Andrea Chénier is one of Giordano’s most important works. It dramatically depicts the tragedy of the poet Andrea Chénier, who actually lived during the period of the French Revolution and was guillotined. The music offers great impact: passionate and beautiful arias, inflammatory choruses by people who were buffeted by the revolution and La Marseilles and other tunes that remind the listeners of the time of upheaval. In this opera, the audience will be fascinated by the roman-fleuve that extols the ideals of the poet.

The setting is the suburbs of Paris in 1789. As preparations for a soirée are underway at the mansion of Count Coigny, Gérard, a servant, complains about the class society. At the evening party, the daughter of the count, Maddalena, meets with the poet Chénier. He praises love and sings his patriotic sentiments in the form of improvised poems. Five years later, Chénier meets her again as he is chased by Gérard, who is now a high-ranking official of the revolutionary government. Immediately after the meeting, Gérard challenges Chénier but is seriously injured by him. Chénier is arrested.