Ponchielli: La Gioconda (Decca) - MusicWeb International

Amilcare Ponchielli (1834-1886)
La Gioconda (1876 version)
La Gioconda – Renata Tebaldi (soprano)
Enzo Grimaldo – Carlo Bergonzi (tenor)
Barnaba – Robert Merrill (baritone)
Alvise Badoero – Nicolai Ghiuselev (bass)
Laura Badoero – Marilyn Horne (mezzo)
La Cieca – Oralia Domínguez (mezzo)
Chorus and Orchestra of the Accademia di Santa Cecilia/Lamberto Gardelli
rec. 1967, Sala Accademica, Conservatorio di Santa Cecilia, Rome, Italy
Reviewed as download in FLAC format
Decca 4870142 [154]

The Decca Company is probably most noted as the company which took a risk to record the first full recording of Wagner’s Ring cycle. It could also just as well be called the home of La Gioconda because they have been responsible for four major recordings of Ponchielli’s tuneful opera. The first was made in Florence in 1957 with Anita Cerquetti and Mario Del Monaco (review). The second was made by the Decca Company on behalf of RCA with Zinka Milanov and Giuseppe Di Stefano, also in 1957; alas it seems to be no longer available (Decca now owns the rights to this version). The third is the one under consideration in this review. The final one was made in London in 1980 with Montserrat Caballé and Luciano Pavarotti. All of them compete seriously with one another for being the best recordings of La Gioconda on the market. I wonder if Decca will surprise us some day with yet another version, possibly with their current star Lise Davidsen among the cast.

This recording was undertaken in July 1967, barely a month after Renata Tebaldi had finished her first run of performances in the title role at the new Metropolitan Opera in Lincoln Center. Ms Tebaldi must have loved the character of Gioconda because she invests so much of herself into the role. Tebaldi was not known for intense characterization of her roles but Gioconda seems to have brought out her best theatrical instincts. Among all of her recorded legacy it is her most complete dramatic and vocal achievement. She takes many vocal risks throughout the sessions which pay off splendidly, for example she hurls around impressive chest tones for dramatic emphasis as if they were a dime a dozen for her (they weren’t) . Her voice is showing some signs of change here; there is some hardening of her upper range, and occasional flatness creeps into suspended high notes. Her attack is very bold, as listening to the section where she pleads with Alvise to free her mother in Act One demonstrates. She really throws herself heart and soul into this role and ultimately gives a deeply satisfying performance of the sympathetic heroine.

Carlo Bergonzi’s peerless vocal resources include unstinting golden tone with plenty of squillo to excite the listener. He sings the Dalmatian Prince Enzo with elegance and taste, and enough vocal heft to do justice to the musical climaxes. He sounds as if he has not sung the role enough to be completely inside it because often characterization is curiously absent. He captures the lovely dreamy quality of “Cielo e mar”, and he is superb in the duet with Barnaba. However, his most involved singing comes at the close of Act Two, when he has obviously been inspired to come to life by Tebaldi’s all-in approach.

Robert Merrill’s Barnaba has a clean, powerful sound. He sings the Act Two Barcarolle quite beautifully, with fabulous control of dynamics; however, his voice and stage presence are just too genial to convey any sense of villainy. Sherrill Milnes is a far more convincing villain on the later Decca set.

Marilyn Horne’s luscious, creamy voice is rather wasted on Laura. She brings a patrician sound and stage presence to Laura but the role is better served by a more Mediterranean sounding voice such as Giulietta Simionato or Fiorenza Cossotto on other sets. Ms Horne sings magnificently but Laura is a dramatic cipher so the character of Laura doesn’t provide Horne enough to work with.

Nicolai Ghiuselev uses his dark voluminous tone to paint a sinister portrait of Alvise that fills out the drama perfectly. Oralia Domínguez uses her smoky-toned mezzo with confidence. Her sympathetic portrayal of La Cieca is possibly the finest among all of the commercial recordings. One can even hear the very distinctive bass of Giovanni Foianni in the tiny role of the Priest; Foianni was the wonderful Banquo in the Decca recording of Verdi’s Macbeth under Thomas Schippers.

On listening to the opening bars one can tell that the opera is in safe hands under Lamberto Gardelli’s leadership. He gives a very heart-on-the-sleeve reading of the Overture, which sets the tone of the rest of the opera. La Gioconda abounds with colourful regional dances from Italy. Gardelli supplies these and the Third Act Ballet with plenty of dash and spirit. He conducts an uncut version of the score, including a few pages from the final trio that are never heard in live performance, and rarely on other recordings. The Decca recording team obtained their usual high class sound from the Roman Conservatory; indeed the soundstage is very wide to the point of sounding panoramic. The chorus and orchestra perform at a generally high level with only one or two brief moments of trouble detectable. While not perfect in every respect, this is a very satisfying achievement overall.

Mike Parr

Help us financially by purchasing from