Siberia de Giordano

“Then enjoy the sun, if it is a sunny day. Enjoy the moon, if there is a moon. There is life even in death, also for you.” Rather than an orchestral overture, it is these sinister words sung by a male chorus that set the macabre tone of Umberto Giordano’s three-act opera, Siberia. After its premiere at Milan’s La Scala in 1903, the work was performed only a handful of times and remained relatively unknown until the end of the 20th century. Here, Bulgarian soprano Sonya Yoncheva joins the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in 2022 for Roberto Andò’s chilling production set in Stalin’s Soviet Union.

In three heart-rending acts named “The Woman,” “The Lover,” and “The Heroine,” a poignant tale unfolds on the Florentine stage: the prince’s mistress Stephana falls in love with lieutenant Vassili and follows him to a labor camp where her plan to escape with her beloved leads to her own tragic fate…