Metropolitan Opera Archives

A major cast change in this performance of "Andrea Chenier," the season's fifth, involved Richard Tucker, who assumed the title role for the first time at the Metropolitan. Judging by his ease in the part, both vocally and dramatically, it would not have been difficult to imagine Mr. Tucker a veteran Chenier. He met the principal challenges of the score - the "Improvviso" in the first act and the aria [at the beginning of] the fourth act, as well as the second-act duet - with lustrous vocalism. It was only an occasional high note that otherwise failed to ring true. His portrayal had the appropriate youthful ardor and, while moderately restrained in the initial love scene, he invested the character with considerable accumulated force and heroic stature by the time the final curtain fell.

Others in the cast were Zinka Milanov, as Maddalena; Leonard Warren as Gerard; Rosalind Elias as Bersi; Herta Glaz, as the Countess; and George Cehanovsky, as Fleville. Lorenzo Alvary sang the role of Mathieu for the first time with the company, Fausto Cleva conducted.

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Search by title: Andrea Chénier,

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