Metropolitan Opera Archives

The hero of this "Andrea Chenier," the last of the season, turned out to be Ettore Bastianini as Gerard. He dominated the performance by virtue of his superb baritone no less than his handsome presence. In other rôles the young singer has at times seemed to lack histrionic variety; as Gerard, for which he is well cast, he conveys an intense single-mindedness that is all to the good. Kurt Baum, while neither the most compelling of actors nor the most consummate vocal artisan, acquitted himself well as the poet Chenier in his first attempt of the rôle at the Metropolitan. His singing reached an impassioned climax in the "Come un bel dì di maggio" of the last act, where the lines were well sustained and tellingly projected. The Maddalena of the evening was Herva Nelli, who likewise sang well, if without much subtlety of color.

The other performers continued to exemplify the benefits of careful casting - Charles Anthony, an impressive Spy; Frank Valentino, sturdy and faithful as Roucher; Sandra Warfield, who rose to Madelon's brief big moment; Norman Scott as the sinister prosecutor. Herta Glaz's Countess sounded a bit hoarse, but this did not affect her intelligent conception of the character. In the pit was Fausto Cleva, somehow fresh after conducting "Tosca" the evening before and "La Bohème" that very afternoon, who kept things moving with as much vitality as the score would allow.

Search by season: 1954-55

Search by title: Andrea Chénier,

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