Greek National Opera: Staging La Gioconda, the opera that marked Maria Callas’ debut

Twenty full years aft its past presentation, La Gioconda by Amilcare Ponchielli – the opera with which the legendary Maria Callas made her debut astatine the Arena di Verona successful 1947 – returns to the signifier of the Greek National Opera connected October 19, 22, 25, 29 and November 1, 4, 7, 2025 successful a expansive planetary co-production featuring world-famous artists.

Two of the world’s astir prestigious opera institutions – the Salzburg Easter Festival and the Royal Opera House, London – articulation forces with the Greek National Opera to contiguous to Greek audiences an awesome production, directed by Covent Garden’s Artistic Director Oliver Mears, conducted by Fabrizio Ventura, with prima melodramatic soprano Anna Pirozzi successful the rubric role.

La Gioconda is considered 1 of the top expansive operas of the repertoire, not lone due to the fact that it tells a almighty communicative of unfulfilled emotion and self-sacrifice, but besides due to the fact that it is affluent successful unforgettable melodies, celebrated arias, and magnificent choral passages. It besides includes 1 of the astir iconic ballets of each time, the “Dance of the Hours”, a melody wide known acknowledgment to its quality successful Disney’s Fantasia (1940).

The opera premiered successful 1876 astatine La Scala, Milan, to immense occurrence comparable to that of Verdi’s Aida and Otello.

As a emblematic precocious Romantic opera, influenced by French expansive opéra, Ponchielli – profoundly inspired by Verdi – created a enactment of stormy characters, melodramatic confrontations, lush orchestration, melodic beauty, and theatrical grandeur. The libretto, written by Tobia Gorrio (an anagram and pseudonym of poet-composer Arrigo Boito), is based connected Victor Hugo’s Angelo, Tyrant of Padua. Boito acceptable the communicative successful 17th-century Venice, with the cardinal fig being La Gioconda, a thoroughfare vocalist successful emotion with Enzo Grimaldo, who, however, loves Laura, woman of nobleman Alvise. After galore twists, La Gioconda helps the lovers flight and yet takes her ain life.

Oliver Mears, Artistic Director of the Royal Opera House and 1 of Europe’s astir sought-after opera directors, places the enactment successful modern Venice portion remaining faithful to the tone of the work. According to The Telegraph, “This lavish staging whitethorn beryllium the champion imaginable for specified a magnificent yet demanding opera.”

Sets are by Philipp Fürhofer, internationally acclaimed since 2008 for his enactment with starring opera houses crossed Europe. Costumes are by Annemarie Woods, whose enactment Greek audiences person antecedently seen successful Don Giovanni. Choreography is by Lucy Burge, with an planetary vocation including Covent Garden and the Paris Opera. Lighting plan is by award-winning Fabiana Piccioli.

The Greek National Opera Orchestra volition beryllium conducted by Italian maestro Fabrizio Ventura, successful his 3rd collaboration with GNO, pursuing palmy productions of Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk (2023) and Aleko / Bluebeard’s Castle (2024).

The accumulation boasts a stellar planetary cast:

• Anna Pirozzi (Gioconda), the acclaimed Italian soprano, returns to GNO aft standout performances successful Medea and Maria Callas Gala.
• Arsen Soghomonyan (Oct 19, 22, 25, 29) and Francesco Pio Galasso (Nov 1, 4, 7) alternate arsenic Enzo Grimaldo.
• Alisa Kolosova, distinguished Russian mezzo, sings Laura Adorno.
• Anita Rachvelishvili, 1 of the world’s astir celebrated mezzo-sopranos, returns arsenic Cieca.
• Dimitris Platanias, Greece’s starring baritone, takes connected Barnaba.
• Tasos Apostolou, GNO’s salient bass, performs Alvise Badoero.

Additional roles are performed by Yiannis Kalyvas and rising endowment Maxim Klonofsky. The GNO Chorus is prepared by Agathangelos Georgakatos, portion the GNO Children’s Chorus is led by Konstantina Pitsiakou. Dancers from the GNO Ballet besides instrumentality part.

Performance schedule:

• October 19, 22, 25, 29 & November 1, 4, 7, 2025
• Start time: 19:00 (Sundays astatine 18:30)