea Chénier, a poet tenor Giuseppe Borgatti
Carlo Gérard, a servant baritone Mario Sammarco
Maddalena de Coigny soprano Evelina Carrera
Bersi, her maid mezzo-soprano Maddalena Ticci
La comtesse di Coigny mezzo-soprano Della Rogers
Pietro Fléville, a novelist bass Gaetano Roveri
The Abbé, a poet tenor Enrico Giordano
The Incredible, a spy tenor Enrico Giordano
Roucher, a friend of Chénier bass or baritone Gaetano Roveri
Schmidt, a gaoler at St. Lazare baritone Raffaele Terzi
Madelon, an old woman mezzo-soprano Della Rogers
Fouquier Tinville, the Public Prosecutor bass or baritone Ettore Brancaleone
Master of the Household bass Raffaele Terzi
Ladies, gentlemen, musicians, servants, soldiers - Chorus

[edit] Synopsis

[edit] Setting

Time: 1789-93.
Place: In and around Paris.

[edit] Act I

The servants of the Countess of Coigny are preparing for a ball. Among them is Gérard, who is filled with indignation at the sight of his aged father suffering as the result of long years of abusive labor for the aristocrats. When the guests have arrived, a typical eighteenth century court pastoral with the chorus, dressed as shepherds and shepherdesses, singing idealized rustic music and the ballet mimicing a rural love story in stately court fashion. Among the guests is the highly popular poet, Andrea Chénier. When the Countess asks him to improvise he refuses, but when her beautiful daughter, Madalena, pleads with him he consents. Madalena flirtatiously suggests the subject “Love,” but he soon forgets this, and sings of the misery and suffering of the poor instead which leads to a tirade against those in power in church and state. With the exception of Madalena, the ball's privledged guests are outraged by Chénier's idealistic social and human creed. Gérard appears leading a crowd of ragged men and women and they are summarily ordered to leave the castle. Outraged, Chénier follows them.

[edit] Act II

Chénier is now a revolutionary and a wanted man. He is advised to flee by his friend, “Roucher, who has acquired a passport he can use. Chénier, hiwever, has fallen in love with Madalena and refuses to leave without her. Coincidentally, Madalena soon arrives having snuck away from her family with the desire of joing the revolution. The lover rejoice in each others company briefly but are interupted when they are discoverd by Gérard who is also enfatuated with Madalena. They fight over her with swords and Gérard is wounded. Believing he is dying, he warns Chénier to flee from the wrath of his revolutionary enemies, and asks him to save Madalena also. When a mob arrives on the scene a few minutes later, Gérard tells them that his assailant is unknown to him.

[edit] Act III

Gérard has recovered and is presiding over a revolutionary tribunal. A spy announces Chénier’s arrest for having dared criticize Robespierre’s cruelty. This is too good an opportunity to make away with a rival, and as he is about to put his signature to the fatal document, he laughingly asks himself, “An enemy of his country?” ... he knows well that is the standard charge against one’s personal enemies. Yet he hesitates for a moment recalling that it was Chénier’s inspired verse that first awakened his own patriotism . . . now to satisfy his passions he sacrifices a friend. The struggle of honor and desire is beautifully expressed in the music ... a bit of the Marseillaise is suggestively quoted by the orchestra. Finally desire triumphs and Gérard signs in a mood of cynicism.

Hurried before the tribunal, Chénier pleads for himself vehemently, saying that he, a soldier, fought for his country; if he must die, let him die fighting for it, not shamefully executed.

Madalena, whose mother has meanwhile perished, also puts in an appearance. She offers to give herself to Gérard to save Chénier’s life. Gérard then pleads for the poet; but it is now too late. The mob thirsts for blood.

[edit] Act IV

While confined in the gloomy St. Lazare prison, Chénier awaits his execution. He spends his time writing verses of poetry which express his faith in truth and beauty.

Meanwhile, Madalena bribes her way into the prison. She is ushered in to see Chénier by Gérard. The lovers have a brief tender moment before making one more failed appeal to Robespierre for a pardon. At dawn, Chénier is executed. Unable to live without her love, Madalena takes the place of a condemned woman and dies with her lover.

[edit] Noted arias

  • "Un dì all'azzuro spazio" (One day in azure space - Chénier)
  • "Come un bel dí di Maggio" (Like a beautiful day in May - Chénier) (among the few passages that can be excerpted from the verismo flow)
  • "Vivere in fretta" (To live in a hurry - Bersi)
  • "La mamma morta" (My mother died... - Maddalena)
  • "Nemico della patria" (Enemy of the fatherland - Gérard)

[edit] Selected recordings

Year Cast
(Andrea Chénier,
Maddalena de Coigny
Carlo Gérard)		 Conductor,
Opera House and Orchestra		 Label
1981 Plácido Domingo,
Gabriela Benackova,
Piero Cappuccilli		 Nello Santi,
Vienna State Opera orchestra and chorus		 DVD: Deutsche Grammophon
Cat: 00440 073 4070
1985 Plácido Domingo,
Anna Tomowa-Sintow,
Giorgio Zancanaro		 Julius Rudel,
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden Orchestra and Chorus		 DVD: Kultur
Cat: 032031141094

[edit] Sources

  • The Oxford Dictionary of Opera, by John Warrack and Ewan West (1992), 782 pages, ISBN 0-19-869164-5

[edit] In Popular Culture

  • In the famous "Opera Scene" from the 1993 film Philadelphia, Tom Hanks translates along to Maria Callas's famous recording of "La mamma morta". Some say this scene is a big part of what made him receive the Academy Award for Best Actor in this role.

[edit] External links