This Andrea Chénier is one of Otto Schenk’s stalwart remainers in his Vienna legacy (dating from 1981 and with Domingo, Beňačková and Cappuccilli in the leads - and with Fedora Barbieri as a stellar Madelon), featuring its traditional grand sets and costumes, and an abundance of fine detail, and still draws capacity houses - and particularly so with this line-up of tantalising contenders in the leads. 

This revival brought Anna Netrebko and Yusif Eyvazov (who both, incidentally, opened the La Scala season in 2017 with the work),  and who were joined in this third performance in the current run by the initially unscheduled George Petean - with all artists, however, presenting their first showings in their respective roles in the Austrian capital.

On this occasion it was the Rumanian baritone who truly shone, with an ideal melange of Italianate timbre and vocal style, an immaculate technique, and the dramatic instinct and nuance with which to steal the show and echo some of the illustrious Gérards these sets have witnessed over the decades.  

Anna Netrebko’s Maddalena won through poise and physical gesture - touchingly effective in her Act 2 scene with Chénier and in the Act 3 tribunal, but suffering an erratic vocal mix which swayed between lustrous and well-positioned pianissimo notes above the stave, and a more general approach in which her instrument came under pressure (at times overblown and exaggerated in an effort aimed at dramatic effect) - resulting in a wayward vibrato in all registers and with certain mid-and-lower notes clouding over in capitulation. 

In the title role Eyvazov approached the challenge intelligently - pacing well, and delivering some interesting and cultivated phrasing. He is technically the “master” of his instrument - a tenor of sufficient range and sheer dynamic options for Chénier - but one which would arguably fill a more comfortable niche in German or Slavic repertoire than in the voluptuous demands of Italian parts. While quite striking in looks, Eyvazov’s character came across as almost boredly-nonchalant and rather dull, ultimately resulting in a competent - but hardly dazzling - showing.  

On this occasion the supporting protagonists hardly rose above pedestrian, with only Wolfgang Bankl’s swaggering Mathieu and Ayk Martirossian’s cameo contribution as Schmidt shining as vocally robust and strongly characterful.

Marco Armiliato conducted a rather routine reading - albeit, graced with sensitive consideration for the leads in their set numbers, but featuring some sketchy chorus moments, and failing overall to make this a night to remember.