Ponchielli: La Gioconda

With an unrivaled catalogue of over 450 complete opera recordings produced over the last 60 years and an illustrious succession of artists that today includes such names as Montserrat Caballe, Angela Gheorghiu, Plácido Domingo, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Antonio Pappano and Carlo Maria Giulini EMI Classics, with its sister label Virgin Classics, can rightly claim to be the Home of Opera.

Amilcare Ponchielli s La Gioconda is a four act opera set to an Italian libretto by Arrigo Boito. The story revolves around a woman, Gioconda (Violeta Urmana), who so loves her mother than when Laura (Luciana D Intino), her rival in love for the heart of Enzo (Placido Domingo), saves her mother s life. Gioconda puts aside her own romantic love to repay her. The villain Barnaba (Lado Ataneli) tries to seduce Gioconda, but she prefers death over him. Marcello Viotti leads the Munchner Rundfunkorchester in this release.