Andrea Chénier
Encyclopedia
Andrea Chénier is a verismo
opera
in four acts by the 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
.
Andrea Chénier remains popular with audiences, though it is now less frequently performed than it was during the first half of the 20th Century. One reason that the opera has stayed in the repertoire is due to the magnificent lyric-dramatic music provided by Giordano for the tenor lead, which gives a talented singer many opportunities to demonstrate his histrionic skill and flaunt his voice. Indeed, Giuseppe Borgatti's triumph in the title part at the first performance immediately propelled him to the front rank of Italian opera singers. Borgatti went on to become Italy's greatest Wagnerian tenor rather than a verismo-opera specialist.
, Milan
, on 28 March 1896 with Evelina Carrera, Giuseppe Borgatti
(who replaced Alfonso Garulli at the eleventh hour) and Mario Sammarco
in the leading parts of soprano, tenor and baritone respectively. Rodolfo Ferrari conducted.
Other notable first performances include those in New York
at the Academy of Music on 13 November 1896; in Hamburg
on 3 February 1897 under the baton of Gustav Mahler
; and in
London
's Camden Theatre on 16 April 1903 (sung in English).
Apart from Borgatti, famous Cheniers in the period between the opera's premiere and the outbreak of World War II
included Francesco Tamagno
(who studied the work with Giordano), Giovanni Zenatello
, Giovanni Martinelli
, Aureliano Pertile
, Francesco Merli
, Beniamino Gigli
, Giacomo Lauri-Volpi
and Antonio Cortis
. Enrico Caruso also gave a few performances as Chenier in London in 1907. All of these tenors with the exception of Borgatti have left 78-rpm recordings of one or more of the part's showpiece solos.
Post-war, Franco Corelli
, Richard Tucker
and Mario del Monaco
were undoubtedly the most famous interpreters of the title role during the 1950s and '60s, while Plácido Domingo
became its foremost interpreter among the next generation of tenors, although Domingo's contemporary Luciano Pavarotti
also successfully sang and recorded the work. The Wagnerian tenor Ben Heppner
tackled the role in New York City at a 2007 Metropolitan Opera
revival with mixed success; his voice was impressively powerful but did not fit the style, critics alleged.
The Keith Warner-directed opera will be performed in 2011 through August 21st in Bregenz, Austria. It is performed on an almost 78-foot high statue of a dying Jean-Paul Marat sinking in the water, an ode to the 1793 Jacques-Louis David painting, "The Death of Marat," which depicts the murdered revolutionary slumped over in his bathtub.
In addition to four arias and ariosos for the principal tenor (Un di all'azzuro spazio; Io non amato ancor; Si, fui soldato; and, Come un bel di di maggio), the opera contains a well-known aria (La mamma morta
) for the soprano heroine, which was featured in the film Philadelphia
(the Maria Callas
version is used on the soundtrack Also worth noting are the baritone's expressive monologue Nemico della Patria and the final, rousing, soprano-tenor duet for the two leads as they prepare to face the guillotine
.
Servants are making preparations. 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
mimicking a rural love story in stately court fashion. Among the guests is the dashingly popular poet, Andrea Chénier. When the Countess asks him to improvise a poem he refuses initially; but when Countess's beautiful daughter, Maddalena, pleads with Andrea Chénier, he consents. Maddalena 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 Maddalena, the ball's privileged 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.
Gérard has recovered and is presiding over a tribunal and a spy announces Chénier’s arrest for having dared criticize the cruelty of the powerful revolutionary leader Robespierre. 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, "Nemico della patria?"
(“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 passion he sacrifices a friend. "La Marseillaise
" is suggestively quoted by the orchestra. Finally desire triumphs and Gérard resigns 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. Maddalena, whose mother has meanwhile perished, also appears. 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.
While confined in the gloomy prison, Chénier awaits his execution. He spends his time writing verses of poetry which express his faith in truth and beauty. Meanwhile, Maddalena 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 due to be beheaded. Unable to live without her grand passion, Maddalena takes the place of a condemned woman and chooses to go to the guillotine with her lover.
Verismo
Verismo was an Italian literary movement which peaked between approximately 1875 and the early 1900s....
opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
in four acts by the composer Umberto Giordano
Umberto Giordano
Umberto Menotti Maria Giordano was an Italian composer, mainly of operas.He was born in Foggia in Puglia, southern Italy, and studied under Paolo Serrao at the Conservatoire of Naples...
