| La Gioconda | |
|---|---|
| Opera byAmilcare Ponchielli | |
 Cover of the original 1876 libretto | |
| Librettist | Arrigo Boito |
| Language | Italian |
| Based on | Angelo, Tyrant of Padua byVictor Hugo |
| Premiere | |
La Gioconda is anopera in four acts byAmilcare Ponchielli set to an Italianlibretto byArrigo Boito (as Tobia Gorrio), based onAngelo, Tyrant of Padua, a 1835 play in prose byVictor Hugo (the same sourceGaetano Rossi had used for his libretto forMercadante'sIl giuramento in 1837).
First performed in 1876,La Gioconda was a major success for Ponchielli, as well as the most successful new Italian opera between Verdi'sAida (1871) andOtello (1887). It is also a famous example of the Italian genre ofGrande opera, the equivalent of FrenchGrand-Opéra.
Ponchielli revised the work three times; the fourth and final version was first performed in 1879 in Genoa before reaching Milan in 1880 where its reputation as the definitive version was established. There are several complete recordings of the opera, and it is regularly performed, especially in Italy. It is one of only a few operas that features a principal role for each of the six major voice types.[1] The opera also includes the famous balletDance of the Hours, often performed separately or in parody.
La Gioconda is part of the standard opera repertoire in Italy and is regularly staged at opera houses in that nation.[2] Given the large number of personnel and elaborate sets the opera requires, the work is one of the more expensive operas to produce, and as a result, the opera is more frequently performed at opera houses with larger budgets like theTeatro alla Scala in Milan and theMetropolitan Opera in New York City.[2] The expense of producing the opera has made it less frequently staged outside of Italy, but it is still part of theWestern canon of opera literature on the international stage.[2]
La Gioconda was commissioned in 1874 by Giulio Ricordi of the music publishing firmCasa Ricordi.[2] Ricordi selectedArrigo Boito to write the libretto for the opera; although he used an anagram of his own name, 'Tobia Gorrio'.[2] Boito modeled his construction after the grand opera style of French dramatistEugène Scribe; employing a historical framework with a wide array of characters that could provide a visual spectacle on stage and opportunities for contrast. In the French grand opera tradition the work contains a central ballet and massed choral scenes.[2]
La Gioconda was first performed at the Teatro alla Scala, Milan, on 8 April 1876 with Italian sopranoMaddalena Mariani Masi in the title role and Spanish tenorJulián Gayarre as Enzo.[2] The work was positively received at its premiere with Milan's leading music critic,Filippo Filippi of the magazineLa perseveranza, declaring that, apart fromGiuseppe Verdi, only Ponchielli could produce an opera of such importance among Italy's then living composers.[2] Ponchielli's wife, sopranoTeresina Brambilla, also performed the role of La Gioconda in later performances of the opera at La Scala in 1876, and became a famous interpreter of the role.[3]
After the premiere, Ponchielli continued to modify the work several times for succeeding productions. For the opera's first staging in Venice at theTeatro Rossini on 18 October 1876 numerous changes were made; including the addition of the 'Furlana' in Act 1; a new cabaletta (‘O grido di quest’anima’) for the duet between Enzo and Barnaba; apreghiera for Laura in Act 2; and a new aria for Alvise in Act 3 which was later discarded in subsequent stagings but whose lyrics were repurposed in part in later revisions within Iago's Credo.[2] The opera was modified again for its first staging in Rome at theTeatro Apollo on 23 January 1877.[2] For this production Ponchielli wrote a new finale to Act 1 which replaced a reprise of the 'Furlana', and replaced the naval battle at the end of Act 2 with a duet for Enzo and Gioconda .[2]
The fourth and final version of the opera premiered in Genoa on 27 November 1879 without much fanfare.[2] However, this version later achieved critical acclaim and the status as the definitive version of the opera when it was staged at La Scala in Milan the following year on 28 March 1880.[2] For this version, Ponchielli re-composed Alvise's aria, "Si! Morir ella de'!", and replaced the originalstretta in the finale of Act 3 with an orchestral peroration of the principal theme of the precedingpezzo concertato. This construction was novel at the time, and later influenced other opera composers like Ponchielli's pupilGiacomo Puccini.[2]
After premiering the work in 1876,La Scala has performedLa Gioconda several times in its history; most notably a revival staged byNicola Alexandrovich Benois with a cast starringMaria Callas andGiuseppe di Stefano in the 1950s.[4] Callas had tackled the role of La Gioconda previously; singing the role for her professional opera debut at theArena di Verona on August 2, 1947.[5] Benois's production remained in La Scala's repertoire through 1997; although with different performers.[4] La Scala was also responsible for the first complete recording of the opera made in 1931 withGiannina Arangi-Lombardi in the title role.[1] In 2022 La Scala premiered a new staging of the opera by director Davide Livermore with a cast led by sopranosSaioa Hernández andIrina Churilova who alternated in the title role.[4]
The United Kingdom premiere ofLa Gioconda was given at theRoyal Opera House,Covent Garden on 31 May 1883 with American soprano Maria Durand (b. 1846) in the title role.[6][7] The Spanish premiere of the opera was given in Barcelona in 1886. This was followed by performances in 1887 in Brussels, Vienna, and Warsaw.
