“Andrea Chénier” is the greatest masterpiece of Umberto Giordano, one of the most prominent exponents of Verismo. The plot is based on historical events: poet and scholar André Chénier, who had sympathized with revolutionary ideas, was guillotined in 1794 during the Reign of Terror following the French Revolution of 1789. The libretto features a love story between Chénier and Maddalena de Coigny, the daughter of a count, whom he meets before the uprising at a ball in her palace.

The Zurich Opera House presents a concert version of “Andrea Chénier” that is actually semi-staged. The orchestra is on the stage, with the singers positioned in front of it. Singing without scores, they interact with each other and act out the scenes, with the scenic setting designed by Sylvie Döring.

A Great Conductor for a Great Orchestra Performance

Conductor Marco Armiliato led the Philharmonia Zürich from memory, without reading from a score, which I found very impressive, especially given the complexity of the orchestration. His interpretation was intense, drawing a powerful yet smooth sound from the orchestra, with great attention to detail and a delicate transparency in the lyrical passages. The orchestra seemed very comfortable with this post-romantic music, demonstrating a deep understanding of its musical language. Armiliato chose reasonable tempi, keeping the action moving without rushing the singers; he appeared authoritative and completely in control of the entire performance.

The Baritone Wins

Yonghoon Lee performed Chenier with a powerful tenor that extended easily into the lower register. His high notes were strong and full of squillo, and he attempted some semi-successful mezza-voce. Generally, his voice was either at full blast (most of the time) or in a tentative mezza-voce, with not much variation in between. As a result, he was less successful in the lyrical parts, such as “Come un bel dì di maggio,” and more convincing in the heroic, boisterous arias. His Italian pronunciation was somewhat disorganized, with inconsistent vowels, which affected his delivery. Nevertheless, these flaws are perhaps less noticeable in music of this period, and his performance was exciting and well-received.

Erika Grimaldi portrayed Maddalena de Coigny with a dramatic soprano that was full and mellow, featuring very secure high notes, beautiful pianissimi, and a convincing middle range. Her projection and breathing technique were remarkable. She sang the opera’s most famous aria, “La mamma morta,” with great intensity, although it lacked some pathos. Her vowels were somewhat similar to each other, which made her diction a bit confused and hindered her interpretation. Additionally, the colors in her voice were perhaps less varied than one might have hoped, but her portrayal of Maddalena was overall convincing and emotional.

George Petean delivered a remarkable interpretation of Gérard. His velvety baritone, at times almost too noble and refined for the character, resonated with a natural Italian timbre. He employed intelligent phrasing and dynamics throughout his performance. In the first act, set before the revolution, he convincingly portrayed an enraged servant at the de Coigny palace, unable to conceal his frustration at the opulence of the aristocrats he served, juxtaposed with the dire conditions of the common people. During a party, amid an elegant gavotte, Gérard dramatically brings a crowd of destitute, starving people into the ballroom, begging for bread. After the poor are dismissed as vermin, Gérard is fired and departs with his elderly father. His tender words to his father were interwoven with barely contained rage, seeping through his musical phrases. Following this, the gavotte resumes, and conductor Armiliato subtly managed to transform this reprise into an ominous, almost funereal march. The entire scene was brilliantly executed.

In the following acts, after the revolution, Gérard has risen to become a prominent political official. He uses his power not only to serve the revolution but also to search for Maddalena, who has gone into hiding after her family was killed. Gérard has secretly loved Maddalena since she was a child. In a desperate bid to find her, he resorts to imprisoning Chénier on false accusations, intending to use Chénier’s life as leverage to obtain sexual favors from Maddalena, reminiscent of Scarpia in “Tosca”. While writing the false accusations, Gérard sings “Nemico della Patria,” one of the opera’s most famous arias. Petean skillfully conveyed both Gérard’s lust and his shame at resorting to such a vile tactic. His legato was flawless, and while the emotions were raw, the singing remained elegant. Gérard’s remorse and change of heart after speaking with Maddalena were expressed with profound emotion. Petean’s performance earned him a great amount of cheers, and he undoubtedly won the applause-o-meter at curtain call.

Excellent Minor Characters

The opera features many “minor” characters, all interpreted by singers of remarkable quality. Omer Kobiljak portrayed the Incredible, a spy for the revolution, with a high, well-set tenor and a slimy demeanor. Despite the character’s untrustworthy nature, Kobiljak’s emission was always supported and elegant. Siena Licht Miller was a spirited Bersi, Maddalena’s maid, bringing vibrant energy to the role. Irène Friedli took on the role of Madelon, an old lady who offers her last grandson as a soldier in the revolutionary army. This little cameo is famous and eagerly anticipated by the audience; Friedli delivered with a deep mezzo voice and metallic high notes, while the orchestra, under Armiliato’s direction, conveyed her dejection with a soft, affectionate sound.

Stanislav Vorobyov sang Roucher, Chenier’s friend, with a noble, elegant bass voice that seemed worthy of a more extensive part. His committed interpretation left a lasting impression even in this secondary role. Similarly, Samson Setu, who played Mathieu, a revolutionary, brought great charisma and a beautiful bass-baritone to his performance, making his character memorable.

The Zurich Opera Chorus, well-prepared by Ernst Raffelsberger, delivered a particularly enjoyable performance in the trial scene, one of the evening’s highlights. They perfectly conveyed the chattering of the crowd at the Revolutionary Tribunal, indifferent to the desperation of the accused.