, set to an Italian libretto
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
by Luigi Illica
Luigi Illica
Luigi Illica was an Italian librettist who wrote for Giacomo Puccini , Alfredo Catalani, Umberto Giordano, Baron Alberto Franchetti and other important Italian composers. His most famous opera librettos are those for La bohème, Tosca, Madama Butterfly and Andrea Chénier.Illica was born at...
. It is based loosely on the life of the French poet, André Chénier
André Chénier
André Marie Chénier was a French poet, associated with the events of the French Revolution of which he was a victim. His sensual, emotive poetry marks him as one of the precursors of the Romantic movement...
(1762-1794), who was executed during the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
.
Andrea Chénier remains popular with audiences, though it is now less frequently performed than it was during the first half of the 20th Century. One reason that the opera has stayed in the repertoire is due to the magnificent lyric-dramatic music provided by Giordano for the tenor lead, which gives a talented singer many opportunities to demonstrate his histrionic skill and flaunt his voice. Indeed, Giuseppe Borgatti's triumph in the title part at the first performance immediately propelled him to the front rank of Italian opera singers. Borgatti went on to become Italy's greatest Wagnerian tenor rather than a verismo-opera specialist.
Performance history
The work was first performed at the Teatro alla ScalaLa Scala
La Scala , is a world renowned opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the New Royal-Ducal Theatre at La Scala...
, Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, on 28 March 1896 with Evelina Carrera, Giuseppe Borgatti
Giuseppe Borgatti
Giuseppe Borgatti was an Italian dramatic tenor with an outstanding voice...
(who replaced Alfonso Garulli at the eleventh hour) and Mario Sammarco
Mario Sammarco
Mario Sammarco was an Italian operatic baritone noted for his histrionic ability.-Biography:...
in the leading parts of soprano, tenor and baritone respectively. Rodolfo Ferrari conducted.
Other notable first performances include those in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
at the Academy of Music on 13 November 1896; in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
on 3 February 1897 under the baton of Gustav Mahler
Gustav Mahler
Gustav Mahler was a late-Romantic Austrian composer and one of the leading conductors of his generation. He was born in the village of Kalischt, Bohemia, in what was then Austria-Hungary, now Kaliště in the Czech Republic...
; and in
London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's Camden Theatre on 16 April 1903 (sung in English).
Apart from Borgatti, famous Cheniers in the period between the opera's premiere and the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
included Francesco Tamagno
Francesco Tamagno
Francesco Tamagno was an operatic tenor from Italy who sang with enormous success throughout Europe and America. On 5 February 1887, he cemented his place in musical history by creating the role of Otello in Giuseppe Verdi's masterpiece of the same name...
(who studied the work with Giordano), Giovanni Zenatello
Giovanni Zenatello
Giovanni Zenatello was an Italian opera singer. Born in Verona, he enjoyed an international career as a dramatic tenor of the first rank. Otello became his most famous operatic role but he sang a wide repertoire. In 1904, he created the part of Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly.-Career:Zenatello...
, Giovanni Martinelli
Giovanni Martinelli
Giovanni Martinelli was a celebrated Italian operatic tenor. He was particularly associated with the Italian lyric-dramatic repertory, although he performed French operatic roles to great acclaim as well...
, Aureliano Pertile
Aureliano Pertile
Aureliano Pertile was an Italian lyric-dramatic tenor. He is considered to have been one of the most exciting operatic artists of the inter-war period, and one of the most important tenors of the entire 20th century.- Life and career :Pertile was born in Montagnana, Northern Italy, 18 days after...
, Francesco Merli
Francesco Merli
Francesco Merli was an Italian opera singer, particularly associated with heavy roles such as Otello, Canio and Calaf. He ranks as one of the finest dramatic tenors of the inter-war period....
, Beniamino Gigli
Beniamino Gigli
Beniamino Gigli was an Italian opera singer. The most famous tenor of his generation, he was renowned internationally for the great beauty of his voice and the soundness of his vocal technique. Music critics sometimes took him to task, however, for what was perceived to be the over-emotionalism...
