“Absolute triumph. Twenty artists and the maestro summoned.” With this telegram, in March 1896, the publisher Sonzogno informed the librettist, Illica, of the resounding success of Andrea Chénier. Illica had transformed the biography of a French poet, a victim of the French Revolution, into a passionate tragedy. In the drama, Chénier is an idealist, unprepared for the machinations of the Jacobin Terror and in love with Maddalena, an aristocrat fleeing the revolutionaries; both, victims of Gérard, remain together until death. Inspired by a text rich in historical detail and with characters dominated by extreme passions, the composer Umberto Giordano reused revolutionary marches, such as “La Carmagnole,” and composed a profusion of magnificent arias and duets. Few operas boast so many memorable pieces: “Un dì, all’azzurro spazio,” “La mamma morta,” and “Nemico della patria” are just a few examples.

The vocal roles of this pair of tragic lovers are demanding, requiring great expressiveness and technical control. They will be performed by two artists of immense vocal and interpretive talent: Gregory Kunde and Maria Agresta. Franco Vassallo will portray the antagonist.