Oberon's Glade

Tag: LA GIOCONDA

  • Scenes from LA GIOCONDA ~ Eva Marton

    Snapshot gioconda

    Above: Eva Marton and Margarita Lilowa in the opening scene of LA GIOCONDA

    A rather odd collection of excerpts from a performance of Ponchielli’s LA GIOCONDA given at Vienna in 1986 is available on YouTube. The principal roles are sung by Eva Marton (Gioconda), Ludmila Sementshuk (Laura), Margarita Lilowa (Cieca), Placido Domingo (Enzo), Matteo Manuguerra (Barnaba), and Kurt Rydl (Alvise). Adam Fischer conducts.

    Watch and listen here.

    I am not sure why some scenes were included, and others – more interesting – were not; the editing is haphazard. But it’s nice to have a souvenir that recalls the performances of the opera at The Met with Marton and Domingo during the 1982-1983 season. Marton was a passionate Gioconda, and Domingo’s dreamy falsetto at “…o sogni d’or” in his great aria is so pleasing to hear. 

    M lilowa

    Above: Margarita Lilowa

    And I always enjoy Margarita Lilowa‘s performances.

    Actually, as I watched the excerpts included in this YouTube presentation, I remembered that this performance was previously available on VHS, and later on DVD and BluRay. For now, the YouTube highlights will suffice.

  • Bringing Down the House

    Tucker

    Richard Tucker elicits an ovation after singing “Cielo e mar!” in a performance of LA GIOCONDA at the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires in 1966. Tucker was one of the most generous singers I ever encountered, as his singing here attests.

    Richard Tucker – Cielo e mar! – GIOCONDA – Buenos Aires 1966

    And, speaking of Richard Tucker, the annual Tucker Gala will be held on Sunday, October 21st, 2018, at 6:00 PM at Carnegie Hall. Information and tickets here.

  • “Questo lido è a lei funesto!”

    L D

    As Laura Adorno and La Gioconda respectively, mezzo-soprano Luciana D’Intino (above) and soprano Eva Urbanová duke it out aboard Enzo’s ship, the Hecate, in this famous scene from Act II of Ponchielli’s LA GIOCONDA. From one of my favorite Italian operas, this excerpt begins with Laura’s prayer “Stella del marinar” and goes on to the fiery duet of the two rivals, “L’amo come il fulgor del creato!”

    GIOCONDA Act II exc Urbanova D’Intino Scala 1996

    Eva U

    Above: Eva Urbanová…the Czech soprano has had a substantial operatic career, and also has a following as a pop and rock singer. She sang at The Met from 1998-2004 where I saw her striking debut performance as Ortrud and also had the good fortune to experience her only Met Tosca, a portrayal that was enhanced by her detailed characterization as well as some surprisingly nuanced singing.

    Luciana D’Intino’s Met career to date has consisted of two appearances each in the “big three” Verdi mezzo roles: Eboli, Amneris, and Azucena. I saw her in all three operas and her performances were astounding in their vocal richness and as marvelous examples of what is now the fast-fading authentic Verdi style.