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The Stage, 21 January 2015 |
by George Hall |
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Giordano: Andrea Chenier, London, Royal Opera House, 20. Januar 2015 |
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Andrea Chenier
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Jonas Kaufmann, the world’s most widely admired operatic tenor, returns to
the Covent Garden stage in what is the Royal Opera’s first production of
Giordano’s historical melodrama since 1985. It’s a piece many audience
members adore, even if the critics are often less enthusiastic. The show
might be considered a vehicle for him were it not for the presence of the
other two leading roles of Eva-Maria Westbroek as Maddalena and Zeljko Lucic
as Gerard - considerable artists both.
Giordano’s best known score
rarely rises to the level of his contemporary Puccini, but it has its set
piece arias for the principals, all of whom seize their opportunities.
Kaufmann is a considered actor and his singing is never less than thoroughly
accomplished and tasteful - not something one can take for granted in a star
verismo part. He sings particularly beautifully in the last act, where
Westbroek sounds a little tired. Lucic remains bullish throughout.
David McVicar’s staging will delight traditionalists in its realism and
opulence. Robert Jones’s sets are intricate and grand, Jenny Tiramani’s
costumes finely achieved. This is the kind of staging Royal Opera audiences
long for but rarely get - it tells the story skilfully without attempting
anything profound or revolutionary. But that, too, is its limitation.
Conductor Antonio Pappano has the measure of the score and steers it
throughout its more inspired and less inspired moments with the same easy
assurance. In secondary roles, Rosalind Plowright’s Countess, Elena Zilio’s
Madelon and Denyce Graves’ Bersi all make appreciable marks. If the evening
fails to generate consistent heat, the opera is more to blame than the
performers.
Verdict: Giordano’s French revolutionary epic returns to
Covent Garden in a traditional production with star tenor Jonas Kaufmann in
the lead
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