Umberto Giordano

The Profile

Italian opera composer, leading figure in verismo, best known for Andrea Chénier and Fedora.

Born 28 August 1867 in Foggia, Italy; died 12 November 1948 in Milan, Italy.

The review praises Giordano's Siberia as a vibrant, melodic verismo opera that experiments within the style. It highlights the originality of the libretto by Luigi Illica, the strong characterization of Stephana and the more comic Gleby, and singles out the second act as a pinnacle. The piece notes Siberia's past success in Paris (1905) and its later undeserved neglect; a complete 1973 recording is mentioned.