The climax of this scene, the delightfully tender and
playful quartet, which culminates in a burst of hysterical laughter, is
a stroke of genius. In the prison scene Boito rises to still greater
heights. The poignant pathos of the poor maniac's broken utterances, the
languorous beauty of the duet, and the frenzied terror and agony of the
finale, are beyond praise.
Amilcare Ponchielli (1834-1886) owed much to both Verdi and Boito, and
his best work, 'La Gioconda,' which was produced in 1876, bears
unmistakable traces of the influence of 'Mefistofele' and 'Aida.' The
libretto of 'La Gioconda' is founded upon a gloomy play by Victor Hugo,
'Angelo, Tyran de Padoue.' La Gioconda, a Venetian street singer, buys
the safety of her lover Enzo from the spy Barnaba with her own hand,
only to find that the former uses his new-found liberty to prosecute an
intrigue with another woman. She generously contrives to save the lives
of Enzo and his mistress, which are threatened by the vengeance of the
latter's husband, and commits suicide in order to escape falling into
the hands of Barnaba. Ponchielli's opera overflows with melody of a
rather commonplace description. He has, besides, a certain dramatic
gift, and the concerted music in 'La Gioconda' is powerful and
effective. The ballet music is unusually good, and shows many favourable
examples of Ponchielli's fondness for fanciful melodic designs, a
mannerism which has been freely imitated by his pupils and followers.
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