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Two major cast changes marked the third performance of the Metropolitan's exciting new production of the Giordano opera. Herva Nelli as Maddalena and Ettore Bastianini as Gerard were singing roles that might have been expressly tailored for their beautiful voices, and the results were just about as good as one had hoped for. Particularly in the middle register, the soprano's voice has seldom seemed so rich and melting, so that many phrases had great emotional vibrancy. And in the final scene the tones poured forth with a fullness and splendor to match those of Mario Del Monaco, the Chenier. Miss Nelli sometimes miscalculated certain tones in a way to detract from complete effectiveness in some climactic phrases, but her singing was otherwise secure, and she was lovely to look at.

Mr. Bastianini's "Nemico della Patria," in the third act, stopped the show, as it deserved to. His Gerard had more dimension than most other characterizations he has offered at the Metropolitan, and his acting provided additional force for his resplendent singing in the aria. When an opera can elicit such stunning sounds from the human throat as "Andrea Chenier" did from Miss Nelli, Mr. Del Monaco, and Mr. Bastianini, its revival certainly seems justified.

Fausto Cleva's conducting gave the score its requisite dramatic sweep and surging power.

Search by season: 1954-55

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