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.
The work was first performed at the Teatro alla Scala, Milan, on 28 March 1896 with Evelina Carrera, Giuseppe Borgatti and Mario Sammarco in the leading parts of soprano, tenor and baritone respecti...
more
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.
The work was first performed at the Teatro alla Scala, Milan, on 28 March 1896 with Evelina Carrera, Giuseppe Borgatti and Mario Sammarco in the leading parts of soprano, tenor and baritone respectively.
Other notable first performances include:
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 lyric-dramatic 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 triumph in the title part at the first performance propelled him to the front rank of Italian opera singers...
less
