"La Gioconda" at the Gran Teatre del Liceu

The Gioconda by Amilcare Ponchielli with libretto by Arrigo Boito is the only Italian opera, along with Mefistofele by the same Boito, not written by Verdi that remains in the repertoire of scores created in the period between the premiere of Don Pasquale by Donizetti (1843) and the emergence of the "Giovane Scuola" composed of Puccini and the verists.
 
The title brings together the best of the styles of its time: strongly Verdian influences in the melodies, typical choral passages of Venetian popular music, soliloquies with hints of Mussorgsky or Tchaikovsky, a Wagnerian orchestration, dances and characteristic balls of the French Grand Opéra, and an ending that anticipates the verismo-naturalistic repertoire. All in all, it places us before an extremely attractive masterpiece.

This magnificent opera, which has always enjoyed public favor, offers the opportunity for six extraordinary singers to shine. For these performances, the Liceu has brought together some of the most beloved stars of today's lyricism: Saioa Hernández and Ekaterina Semenchuk, who debuts in a role in which she alternates with Saioa, will impress us with the intensity of the "Suicidio" or the desired phrase of filato i messa di voce "Enzo adorato. Ah! Come t'amo!", among many other passages. The role of the effusive Enzo Grimaldo, premiered by the legendary Julián Gayarre, also presents very demanding technical and musical requirements. In the voices of Michael Fabiano and Martin Muehle, we will hear the precious "Cielo e mar".

On the other hand, Laura Adorno requires a remarkable extension: highs and lows. "L'amor come il fulgor del creato" or the duet with Alvise in the third act, here embodied by the voices of John Relyea and Alexander Köpeczi, will need the magic and stage character of Ksenia Dudnikova and Varduhi Abrahamyan. To close the main quartet, Gabriele Viviani and Àngel Òdena will alternate in the interpretation of Barnaba, one of the most evil characters in all operatic literature, with his celebrated monologue "O monumento".
 
Maestro Daniel Oren, from the podium, will provide a reading with experience and musical rigor, with clarity in sound and an incredible work of dramatic tension and theatrical strength. Among the choral and orchestral passages stands out the "Danza delle ore".
 
Romain Gilbert, the stage director, assumes that it is impossible to relocate The Gioconda from Venice. Thus, he sets the action in a mysterious and gloomy capital of La Serenissima, where the canals in black and white aim to evoke the festive but also sinister part of the city. Completing the cast of this new coproduction of the Gran Teatre del Liceu with the Teatro San Carlo in Naples are the set design by Etienne Pluss and the colorful costumes by the fashion designer Christian Lacroix.
 
An impressive opera full of unpredictable twists in which the nobility of singing, outstanding performers, and production will do justice to this extraordinary score.