The celebrated tenorEnrico Caruso had the first major critical success of his career in the role of Enzo when he performed the part at theTeatro Massimo in Palermo in 1897.[8]
The Italian sopranoTina Poli Randaccio was a lauded performer in the role of La Gioconda during the first half of 20th century on the international stage. She first performed the role in Europe at theTeatro Massimo Vittorio Emanuele in Palermo in 1907; after having already sung La Gioconda on a South American tour in 1904-1905 at theTheatro Municipal (São Paulo) and theTheatro Municipal (Rio de Janeiro). She went on to portray the role at several other theatres, includingLa Fenice (1908), theTeatro Real (1910), theTeatro Regio di Parma (1911), theTeatro Carlo Felice (1911), theCostanzi Theatre in Rome (1915), theMunicipal Theatre of Santiago (1915), theTeatro Colón in Buenos Aires (1915), theTeatro di San Carlo in Naples (1915), theTeatro Dal Verme in Milan (1917), theGran Teatro de La Habana in Cuba (1918), theTeatro Comunale di Bologna (1919), theTeatro Comunale Modena (1927), theTeatro Lirico in Milan (1929), and theTeatro Politeama Garibaldi in Palermo (1931) among others. She also performed the role of La Gioconda for radio broadcasts of the opera with orchestras in Rome and Turin in 1931.
In 1909 the opera was staged at the Teatro dell'Opera in Rome with an excellent cast composed by Angelo Masini Pieralli, Giannina Russ, Luisa Garibaldi and Titta Ruffo.
In 2017 the opera was staged for the first time in the Czech Republic at theNational Theatre Brno,Janáček Theatre withCsilla Boross in the title role.[9] In 2022Joseph Calleja portrayed Enzo and Amanda Echalaz portrayed La Gioconda at theGrange Park Opera.[10]
The opera had its American premiere at theMetropolitan Opera (the "Met") during the first season of that opera company on 20 December 1883 with Swedish sopranoChristine Nilsson in the title role, Italian tenorRoberto Stagno as Enzo, French sopranoEmmy Fursch-Madi as Laura, and Italian contraltoSofia Scalchi as La Cieca.[11] The same cast was employed for further performances of the opera inChicago andSaint Louis in 1884.[12] The next staging of the opera in New York took place a decade later at theGrand Opera House in 1893 with American sopranoSelma Kronold in the title role.[13] The opera was staged onBroadway at theAmerican Theatre by the Castle Square Opera Company in 1899 withYvonne de Tréville in the title role.[14] SopranoLillian Nordica performed the title role withOscar Hammerstein I'sManhattan Opera Company in 1907.[15]
The Met mounted the opera for the second time twenty-one years after its first staging in 1904 with Nilsson reprising the title role,Enrico Caruso as Enzo,Arturo Vigna conducting, and the French baritoneEugène Dufriche serving both as the production's director and in the supporting role of the singer.[16] This production remained in the annual repertoire of the Met through the 1914–1915 season in which Caruso was still performing the role of Enzo, but withEmmy Destinn in the title role.[17] The Met returned to the opera a third time in 1924 with a new production using choreography byRosina Galli, sets by the Milanese designer Antonio Rovescalli, and a staging by directorDésiré Defrère. The premiere cast of this new staging includedFlorence Easton as Gioconda andBeniamino Gigli as Enzo.[18] However,Rosa Ponselle later assumed the role of Gioconda later in 1924.[19] This production remained part of the Met's regularly programmed repertoire through 1940 with a rotating cast of performers.[20] After a five-year absence from the Met, the Defrère staging ofLa Gioconda was once again seen in 1945, this time withStella Roman in the title part andRichard Tucker making his first appearance at the Met in the role of Enzo.[20] A 1946 live performance at the Metropolitan Opera House starringZinka Milanov as Gioconda,Risë Stevens as Laura, Tucker as Enzo, andMargaret Harshaw as La Cieca was recorded forradio broadcast and later released on disc.[1]
