La Gioconda Opened Dec. 20, 1883, as Met Opera's 14th First Season Opera

Summary: Amilcare Ponchielli's La Gioconda opened Thursday, Dec. 20, 1883, as the Metropolitan Opera's 14th first season premiere.

Giuseppe Del Puente sang Inquisition spy Barnaba in the Metropolitan Opera's first season premiere of Amilcare Ponchielli's La Gioconda; portrait of Giuseppe Del Puente in The Marie Burroughs Art Portfolio of Stage Celebrities (1894): Public Domain, via Internet Archive

Amilcare Ponchielli's La Gioconda opened Thursday, Dec. 20, 1883, as the 14th of 20 premieres staged in the Metropolitan Opera's inaugural season, 1883-1884.

The Metropolitan Opera House hosted the United States premiere of the four-act grand opéra (grand opera) by Italian opera composer Amilcare Ponchielli (Aug. 31, 1834-Jan. 16, 1886). La Gioconda received 12 performances, sung in Italian, in the Metropolitan Opera's first season, 1883-1884. The Metropolitan Opera House was the venue for the Thursday, Dec. 20, 1883, premiere and the second performance, Saturday, Dec. 22. The third performance, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 1884, took place at the Boston Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts. The Metropolitan Opera House was the venue for the fourth performance, Friday, Jan. 11, 1884. The fifth performance, Friday, Jan. 18, was held at the Chestnut Street Opera House in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The sixth, Monday, Jan. 28, and seventh, Saturday, Feb. 2, performances were staged at Haverly's Theatre in Chicago, Illinois. The eighth performance, Friday, Feb. 8, was offered at the Olympic Theater in St. Louis, Missouri. The ninth performance, Thursday, Feb. 14, took place at the Music Hall in Cincinnati, Ohio. The 10th performance, Wednesday, Feb. 27, was held at the National Theater in Washington, D.C. The 11th performance, Saturday, March 8, was staged at the Boston Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts. The Metropolitan Opera House was the venue for the 12th, closing performance, Saturday, March 29.

Auguste Vianesi (Nov. 2, 1837-Nov. 4, 1908) conducted the first seven and the last four performances of La Gioconda. The French-naturalized, northwestern Italy-born conductor had made his Met Opera debut Monday, Oct. 22, 1883, in the inaugural season's opening premiere, Faust by French composer Charles-François Gounod (June 17, 1818-Oct. 18, 1893).

Maestro Vianesi shared the conductorship with Cleofonte Campanini (Sept. 1, 1860-Dec. 19, 1919), who conducted the eighth performance, Feb. 8. The Italian conductor had made his Met Opera debut Saturday, Nov. 3, 1883, in the second performance of the inaugural season's fifth opera, Mignon by French composer Ambroise Thomas (Aug. 5, 1811-Feb. 12, 1896).

Christine Nilsson (Aug. 20, 1843-Nov. 20, 1921) appeared in all 12 performances in the title role of Gioconda, who sacrifices herself to save her lover, banished nobleman Enzo, and his first love, Laura. The Swedish operatic soprano had made her Met Opera debut Monday, Oct. 22, 1883, as Marguerite in the inaugural season's first premiere, Gounod's Faust.

Roberto Stagno (Oct. 18, 1840-April 26, 1897) sang Enzo, street singer Gioconda's lover, who is still in love with first love Laura, in the first four performances (Dec. 20, Dec. 22, Jan. 1, Jan. 11); as well as the sixth (Jan. 28) and eighth (Feb. 8) performances. The Italian operatic tenor had made his Met Opera debut Friday, Oct. 26, 1883, in the title role, Manrico, in the inaugural season's third premiere, Il Trovatore by Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi (Oct. 10, 1813-Jan. 27, 1901).

Roberto Stagno shared the role with Victor Capoul and Italo Campanini. Victor Capoul (Feb. 27, 1839-Feb. 18, 1924) sang Enzo in the fifth (Jan. 18), seventh (Feb. 2) and 12th, closing (March 29) performances. The French operatic tenor had made his Met Opera debut Saturday, Oct. 27, 1883, in the title role in the inaugural season's second performance of Gounod's Faust.

