GIOCONDA, LA

(The Smiling One) Composer: AMILCARE PONCHIELLI Book by Tosra Gorrio (Arrigo Boito) from Victor Hugo’s play Angelo, tyran de Padoue First performance: La Scala, Milan, A pril 8, 1876 4 acts. ENzo GRIMALDO, a pirate in the Adriatic, loves Laura Adorno who is married to Alvise Badoero, an inquisitor. La Gioconda is in love with Enzo even though she is a street singer, and he of noble birth. She supports her blind mother, La Cieca. Barnaba, a spy, wants to po e La Gioconda. In a wild scene before the Doges’ Palace in Venice Barnaba arranges for Enzo and Laura to meet on an island. He advises Alvise that the meeting will take place. La Gioconda also learns of this rendezvous. Previously, La Cieca has been accused of witchcraft and would have been killed had it not been for the intervention of Laura to whom La Cieca gave her rosary. On the island Enzo and Barnaba arrive, as do shortly Laura and, finally, La Gioconda. The latter is about to stab Laura when she sees her mother’s rosary and desists. Alvise is about to arrive on a ve el when Laura and Gioconda leave the island while Enzo burns his ship. Back in Venice Alvise is bent on avenging his honour and arranges to have Laura drink poison. La Gioconda substitutes a sleeping potion so that later at a ball when Alvise draws aside a curtain he reveals a sleeping, though apparently dead, Laura. Enzo is arrested for denouncing Barnaba and, in the general mélée, La Cieca is taken off by Barnaba. La Gioconda cries that she will give herself to Barnaba if he will but spare Enzo’s life. In the last act Enzo comes to La Gioconda and tells her that he only wants to die on Laura’s bier. La Gioconda then tells him that Laura, who has been brought in still apparently dead, is only sleeping. She awakens and attests her love for Enzo. La Gioconda helps the two depart in safety to Illyria while she waits to stab herself as Barnaba enters to collect on the bargain they made to free Enzo. To partially avenge himself in losing La Gioconda, Barnaba screams that he has killed La Cieca, but La Gioconda does not hear. She is dead.