La Gioconda

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Image courtesy of Liceu

La Gioconda by Amilcare Ponchielli combines the best of the styles of its time: strongly Verdian influences in the melodies, choral passages typical of Venetian folk music, soliloquies with touches of Mussorgsky or Tchaikovsky, Wagnerian orchestration, dances and ballets characteristic of French Grand Opéra and a finale that anticipates the verist-naturalist repertoire. Together, these elements make it a compelling masterpiece.

This magnificent opera, long cherished by audiences, offers a showcase for six extraordinary singers to shine. For these performances, the Liceu brings together some of today’s most beloved opera stars. Saioa Hernández and Ekaterina Semenchuk, debuting in the role and alternating with Saioa, will captivate with the intensity of “Suicidio” and the renowned filato and messa di voce phrase “Enzo adorato. Ah! Come t’amo!”, among other highlights. The role of the impassioned Enzo Grimaldo, originally performed by the legendary Julián Gayarre, also presents high technical and musical demands. In the voices of Michael Fabiano and Martin Muehle, audiences will hear the exquisite “Cielo e mar.”

Laura Adorno’s role requires remarkable vocal range in both high and low registers. “L’amor come il fulgor del creato” and her duet with Alvise in the third act will demand the magic and stage presence of Elina Garanča. Completing the principal quartet, Luca Salsi performs Barnaba, one of the most villainous characters in all opera literature, delivering the celebrated monologue “O monumento.”

Conductor Nicola Lusotti will bring a performance marked by experience and musical precision, with clarity of sound and a remarkable sense of dramatic tension and theatrical strength. Among the choral and orchestral highlights is the famous “Dance of the Hours.”

An impressive opera full of unexpected twists, where the nobility of the singing, the outstanding performers, and the production do justice to this extraordinary score.

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