The Defrère staging of the opera continued to be performed at the Met with some frequency until it was replaced with a new production in 1966 that was staged byMargarete Wallmann with sets and costumes byBeni Montresor.[21] The Met took this production on a United States tour in 1967 withRenata Tebaldi in the title role,Franco Corelli as Enzo,Rosalind Elias as Laura, andFausto Cleva conducting.[22] The Wallmann and Montresor production remained in the Met's repertory for 17 years and was last presented by the company in the 1982–1983 season withPlácido Domingo as Enzo andEva Marton in the title role.[23] After 1983,La Gioconda has been mounted with less frequency on the Met stage with performances of the work consisting of a 1990 production withGhena Dimitrova;[24] a 2006 production withVioleta Urmana;[25] and most recently a 2008 production withDeborah Voigt as the title heroines respectively.[26] Additionally, theOpera Orchestra of New York has presented concert versions of the opera several times; including a 1986 concert starring Ghena Dimitrova as Gioconda;[27] and a 2004 concert starringAprile Millo in the title role andMarcello Giordani as Enzo.[28]
Outside of New York,La Gioconda was performed for the grand opening of theBoston Opera House on November 8, 1909, withLillian Nordica in the title role,Florencio Constantino as Enzo, andLouise Homer as La Cieca.[29] TheSan Francisco Opera (SFO) staged the work for the first time in 1947 with Stella Roman andRegina Resnik alternating in the title role.[30] The SFO subsequently staged the opera in 1967 withLeyla Gencer as Gioconda andGrace Bumbry as Laura,[31] and in 1979 the SFO staged the opera a third time with an all-star cast includingRenata Scotto as Gioconda andLuciano Pavarotti as Enzo; a production which was filmed for national television broadcast onPBS and which aired internationally through satellite technology at a time when that was rare.[32] Subsequently the SFO has stagedLa Gioconda in 1983 withMontserrat Caballé;[33] and in 1988 withEva Marton.[34]
In 1913 theChicago Grand Opera Company staged the work withCarolina White in the title role.[35]Emmy Destinn performed the title role inLa Gioconda for the opening of the 1915 opera season at theChicago Auditorium.[36] TheChicago Civic Opera opened its 1924-1925 season with a production ofLa Gioconda starringRosa Raisa as the ballad singer under the baton ofGiorgio Polacco.[37] TheLyric Opera of Chicago stagedLa Gioconda for the first time in 1957 withEileen Farrell in the title role. Subsequent performances in Chicago included a 1966 production withElena Souliotis; a 1986 production with Ghena Dimitrova; and a 1998 production withJane Eaglen. In 1974 the opera was staged by theNew Jersey State Opera withGrace Bumbry in the title role with performances given atNewark Symphony Hall and theTrenton War Memorial.[38]
| Role | Voice type | Premiere cast, 8 April 1876[39] (Conductor:Franco Faccio) | Fourth version, 27 November 1879, Politeama Genovese (Conductor: Gialdino Gialdini) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gioconda,a singer | soprano | Maddalena Mariani Masi | Maddalena Mariani Masi |
| Laura Adorno,a Genoese lady | mezzo-soprano | Marietta Biancolini Rodriguez | Flora Mariani De Angelis |
| La Cieca,Gioconda's mother | contralto | Eufemia Barlani Dini | Giuditta Celega |
| Enzo Grimaldo,a Genoese prince, disguised as a Dalmatian seaman | tenor | Julián Gayarre | Francesco Marconi |
| Barnaba,spy of the Inquisition | baritone | Gottardo Aldighieri | Gustavo Moriami |
| Alvise Badoero,one of the leaders of the Inquisition, Laura's husband | bass | Ormondo Maini [it] | Édouard De Reszke |
| Zuàne,a boatman competing in the regatta | bass | Giovanni Battista Cornago | Giacomo Origo |
| Isèpo,a scribe | tenor | Amedeo Grazzi | Emanuele Dall'Aglio |
| A singer | bass | Giovanni Battista Cornago | Giacomo Origo |
| A pilot | bass | Giovanni Battista Cornago | Giovanni Battista Panari |
| Chorus: Workers, senators, priests, nobles, sailors, children | |||
The opera's title translates asThe Happy Woman, but is usually given in English asThe Ballad Singer. However, as this fails to convey the irony inherent in the original, the Italian is usually used. Each act ofLa Gioconda has a title.
The story revolves around a woman, Gioconda, who so loves her mother that when Laura, her rival in love for the heart of Enzo, saves her mother's life, Gioconda puts aside her own romantic love to repay her. The villain Barnaba tries to seduce Gioconda, but she prefers death.
The courtyard of the Doge's Palace
During Carnival celebrations beforeLent, while everyone else is preoccupied with aregatta, Barnaba, a statespy,lustfully watches La Gioconda as she leads herblind mother, La Cieca, across the Square. When his amorous advances are firmly rejected, he exacts his revenge by denouncing the old lady as a witch whose evil powers influenced the outcome of thegondola race. It is only the intervention of a young sea captain that keeps the angry mob at bay.
