Andrea Chénier

Event Dates

Premièred at La Scala back in 1898, Umberto Giordano's Andrea Chénier returns to Italy's premier opera stage in a new production by Nicolas Joel, conducted by Daniel Oren. Marcelo Álvarez and Piero Guiliacci share the title role.

Giordano's revolutionary opera - apart from Fedora, the only opera by which he is known by modern audiences - tells of the poet Chénier, the aristocratic Madeleine and the servant-cum-revolutionary Gérard. Both men love Madeleine, and fight for her, with the result that Chénier is caught. Madeleine only acquiesces to Gérard's love if he can free Chénier, but it is too late as Chénier has already been sentenced to death. All Gérard can do is to bribe a guard to swap a female prisoner for Madeleine, so at least the two lovers can die together.

Joining Álvarez and Guiliacci are Fiorenza Cedolins and Martina Serafin, sharing the role of Madeleine, and Renato Bruson and Silvio Zanon, sharing the role of Gérard.

One of the most famous opera companies in the world, La Scala Milan first performed in Piermarini's fantastic opera house in 1778, and all the great Italian opera composers premièred work there - from Rossini, Bellini and Donizetti to Verdi and Puccini. After a three-year, £49 million, refurbishment, La Scala re-opened with a revival of its first-ever opera, Salieri's L'Europa riconosciuta, on 7 December 2004.

Since then, following Riccardo Muti's departure after 19 years as music director, the house has been without an artistic head. In December 2007 Daniel Barenboim started his six-year relationship with La Scala as principal guest conductor, tying in with his post at the Berlin Staatsoper.

Other Dates
5 Jun 2008 (various dates)
7 Jun 2008 (various dates)
9 Jun 2008 (various dates)
12 Jun 2008 (various dates)
17 Jun 2008 (various dates)
20 Jun 2008 (various dates)
23 Jun 2008 (various dates)
25 Jun 2008 (various dates)
27 Jun 2008 (various dates)