Giordano’s 1896 French Revolution opera is not as popular as it was. A star vehicle for a great tenor, it’s lumped in the verismo basket, though it bears more resemblance to the historical romances of Verdi. The score balances period pastiche with more urgent fin de siècle passions, and in the right hands it can soar. That’s certainly the case under the baton of Antonio Pappano in this, Covent Garden’s first new staging in 30 years.

David McVicar’s meticulously researched, dramatically detailed production gives this sprawling beast its best chance to bite – you can smell the foul breath of the mob. Robert Jones’ grand sets and Jenny Tiramani’s authentic costumes provide a backdrop against which McVicar can deploy his quick intelligence, ensuring credibility and motivational insight.

On the other hand, there’s little can be done about the awkward dramaturgy. Crucial changes of fortune happen off stage, and the five year gap between acts one and two is a problem for an audience unversed in the political ups and downs from the Estates-General to the Jacobin Terror.

Nevertheless, you couldn’t ask for a finer Chénier than Jonas Kaufmann. Firm-toned and ardent, he’s well matched by Eva-Maria Westbroek as an intense, nuanced Maddelena and the stolid Serbian baritone Željko Lučić as the brooding revolutionary Gérard. Jonathan Haswell’s subtle film direction is the icing on the cake.

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