Zurich Opera House tickets 11 July 2024 - Andrea Chénier (Concert performance) | GoComGo.com

Andrea Chénier (Concert performance)

Zurich Opera House, Zurich, Switzerland
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Important Info
Type: Opera
City: Zurich, Switzerland
Starts at: 19:00
Acts: 4
Sung in: Italian
Titles in: German
Cast
Performers
Conductor: Marco Armiliato
Soprano: Anja Harteros (Maddalena di Coigny)
Baritone: Artur Ruciński (Carlo Gérard)
Orchestra: Philharmonia Zürich
Tenor: Yonghoon Lee (Andrea Chénier)
Choir: Zürich Opera Chorus
Creators
Composer: Umberto Giordano
Librettist: Luigi Illica
Overview

The mixture of human tragedy and political historical thriller with a lethal outcome became Umberto Giordano’s greatest success. The Italian verismo composer virtuously captures the atmosphere of the French Revolution with the help of a composed babble of voices and with quotations from hymns such as the Marseillaise and the Carmagnole.

"What a savoring of each and every syllable, what an interrogation of phrases for color, nuance, and dramatic motivation." When soprano Anja Harteros gave her role debut as Maddalena di Coigny in Munich in 2017, audiences and critics alike hailed her performance. "Opernwelt" magazine named her Singer of the Year. After successful turns as Maddalena in Vienna and Berlin, Anja Harteros can be heard at the Opernhaus Zürich in Umberto Giordano’s Andrea Chénier. In a series of concert performances under the musical direction of Marco Armiliato, Harteros sings alongside internationally renowned tenor Yonghoon Lee. At the center of this gripping revolutionary drama is the historical figure of the young poet Andrea Chénier, who fell under the guillotine just three days before Robespierre's execution in 1794. Chénier is an ardent advocate of revolutionary ideals at the start, but as the plot unfolds, his love for the persecuted aristocrat Maddalena di Coigny brings him under the suspicion of the new rulers.

History
Premiere of this production: 28 March 1896, La Scala, Milan

Andrea Chénier is a verismo opera in four acts by Umberto Giordano, set to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica, and first performed on 28 March 1896 at La Scala, Milan. The story is based loosely on the life of the French poet André Chénier (1762–1794), who was executed during the French Revolution. The character Carlo Gérard is partly based on Jean-Lambert Tallien, a leading figure in the Revolution. It remains popular with audiences, though less frequently performed than in the first half of the 20th century. One reason for its survival in the repertoire is the lyrical-dramatic music provided by Giordano for the tenor lead, which gives a talented singer opportunities to demonstrate his histrionic skill and flaunt his voice. Giuseppe Borgatti's triumph in the title role at the first performance immediately propelled him to the front rank of Italian opera singers. He went on to become Italy's greatest Wagnerian tenor, rather than a verismo-opera specialist.

Venue Info

Zurich Opera House - Zurich
Location   Sechseläutenplatz 1

Zürich Opera House is a main opera house in Zürich and Switzerland. Located at the Sechseläutenplatz, it has been the home of the Zürich Opera since 1891, and also houses the Bernhard-Theater Zürich. It is also home to the Zürich Ballet. The Opera House also holds concerts by its Philharmonia orchestra, matinees, Lieder evenings and events for children. The Zürich Opera Ball is organised every year in March, and is usually attended by prominent names.

The first permanent theatre, the Aktientheater, was built in 1834 and it became the focus of Richard Wagner’s activities during his period of exile from Germany.

The Aktientheater burnt down in 1890. The new Stadttheater Zürich (municipal theatre) was built by the Viennese architects Fellner & Helmer, who changed their previous design for the theatre in Wiesbaden only slightly. It was opened in 1891. It was the city's main performance space for drama, opera, and musical events until 1925, when it was renamed Opernhaus Zürich and a separate theatre for plays was built: The Bernhard Theater opened in 1941, in May 1981 the Esplanada building was demolished, and the present adjoint building opened on 27/28 December 1984 after three years of transition in the Kaufhaus building nearby Schanzengraben.

By the 1970s, the opera house was badly in need of major renovations; when some considered it not worth restoring, a new theatre was proposed for the site. However, between 1982 and 1984, rebuilding took place but not without huge local opposition which was expressed in street riots. The rebuilt theatre was inaugurated with Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg and the world première of Rudolf Kelterborn’s Chekhov opera Der Kirschgarten.

As restored, the theatre is an ornate building with a neo-classical façade of white and grey stone adorned with busts of Weber, Wagner, and Mozart. Additionally, busts of Schiller, Shakespeare, and Goethe are to be found. The auditorium is built in the neo-rococo style and seats approximately 1200 people. During the refurbishment, the issue of sightlines was not adequately addressed. As a result, the theatre has a high number of seats with a limited view, or no view, of the stage. This is unusual in international comparison, where sightlines in historic opera houses have been typically enhanced over time.

Corporate archives and historical library collections are held at the music department of the Predigerkirche Zürich.

The Zürich Opera House is also home of the International Opera Studio (in German: Internationales Opernstudio IOS) which is a educational program for young singers and pianists. The studio was created in 1961 and has renowned artists currently teaching such as Brigitte Fassbaender, Hedwig Fassbender, Andreas Homocki, Rosemary Joshua, Adrian Kelly, Fabio Luisi, Jetske Mijnssen, Ann Murray, Eytan Pessen or Edith Wiens.

Important Info
Type: Opera
City: Zurich, Switzerland
Starts at: 19:00
Acts: 4
Sung in: Italian
Titles in: German
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