Barely a fortnight after His Majesty the King, opera luminaries, star singers, guests and audience all gathered to bid a fond and emotional farewell to Antonio Pappano as the Royal Opera House’s musical director; the maestro was back on the very same podium, guiding his musical charges through Giordano’s “Andrea Chénier.” Based loosely on the real-life French poet, André Chénier, who was executed during the French revolution, Giordano wrote, and always anticipated this most famous of his operas, to be a “star vehicle” for the tenor in question. Starting with Giuseppe Borgatti, the role of Chénier has borne memorable performances by such legends as Francesco Tamagno (who studied the work with Giordano), Giovanni Martinelli, Aureliano Pertile, Beniamino Gigli, Giacomo Lauri-Volpi and Enrico Caruso, who sang the role on this very stage in 1907.
The State of Kaufmann Jonas Kaufmann, himself, performed the role to great critical acclaim in 2015 and so it was with much eager anticipation that his adoring public greeted this very same, David McVicar revival. That said, I’m sure MORE than a few were uncertain as to whether the German tenor would be able to perform, given his recent, serious bout of laryngitis, the effects of which were plain to see in the above-mentioned tribute to Pappano 14 days ago where Kaufmann clearly struggled at times, in between coughs and throat clearing. I am happy to report that, despite some seemingly cautious meanderings through ce.