The online opera guide to ANDREA CHÉNIER
Get to know the Synopsis of the opera ANDREA CHÉNIER by Umberto Giordano. In a 4-minute film you will watch the most important actions. Enriched with role descriptions and informative illustrations.
The Synopsis of ANDREA CHÉNIER in 4 minutes
Relationship diagram in ANDREA CHÉNIER of main roles
The blogpost to the opera
The written Synopsis of ANDREA CHÉNIER
Roles
Andrea Chenier, Poet and Writer.
Gérard, Servant at the countess of Coigny and public prosecutor.
Maddalena, Daughter of the countess of Coigny.
Roucher, Friend of Andrea Chenier.
Bersi, Maid of Madda leyna.
Synopsis
In 1789, in the castle of a countess, preparations for a ball are underway. The poet Andrea Chénier is invited as well as many aristocrats. Maddalena the countess daughter provokes Chenier in the evening. He defends true love and expresses his contempt for the nobility, which does not care about the misery of the people. Maddalena is impressed and her love awakens. The servant Gerard lets a group of poor farmers enter the evening society to show the noblemen the misery of the poor. The provoked countess dismisses him. Gérard runs out of the hall in a rage.
5 years later. France is ruled by Robbespierre and has become a police state. Maddalena lost her parents in the revolution and fears for her life. Gérard, now an agent of Robespierre’s, has put a spy on her because he wants her, loving her since his days in the castle. She desperately seeks Chenier’s help and has asked him for a secret meeting without mentioning her name. When she meets Chénier and Roucher, she doesn’t know that she is being watched by an informer. Chénier offers her help and the two confess their love. Meanwhile, Gérard has rushed over and gets into a duel with the stranger, while Roucher manages to escape with Maddalena. Gérard is wounded but lets Chénier go when he realizes that he is the poet he listened to on the evening of the ball.
In the Palace of the Revolution. The public prosecutor Gérard learns of Chenier’s arrest. Despite remorse, he writes a charge of treason. He hopes to get Maddalena in this way. To his surprise, Maddalena appears and begs for Chenier’s release. Gérard confesses his love and Maddalena offers him a night with her if he releases Chénier. Moved, Gérard decides to help her. But everything is useless. Chénier is sentenced to death.
Chénier and Roucher are sitting in prison waiting for their execution. With the help of Gérard, Maddalena manages to sneak into their cell to die with Chénier. Chénier and Maddalene swear their eternal love and are embraced on the cart and led to the scaffold.
The Top 5 highlights
Un di all azzuro - Pavarotti/Chailly
Nemico della patria - Nucci
La mamma morta - Callas
Si fui soldato - Pavarotti
Come un bel di di maggio - Björling
Peter Lutz, opera-inside, the online opera guide to ANDREA CHÉNIER, Synopsis
This post is also available in: German
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