The performance took place in Miami FL and it was a thrilling night at the opera.

Bergonzi was very different in approach to a number of roles in the standard Italian repertoire, Andrea Chenier being one of them. His portrayal is much more lyrical, more the poet than the soldier, but still believable as a defiant revolutionary. He was in excellent voice the night this was recorded, bringing sweetness and strength to Giordano's hero.Cruz-Romo is marvelous. She is every inch the passionate lover who grows from spoiled teenager to mature woman. Her singing is full of subtleties of phrasing, her soaring top notes rich and expressive (her "La mamma morta" elicits several loud "Brava!"s from the chatty audience). She and Bergonzi certainly give the audience its money's worth in the final duet. Manuguerra is, similarly, a three-dimensional Gerard. His Act 3 soliloquy "Nemico della patria" is a highlight of the performance. James Atherton is a nasty Incredibile and Lenore Lanzilotti a splendid Madelon (she also plays the Contessa in the first act). Buckley conducts a rousing performance that is stopped time and again by the enthusiastic audience.This is derived from an in-house tape so the voices are slightly recessed, but clear. The audience loved the performance and so will you!

A really entertaining performance, with Bergonzi on wonderful form after a bit of warm up in Act I. Cruz-Romo is a marvelous Maddalena, her voice the right weight and texture for the role (better than some of the commercially recorded competition). I had to hit repeat for the ""Ora soave" duet in Act II, they were so good together. Manuguerra is also exactly on point, and there are some good supporting performances as well. I wonder where this performance took place; but anyway, it's well worth hearing.