Umberto Giordano

Umberto Giordano (1867–1948), born in Foggia in Apulia, studied at the Naples Conservatory and, like Mascagni, first came to attention through a competition for one-act operas run by the publisher Sonzogno. His great success came in 1896 with Andrea Chénier, a drama of the French Revolution first performed at La Scala, which has remained one of the most popular Italian operas ever since. Two years later Fedora, with the young Enrico Caruso as Loris, confirmed his reputation. Giordano’s music is typical of the verismo style: vivid melody, strong theatrical effects and roles that give singers every chance to shine. He continued to write operas into the 1920s, but none matched the success of his two early masterpieces.