, Giacomo Lauri-Volpi
Giacomo Lauri-Volpi
Giacomo Lauri-Volpi was an Italian tenor with a lyric-dramatic voice of exceptional range and technical facility. He performed throughout Europe and the Americas in a top-class career that spanned 40 years....
and Antonio Cortis
Antonio Cortis
Antonio Cortis was a Spanish tenor with an outstanding voice. He was acclaimed by audiences on both sides of the Atlantic for his exciting performances of Italian operatic works, especially those by Giuseppe Verdi, Giacomo Puccini and the verismo composers.- Career :Cortis was born at sea but his...
. Enrico Caruso also gave a few performances as Chenier in London in 1907. All of these tenors with the exception of Borgatti have left 78-rpm recordings of one or more of the part's showpiece solos.
Post-war, Franco Corelli
Franco Corelli
Franco Corelli was a famous Italian tenor who had a major international opera career between 1951 and 1976. Associated in particular with the spinto and dramatic tenor roles of the Italian repertory, he was celebrated universally for his powerhouse voice, electrifying top notes, clear timbre, a...
, Richard Tucker
Richard Tucker
Richard Tucker was an American operatic tenor.-Early life:Tucker was born Rivn Ticker in Brooklyn, New York, into a family of Romanian immigrants from Bessarabia. His father, Shmul Ticker, and mother Fanya-Tsipa Ticker had already adopted the surname "Tucker" by the time their son entered first...
and Mario del Monaco
Mario del Monaco
Mario Del Monaco was an Italian tenor who is regarded by his admirers as being one of the greatest dramatic tenors of the 20th century....
were undoubtedly the most famous interpreters of the title role during the 1950s and '60s, while Plácido Domingo
Plácido Domingo
Plácido Domingo KBE , born José Plácido Domingo Embil, is a Spanish tenor and conductor known for his versatile and strong voice, possessing a ringing and dramatic tone throughout its range...
became its foremost interpreter among the next generation of tenors, although Domingo's contemporary Luciano Pavarotti
Luciano Pavarotti
right|thumb|Luciano Pavarotti performing at the opening of the Constantine Palace in [[Strelna]], 31 May 2003. The concert was part of the celebrations for the 300th anniversary of [[St...
also successfully sang and recorded the work. The Wagnerian tenor Ben Heppner
Ben Heppner
Ben Heppner, CC is a Canadian tenor, specializing in opera and other classical works for voice.Heppner was born in Murrayville, British Columbia, and lived in Dawson Creek...
tackled the role in New York City at a 2007 Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
revival with mixed success; his voice was impressively powerful but did not fit the style, critics alleged.
The Keith Warner-directed opera will be performed in 2011 through August 21st in Bregenz, Austria. It is performed on an almost 78-foot high statue of a dying Jean-Paul Marat sinking in the water, an ode to the 1793 Jacques-Louis David painting, "The Death of Marat," which depicts the murdered revolutionary slumped over in his bathtub.
In addition to four arias and ariosos for the principal tenor (Un di all'azzuro spazio; Io non amato ancor; Si, fui soldato; and, Come un bel di di maggio), the opera contains a well-known aria (La mamma morta
La mamma morta
"La mamma morta" is an aria of the 1896 opera Andrea Chénier by Umberto Giordano, sung by the role of Maddalena di Coigny...
) for the soprano heroine, which was featured in the film Philadelphia
Philadelphia (film)
Philadelphia is a 1993 American drama film that was one of the first mainstream Hollywood films to acknowledge HIV/AIDS, homosexuality and homophobia. It was written by Ron Nyswaner and directed by Jonathan Demme. The film stars Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington...
(the Maria Callas
Maria Callas
Maria Callas was an American-born Greek soprano and one of the most renowned opera singers of the 20th century. She combined an impressive bel canto technique, a wide-ranging voice and great dramatic gifts...
version is used on the soundtrack Also worth noting are the baritone's expressive monologue Nemico della Patria and the final, rousing, soprano-tenor duet for the two leads as they prepare to face the guillotine
Guillotine
The guillotine is a device used for carrying out :executions by decapitation. It consists of a tall upright frame from which an angled blade is suspended. This blade is raised with a rope and then allowed to drop, severing the head from the body...
