Historical drama in four scenes by Umberto Giordano, libretto by Luigi Illica
Staged by the Fondazione Teatro Comunale di Bologna and the Opéra Garnier Monte-Carlo
Main characters and performers:
Andrea Chénier
Fabio Sartori
Carlo Gérard
Amartuvshin Enkhbat
Stefano Meo (9,12)
Maddalena di Coigny
Maria Josè Siri
The mulatta Bersi
Cristina Melis
The Countess of Coigny
Siranush Khachatryan
Madelon
Manuela Custer
Roucher
Nicolò Ceriani
Fléville
Matteo Peirone
Fouquier Tinville
Marco Camastra
Mathieu
Luciano Roberti
An incredible
Didier Pieri
The abbot
Gianluca Sorrentino
Schmidt
Andrea Porta
Maestro concertatore e direttore
Donato Renzetti
Director
Pier Francesco Maestrini
Scenes and videos
Nicolás Boni
Costumes
Stefania Scaraggi
Choreography
Silvia Giordano
Lights
Daniele Naldi
Orchestra, chorus and technicians of the Opera Carlo Felice Genoa
Choirmaster Claudio Marino Moretti
Andrea Chénier is an opera in four scenes that Umberto Giordano composed in 1896, to a libretto by Luigi Illica inspired by the life of French poet André Chénier. The opera was Giordano’s first great success. After the first performance at La Scala on 28 March of the same year, he saw his work revived throughout Europe and in the United States. The action takes place near Paris at the time of the French Revolution. The protagonist’s constitutionalist ideals are in stark contrast to the corrupt lifestyle of the Parisian nobility, and during the Reign of Terror the poet will be persecuted and later executed for his political affiliation. Against the backdrop of tragic historical events, a love affair with Magdalena, daughter of the Countess of Coigny, develops. Andrea and Magdalena will remain together until the last tragic moment. The main model Giordano refers to is Italian verismo, from which he takes an orchestration aimed at describing the gestures of the characters and the action rather than the psychological or emotional dimension. The result is a work of great compactness, where the narrative is not analysed by the music itself, but rather emphasised. The vocal lines are singable and effective, while developing in a well-defined structural context that maintains a thoughtful balance from beginning to end.
