Giuseppe Giordani

Finale from Andrea Chanier

It has been said, and wisely so, that if you wish to find TRULY dramatic music, look to opera. This is an essentially complete transcription of Act IV of Umberto Giordano's tragic opera ANDREA CHENIER. One night before French poet Andrea Chenier's impending execution, his lover Madeleine comes to the prison at St. Lazare and, wishing to die rather than live without him, through bribery manages to exchange places with a young woman who is, like Chenier, scheduled to mount the scaffold the following day. James Curnow fully utilizes his considerable orchestration skill with this immensely powerful transcription. Well performed, the ending is absolutely awe-inspiring. If yourgroup has the skill to play at this level you definitely MUST explore this significant transcription.