Umberto Giordano - Marina (Vincenzo Milletarí)

Information

Composer: Umberto Giordano

• Marina

Eleonora Buratto

Freddie De Tommaso

Mihai Damian

Nicholas Mogg

Coro del Teatro Petruzzelli di Bari

Orchestra i Pomeriggi Musicali

Vincenzo Milletarí, conductor

Date: 2026

Label: Decca

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The rediscovery and 2026 world-premiere recording of Umberto Giordano’s long-forgotten first opera, Marina, marks a major event in the operatic landscape. Composed when Giordano was just 21 for the famous 1888 competition that launched Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana, this one-act work presents a gritty verismo narrative of romantic tragedy torn apart by war. Recorded live at Milan’s historic Teatro dal Verme, the production features an acclaimed cast led by soprano Eleonora Buratto in the title role, praised for her noble elegance and intelligence, alongside tenor Freddie De Tommaso, whose dark, classic Italianate voice evokes legendary mid-century artists like Franco Corelli and Mario Del Monaco.

Italian opera composer Umberto Giordano (1867–1948), a key figure in the verismo movement, studied music in Foggia and Naples before rising to prominence. His early dramatic works, such as Mala vita (1892), were heavily influenced by Pietro Mascagni's realistic and forceful operatic style. Giordano achieved enduring international fame with Andrea Chénier (1896), a poignant masterpiece based on the life of the French revolutionary poet, which successfully balanced melodramatic intensity with lyrical warmth. Although subsequent works like Fedora (1898), Siberia (1903), Madame Sans-Gêne (1915), and La cena delle beffe (1924) enjoyed brief acclaim, none matched the lasting success of his signature opera.

Italian conductor Vincenzo Milletarì (b. 1990) has established an international career bridging the operatic and symphonic spheres, with particular prominence in Italy and Scandinavia. Trained at Milan’s Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory and the Royal Academy of Music in Copenhagen, he honed his operatic expertise under the mentorship of Riccardo Muti and Pier Giorgio Morandi. A prize winner at the Arturo Toscanini and Sir Georg Solti competitions, Milletarì frequently conducts leading ensembles across Northern Europe and Italy, including the Copenhagen Philharmonic and Bergen Philharmonic. His discography includes his 2019 debut recording of Max Bruch works and a 2025 Naxos release of Donizetti’s rare opera L'ajo nell'imbarazzo.

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