Biography (read more)
Umberto Giordano was an Italian composer of the verismo movement, born in Foggia and trained at the Naples Conservatory before establishing his career in Milan. His output consists primarily of operas, most notably Andrea Chénier (1896) and Fedora (1898), which brought him lasting fame, alongside several later operas that are now only occasionally revived. He died in Milan in 1948 at the age of 81.
An early contributor to Italian verismo opera, Giordano is remembered chiefly for Andrea Chénier and Fedora, both of which remain in the standard operatic repertoire for their dramatic intensity and showcase arias. Although his later works have faded from view, his hometown of Foggia continues to honor his legacy with a dedicated theater and public monuments.
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Andrea Chénier, Act 3: “La mamma morta”
Andrea Chénier: “Un dì all’azzurro spazio”
Fedora: “Amor ti vieta”
Giordano: Andrea Chénier / Act 4: “Come un bel dì di maggio”— Luciano Pavarotti
Performed by Luciano Pavarotti
Giordano: Andrea Chénier / Act 4: “Come un bel dì di maggio”— Jonas Kaufmann
Performed by Jonas Kaufmann
Andrea Chénier: “Nemico della patria!” (Gérard)— Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
Performed by Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
Giordano: Andrea Chénier, Dramma di ambiente storico in quattro quadri: Nemico della Patria? -…— Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
Performed by Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
Andrea Chénier, Act 3: “Nemico della Patria?!” (Gérard, L’Incredibile)— Tito Gobbi
Performed by Tito Gobbi
Fedora, Act 2 Scene 6: “La donna russa è femmina due volte” (De Siriex)— Tito Gobbi
Performed by Tito Gobbi
Giordano: Andrea Chénier / Act 1: “Un dì all’azzuro spazio” (Live)— José Carreras
Performed by José Carreras
Andrea Chénier: Come sa amare!… La Mamma Morta…Prendilo dunque!— José Carreras
Performed by José Carreras
Fedora: Ma dunque è amore ? (Eva Marton, Jose Carreras, Pal Kovacs)— José Carreras
Performed by José Carreras
Andrea Chénier: La mamma morta (Philharmonia Orchestra, Tullio Serafin) (Remastered 2023,…— Maria Callas
Performed by Maria Callas
Giordano: Fedora, Act II: Amor ti vieta (Live in Modena, 1985)— Luciano Pavarotti
Performed by Luciano Pavarotti
Giordano: Andrea Chénier / Act 1: “Colpito qui m’avete … Un dì all’azzura spazio”— Luciano Pavarotti
Performed by Luciano Pavarotti
Giordano: Andrea Chénier / Act 3: Sì, fui soldato .. Passa la vita mia— Luciano Pavarotti
Performed by Luciano Pavarotti
Giordano: Andrea Chénier / Act 4: La nostra morte è il trionfo dell’amor— Luciano Pavarotti
Performed by Luciano Pavarotti
Giordano: Andrea Chénier / Act 1: “Colpito qui m’avete … Un dì all’azzurro spazio”— Jonas Kaufmann
Performed by Jonas Kaufmann
Giordano: Andrea Chénier / Act 4: “Vicino a te s’acqueta”— Jonas Kaufmann
Performed by Jonas Kaufmann
Fedora: Um welche Zeit verlies der Herr das Restaurant Ich will zum Parkhaus— Christa Ludwig
Performed by Christa Ludwig
Giordano: Andrea Chenier, Un Di Allíazzurro Spazio (one Day As I Gazed Into Azure Heavens) .— Plácido Domingo
Performed by Plácido Domingo
Andrea Chénier : Act 1 “Un dì, all’azzurro spazio” [Andrea Chénier]— Plácido Domingo
Performed by Plácido Domingo
Andrea Chenier: Act I: Un di all’azzurro spazio guardi profondo— Plácido Domingo
Performed by Plácido Domingo
Andrea Chénier, Act II: Act II: Ora soave, sublime ora d’amore— Plácido Domingo
Performed by Plácido Domingo
Andrea Chénier, Act IV: “Cittadino, men duol – Come un bel dì di maggio”— Plácido Domingo
Performed by Plácido Domingo
Fedora, Act II: “La fante mi svela l’immondo ritrovo … Vedi io piango”— Plácido Domingo
Performed by Plácido Domingo