January 31, 2015: Andrea Chenier in London

2015-01-31 Andrea Chenier (Giordano), Royal Opera House (London)

Andrea Chénier - Jonas Kaufmann

Carlo Gérard - Željko Lučić

Maddalena di Coigny - Eva-Maria Westbroek

Bersi, her maid - Denyce Graves

The Countess of Coigny - Rosalind Plowright

Madelon - Elena Zilio

Roucher - Roland Wood

Mathieu, a sans-culotte - Adrian Clarke

The Incredible - Carlo Bosi

The Abbot - Peter Hoare

The novelist Pietro Fléville - Peter Coleman-Wright

Fouquier Tinville, the Public Prosecutor  - 

Eddie Wade

Schmidt - Jeremy White

Dumas - Yuriy Yurchuk

Major Domo - Dominic Barrand

  

Antonio Pappano, conductor

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

The Royal Opera Chorus  

Concert Master - Peter Manning

Director - David McVicar

Set design - Robert Jones

Costume designs - Jenny Tiramani

Lighting design - Adam Silverman

Movement - Andrew George 

This was a very much traditional Andrea Chenier but not done in a lazy way. I found it elegant and profound. It had a reality feel. What a great treat it was to have Rosalind Plowright, herself once a famous Maddalena, as Comtesse Coigny, Maddalena's mother, and the great mezzo Denyce Graves as Bersi, Denyce Graves who is famous for her Carmen and Dalila!!! Sadly I did not see them at the final bow after the opera.

Rosalind Plowright sang Maddalena opposite Jose Carreras' Chenier in 1984 when this opera came back after more than 50 years absence. What I loved here is that one can see in this new ROH production that the Comtesse Coigny is really Mother of Maddalena. Not just a foolish aristocrate but a mother. Denyce Graves as Bersi is here much more a friend of Maddalena, a close friend, not a simple servant. And I love that. I love that there is real dedication between Maddalena and Bersi. It makes me understand Bersi's dedication to Maddalena much better. This Bersi is smart and resilient. Denyce Graves was such a joy to see and hear. I love Bersi!! Brava, Denyce Graves!!! Brava, Rosalind Plowright!

Jonas Kaufmann, I guess you want me to gush over the tenor as they all do. I won't do that but he sang so well this night so I almost ready to call him a tenor, but not Tenor with big T, yet, not for me. Eva-Maria Westbroek, she really filled the role of Maddalena di Coigny. A superb pair, Westbroek and Kaufmann!!

Željko Lučić as Carlo Gerard was more subtle than I would have expected after seeing him as Jago in Otello in Berlin. Still it worked, I could find sympathy for this Gerard.

Another thing I want to mention is that Idia Legray had a small girl who was there during the sentencing with an relative. Mother and child tries to hug but soldiers tears them apart. When Maddalena and Gerard come to prision, Gerard carries the young child. And we see mother and child meet again and go out with Gerard protecting them.

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