.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, March 28, 1896 (Conductor: Rodolfo Ferrari) |
|---|---|---|
| Andrea Chénier, a poet | tenor Tenor The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2... |
Giuseppe Borgatti Giuseppe Borgatti Giuseppe Borgatti was an Italian dramatic tenor with an outstanding voice... |
| Carlo Gérard, a servant | baritone Baritone Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or... |
Mario Sammarco Mario Sammarco Mario Sammarco was an Italian operatic baritone noted for his histrionic ability.-Biography:... |
| Maddalena de Coigny | soprano Soprano A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody... |
Evelina Carrera |
| Bersi, her maid | mezzo-soprano Mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above... |
Maddalena Ticci |
| La comtesse di Coigny | mezzo-soprano | Della Rogers |
| Pietro Fléville, a novelist | bass | Gaetano Roveri |
| Mathieu, a sans-culotte | baritone | Michele Wigley |
| 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 | bass or baritone | Raffaele Terzi |
| Madelon, an old woman | mezzo-soprano | Della Rogers |
| Fouquier Tinville, the Public Prosecutor | bass or baritone | Ettore Brancaleone |
| Dumas, Master of the Household | bass | Raffaele Terzi |
| Ladies, gentlemen, musicians, servants, soldiers - Chorus | ||
Act 1
The Countess of Coigny's ballServants are making preparations. 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
Pastoral
The adjective pastoral refers to the lifestyle of pastoralists, such as shepherds herding livestock around open areas of land according to seasons and the changing availability of water and pasturage. It also refers to a genre in literature, art or music that depicts such shepherd life in an...
with the chorus
Greek chorus
A Greek chorus is a homogenous, non-individualised group of performers in the plays of classical Greece, who comment with a collective voice on the dramatic action....
, dressed as shepherds and shepherdesses, singing idealized rustic music and the ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
mimicking a rural love story in stately court fashion. Among the guests is the dashingly popular poet, Andrea Chénier. When the Countess asks him to improvise a poem he refuses initially; but when Countess's beautiful daughter, Maddalena, pleads with Andrea Chénier, he consents. Maddalena 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 Maddalena, the ball's privileged 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.
Act 2
Chénier is now a revolutionary activist and a wanted man. He is advised to flee by his friend Roucher, who has acquired a passport he can use. Chénier, however, has fallen in love with Maddalena and refuses to leave without her. Coincidentally, Maddalena soon arrives having sneaked away from her family with the desire of joining the revolution. The lovers rejoice in each other's company briefly but are interrupted when they are discovered by Gérard, who is also infatuated with Maddalena. 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 Maddalena also. When a mob arrives on the scene a few minutes later, Gérard tells them that his assailant is unknown to him.Act 3
The revolutionary tribunalGérard has recovered and is presiding over a tribunal and a spy announces Chénier’s arrest for having dared criticize the cruelty of the powerful revolutionary leader Robespierre. 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, "Nemico della patria?"
(“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 passion he sacrifices a friend. "La Marseillaise
La Marseillaise
"La Marseillaise" is the national anthem of France. The song, originally titled "Chant de guerre pour l'Armée du Rhin" was written and composed by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle in 1792. The French National Convention adopted it as the Republic's anthem in 1795...
" is suggestively quoted by the orchestra. Finally desire triumphs and Gérard resigns 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. Maddalena, whose mother has meanwhile perished, also appears. 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.
Act 4
St. Lazare PrisonWhile confined in the gloomy prison, Chénier awaits his execution. He spends his time writing verses of poetry which express his faith in truth and beauty. Meanwhile, Maddalena 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 due to be beheaded. Unable to live without her grand passion, Maddalena takes the place of a condemned woman and chooses to go to the guillotine with her lover.
Noted arias
- "Un dì all'azzuro spazio", also known as "L'improvviso" (One day in azure space - Chénier);
- "Come un bel dì di Maggio" (Like a beautiful day in May - Chénier) [This among the comparatively few musical passages that can be excerpted from the work's verismoVerismoVerismo was an Italian literary movement which peaked between approximately 1875 and the early 1900s....
flow]; - "Vivere in fretta" (To live in a hurry - Bersi);
- "La mamma mortaLa mamma morta"La mamma morta" is an aria of the 1896 opera Andrea Chénier by Umberto Giordano, sung by the role of Maddalena di Coigny...
" (My mother died ... - Maddalena)
External links
- Synopsis of Andrea Chénier From Stanford University's Opera Glass website.