Italo Campanini (June 30, 1845-Nov. 14, 1896) sang Enzo in the ninth through 11th (Feb. 14, Feb. 27, March 8) performances. His appearances in La Gioconda placed him in the same opera, but not the same performance, as his younger brother, conductor Cleofonte Campanini. The Italian operatic tenor had made his Met Opera debut Monday, Oct. 22, 1883, in the title role in the inaugural season's inaugural premiere, Gounod's Faust.

Emmy Fursch-Madi (1847-Sept. 21, 1894) sang Laura, married to jealous Alvise but still in love with Enzo, in the first seven performances and then again in the ninth through 11th performances. The French operatic soprano made her Met Opera debut Wednesday, Nov. 7, as Ortrud in the inaugural season's seventh premiere, Lohengrin by German Romantic era composer-librettist Richard Wagner (May 22, 1813-Feb. 13, 1883).

Emmy Fursch-Madi shared the role with Louise Lablache(1855?-1926), who sang Laura in the eighth (Feb. 8) and 12th, closing (March 29) performances. The French mezzo-soprano had made her Met Opera debut Monday, Oct. 22, 1883, as Marthe in the inaugural season's first premiere, Gounod's Faust.

Giuseppe Del Puente (Jan. 30, 1841-May 25, 1900) appeared in all 12 performances as Inquisition spy Barnaba, whose ruinous obsession with Gioconda drives him to murder her blind mother, La Cieca, and drives Gioconda to kill herself. The Italian baritone had made his Met Opera debut Monday, Oct. 22, 1883, as Valentin in the inaugural season's first premiere, Gounod's Faust.

Franco Novara (1859-Jan. 7, 1899) sang Alvise, Laura's murderously jealous husband, in all 12 performances. English bass Francis Naish, whose stage name was Franco Novara, had made his Met Opera debut Monday, Oct. 22, 1883, as Méphistophélès in the inaugural season's first premiere, Gounod's Faust.

Sofia Scalchi (Nov. 29, 1850-Aug. 22, 1922) sang La Cieca, Gioconda's blind mother, murdered by Inquisition spy Barnaba, in all 12 performances. The Italian operatic contralto-mezzosoprano had made her Met Opera debut Monday, Oct. 22, 1883, in the trouser role of Siebel in the inaugural season's first premiere, Gounod's Faust.

Achille Augier sang boatman Zuàne in all 12 performances. He had made his Met Opera debut Wednesday, Oct. 24, 1883, as Raimondo in the inaugural season's second premiere, Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor.

Amadeo Grazzi appeared in all 12 performances as scribe Isèpo, to whom Inquisition spy Barnaba dictates his denunciation of Enzo. Amadeo Grazzi had made his Met Opera debut Wednesday, Oct. 24, 1883, as Normanno in the inaugural season's second premiere, Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor.

Giuseppe Barberis sang the Steersman in all 12 performances. He had made his Met Opera debut Monday, Nov. 5, as Giuseppe in the inaugural season's sixth premiere, Verdi's La Traviata.

Ludovico Contini appeared as a Singer in all 12 performances. He had made his Met Opera debut Monday, Oct. 22, 1883, as Wagner in the inaugural season's first premiere, Gounod's Faust.

The Metropolitan Opera Archives Database (MetOpera Database) credits Malvina Cavalazzi (Cavallazzi) (ca. 1851/1862-1924) for Dance for 11 of the season's 12 performances of La Gioconda. No entry for Dance is made for the ninth performance, Feb. 14, which was held at the Music Hall in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Italian ballet dancer and teacher, who was the Metropolitan Opera's first ballerina, had made her Met Opera debut Monday, Nov. 5, in the season's sixth premiere, Verdi's La Traviata.

La Gioconda was directed by Mr. Corani (Henry De Courtney Corani, ca. 1849-May 1905) and Mr. Abbiati. The production team comprised Charles Fox, Jr., William Schaeffer, Gaspar Maeder (ca. 1840-Jan. 18, 1892) and Mr. Thompson as set designers and Henry Dazian (May 3, 1854-May 4, 1937) and D. Ascoli as costume designers. La Gioconda's directors, set designers and costume designers had all made their Met Opera debuts Monday, Oct. 22, 1883, in the inaugural season's first premiere, Gounod's Faust.

La Gioconda premiered Thursday, Dec. 20, 1883, as the inaugural season's only Ponchielli opera ans as the 14th first season opera. Martha, by German composer Friedrich von Flotow (April 27, 1812-Jan. 24, 1883), succeeded La Gioconda as the inaugural season's 15th premiere. Martha premiered Friday, Jan. 4, 1884.

