Only those moments were musical in the accepted sense of the word when the action of the drama ceased, as in the case of the intermezzo, or when the old principles of operatic construction waked into life again as in the confession of the hero-lover.

Here, moreover, there comes into the score an element of novelty, for the confession is extorted from Lorris while a virtuoso is entertaining a drawing-roomful of people with a set pianoforte solo.

As for the rest of the opera, it seems sadly deficient in melody beautiful either in itself or as an expression of passion.
"Andrea Chenier" has more to commend it.

To start with, there is a good play back of it, though the verities of history were not permitted to hamper the imagination of Signor Illica, the author of the book.

The hero of the opera is the patriotic poet who fell under the guillotine in 1794 at the age of thirty-two.