Siberia (opera) Siberia (opera) Siberia is an opera in three acts by Umberto Giordano from a libretto by Luigi Illica. It premiered on 19 December 1903 at La Scala in Milan. There is no direct source for the plot of "Siberia" and it is quite possible that this is an original work by Illica. It was suggested at the New York premiere that it was based on Leo Tolstoy's novel "Resurrection" or one of the novels within it. The première took place on 19 December 1903 at La Scala in Milan and was revised in 1927. The première was not successful, despite
La Scala to follow opera libretti in English and Italian in addition to the original language. The opera house re-opened on 7 December 2004 with a production, conducted by Riccardo Muti, of Salieri's "Europa riconosciuta", the opera performed at La Scala's inauguration in 1778. Tickets for the re-opening fetched up to €2,000. The renovations cost a reported €61 million, and left a budget shortfall that the opera house overcame in 2006. Carlo Fontana, the general manager of La Scala since 1990, was dismissed in February 2005 by the board of governors over differences with the music director, Riccardo Muti. The resulting staff