The takeaway for Met Opera's premiere of La Gioconda is that the four-act grand opéra (grand opera) was staged as the 14th opera in Met Opera's first season, 1883-1884, and as the only Ponchielli opera in the first season's lineup of 20 premieres.

Sofia Scalchi sang La Cieca, Gioconda's blind mother, in the Metropolitan Opera's first season premiere of Amilcare Ponchielli's La Gioconda; portrait of Sofia Scalchi, shown in title role in Christoph Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice, in The Marie Burroughs Art Portfolio of Stage Celebrities (1894): Public Domain, via Internet Archive

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Giuseppe Del Puente sang Inquisition spy Barnaba in the Metropolitan Opera's first season premiere of Amilcare Ponchielli's La Gioconda; portrait of Giuseppe Del Puente in The Marie Burroughs Art Portfolio of Stage Celebrities (1894): Public Domain, via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/details/marieburroughsar00chic/page/n282/mode/1up

Sofia Scalchi sang La Cieca, Gioconda's blind mother, in the Metropolitan Opera's first season premiere of Amilcare Ponchielli's La Gioconda; portrait of Sofia Scalchi, shown in title role in Christoph Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice, in The Marie Burroughs Art Portfolio of Stage Celebrities (1894): Public Domain, via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/details/marieburroughsar00chic/page/n252/mode/1up

For further information:

“Debut: Cleofonte Campanini.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 1070 Mignon {2} Matinee ed. Metropolitan Opera House: 11/3/1883.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=1070

"Debut: Emily Lablache, Giuseppe Barberis, Malvina Cavalazzi." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID:1080 Metropolitan Opera Premiere La Traviata {1} Metropolitan Opera House: 11/5/1883.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=1080

"Debut: Emmy Fursch-Madi." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 1090 Metropolitan Opera Premiere Lohengrin {1} Metropolitan Opera House: 11/7/1883.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=1020

Debut: Roberto Stagno, Alwina Valleria, Zelia Trebelli." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 1020 Metropolitan Opera Premiere Il Trovatore {1} Metropolitan Opera House: 10/26/1883.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=1020

"Debut: Victor Capoul." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 1030 Faust {2} Matinee ed. Metropolitan Opera House: 10/27/1883.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=1030

"Debuts: Italo Campanini, Christine Nilsson, Franco Novara, Giuseppe Del Puente, Sofia Scalchi, Louise Lablache, Ludovico Contini, Auguste Vianesi, Mr. Corani, Mr. Abbiati, Charles Fox, Jr., William Schaeffer, Gaspar Maeder, Mr. Thompson, D. Ascoli, Henry Dazian." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID:1000 Metropolitan Opera Premiere Faust {1} Metropolitan Opera House: 10/22/1883. Metropolitan Opera Premiere Opening Night {1}.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=1000

"Debuts: Marcella Sembrich, Giuseppe Kaschmann, Achille Augier, Amadeo Grazzi, Imogene Forti, Vincenzo Fornaris." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 1010 Metropolitan Opera Premiere Lucia di Lammermoor {1} Metropolitan Opera House: 10/24/1883.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=1010

The Marie Burroughs Art Portfolio of Stage Celebrities. A Collection of Photographs of the Leaders of Dramatic and Lyric Art. Chicago : A.N. Marquis & Company, 1894.
Available via HathiTrust @ https://hdl.handle.net/2027/njp.32101073370700
Available via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/details/marieburroughsar00chic/

Marriner, Derdriu. "Metropolitan Opera Premiered 20 Operas During Opening Season 1883-1884." Earth and Space News. Monday, Sept. 14, 2020.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/10/metropolitan-opera-premiered-20-operas.html

Rous, Samuel Holland. The Victrola Book of the Opera: Stories of One Hundred and Twenty Operas With Seven-Hundred Illustrations and Descriptions of Twelve-Hundred Victor Opera Records. Fourth revised edition. Camden NJ: Victor Talking Machine Company, 1917.
Available via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/details/victrolabookofop00vict

"United States Premiere La Gioconda." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 1390 United States Premiere La Gioconda {1} Metropolitan Opera House: 12/20/1883.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=1390