La Gioconda

THE TRAGEDY NEEDS TO BE GREAT; THE TRAGEDY NEEDS TO BE TRUE.— VICTOR HUGO

In his day, Amilcare Ponchielli was considered the most important Italian composer of the generation after Verdi, but today we know him primarily for La Gioconda, and in particular its famous ballet, ‘La danza delle ore’. The story, based on Angelo, tyrant of Padua by Victor Hugo, is set in 17th-century Venice, where conspiracies and regattas form the backdrop to the fortunes of the singer Gioconda. Harassed by the spy Barnaba, she sacrifices everything to save the man she loves and the woman he prefers over her. An expert on Hugo, the director Olivier Py offers us a dream-like version of this dark Romantic tragedy, presided over by sex and death. A flamboyant grande opera all’italiana conducted by Paolo Carignani and with an exceptional double cast for the six demanding main roles.