The Met’s Crowd-Pleasing ‘Andrea Chénier’ Is Marred By Miscast Doomed Lovers

Piotr Beczala and Sonya Yoncheva as Chénier and Maddalena.

A scene from the Metropolitan Opera’s production of Andrea Chénier in which the tenor and soprano portraying Chénier and Maddalena face each other beside a toppled statue fragment and a towering guillotine silhouette against a stark, shadowed architectural backdrop.

The Met’s principal guest conductor Daniele Rustioni demonstrated his great love for the opera but had to make do with a less-than-optimal tenor and soprano.

The Met’s Crowd-Pleasing ‘Andrea Chénier’ Is Marred By Miscast Doomed Lovers