Umberto Giordano's Andrea Chénier, a two-big-deaths-for-the-price-of-one verismo opera that boasts sumptuously-lyric tenor arias (Corelli's our favorite and we like Plácidone's, too...Improviso and Come un bel di maggio) and French Revolution finery, opened Saturday night in Madrid at Spain's Teatro Real.
Not too shabby leads Marcelo Álvarez (as Chénier) and Fiorenza Cedolins (as Maddalena) will let real-life opera couple Daniela Dessì and Fabio Armiliato take over for two nights of the run. Orquesta Sinfónica de Madrid is led by conductor Víctor Pablo Pérez in Giancarlo del Monaco's production (here with Cura & Guleghina).
El País is running a special feature with photos and videos from the painterly production.
(Photos: Javier del Real)