Calm is restored at the approach of Alvise Badoero, a member of the VenetianInquisition, and his wife, Laura. Laura places La Cieca under her personal protection, and in gratitude the old woman presents her with her most treasured possession, arosary. The sharp-eyed Barnaba notices furtive behaviour between Laura and the sea captain indicating a secret relationship. Recalling that Laura was engaged to the now banishednobleman Enzo Grimaldo before herforced marriage to Alvise, Barnaba realises that the sea captain is Enzo in disguise.
Barnaba confronts Enzo, who admits his purpose in returning toVenice is to take Laura and begin a new life elsewhere. Barnaba knows that Gioconda is alsoinfatuated with Enzo and he sees an opportunity to improve his chances with her by assisting Enzo with his plan of elopement.
When Enzo has gone, Barnaba dictates a letter to be sent to Alvise, revealing his wife's infidelity and the lovers' plan of escape. He is unaware that he has been overheard by Gioconda. The act ends with Barnaba dropping the letter into the Lion's Mouth, where all secret information for the Inquisition is posted, while Giocondalaments Enzo's perceived treachery, and the crowd returns to its festivities.
The deck of Enzo's ship
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Enzo waits for Barnaba to row Laura out from the city to his vessel. Their joyful reunion is overshadowed by Laura's fears as she does not trust Barnaba. Gradually Enzo is able to reassure her, and he leaves her on deck while he goes to prepare for their departure.
La Gioconda has been following Laura with the intention of exacting revenge from her rival. Alvise and his armed men are also in hot pursuit, but as Gioconda is about to stab Laura she sees her mother's rosary hanging round her neck and, realizing that it was Laura who saved her mother, has an instant change of heart. She hurries Laura into her boat so that she can evade her pursuers.
Enzo returns to the deck to find that Laura has fled leaving Gioconda triumphant. Furthermore, Alvise's men are rapidly approaching. Enzo sets fire to the ship rather than let it fall into the hands of his enemies before diving into the lagoon.
Alvise's palace
Laura has been captured, and her vengeful husband insists she must die by poisoning herself (effectively committingsuicide and condemning herself to Hell). Once again Gioconda has followed and has found her way into the palace, this time with the intention of saving her rival. Finding Laura alone Gioconda replaces the phial of poison with a powerful drug which creates the appearance of death. The second scene begins with Alvise welcoming his fellow members of the nobility to the palace; Barnaba and Enzo are amongst those present. Lavish entertainment is provided and the act ends with the famous balletDance of the Hours. The mood of revelry is shattered as a funeral bell begins to toll and the body of Laura is revealed awaiting burial. A distraught Enzo flings off his disguise and is promptly seized by Alvise's men.
A crumbling ruin on the island ofGiudecca
In exchange for Enzo's release from prison, La Gioconda has agreed to give herself to Barnaba. When Enzo is brought in, he is initially furious when Gioconda reveals that she has had Laura's body brought from its tomb. He is about to stab her when Laura's voice is heard and Gioconda's part in reuniting the lovers becomes clear. Enzo and Laura make their escape, leaving La Gioconda to face the horrors awaiting her with Barnaba. The gondoliers' voices are heard in the distance telling that there are corpses floating in the city. When Gioconda tries to leave, she is caught by Barnaba. She then pretends to welcome his arrival, but under cover of decking herself in her jewellery, seizes a dagger and stabs herself to death. In frustrated rage Barnaba tries to perpetrate one last act of evil, screaming at the lifeless body "Last night your mother offended me. I drowned her!"
The ballet "Dance of the Hours" (Italian:Danza delle ore) from Act III of the opera became an international hit in the concert repertoire after it was performed at theParis Exhibition of 1878.[2] Budden asserts that although "a mere divertissement at Alvise's palace with no relevance to the action", it is "the only Italian ballet score which will bear transplantation to the concert hall, simply because it alone forms a completely rounded musical statement".[40] It has remained a frequently programmed selection from the opera in orchestral and ballet concerts internationally.[2] The music was used in the 1940Walt Disneyanimated filmFantasia in a segment consisting of the whole ballet, but performed comically by animals. The dancers of the morning are represented byMadame Upanova and herostriches, the daytime byHyacinth Hippo and herhippopotamusservants (for this section the piece is expanded by a modified and reorchestrated repetition of the "morning" music.) The dancers of the evening are represented byElephanchine and herbubble blowingelephanttroupe, and the night byBen Ali Gator and histroop ofalligators. All of the dancers rejoice in the great hall for a grand finale, which is so extravagant that the entire palace collapses at the end.
Another famous parody ofDance of the Hours isAllan Sherman's song "Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh", describing a miserable time at summer camp. It uses a theme from a moderato section of the Danza delle ore del giorno as its melody. Sherman's song was later referenced in a 1985 television commercial.[41]
Portions of the ballet were also used bySpike Jones and his City Slickers in their song parodying theIndianapolis 500.[citation needed]
Source:[42]
Source:[42]
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