[Met Performance] CID:168210
La Gioconda {172} Metropolitan Opera House: 03/9/1955.
(Debut: Giorgio Tozzi
Review)
Metropolitan Opera House
March 9, 1955
LA GIOCONDA {172}
Ponchielli-Boito
La Gioconda.............Zinka Milanov
Enzo....................Kurt Baum
Laura...................Nell Rankin
Barnaba.................Leonard Warren
Alvise..................Giorgio Tozzi [Debut]
La Cieca................Sandra Warfield
Zuàne...................George Cehanovsky
Isèpo...................Alessio De Paolis
Monk....................Norman Scott
Steersman...............Louis Sgarro
Singer..................James McCracken
Singer..................Calvin Marsh
Dance...................Mia Slavenska
Dance...................Adriano Vitale
Conductor...............Fausto Cleva
Director................Désiré Defrère
Set designer............Antonio Rovescalli
Set designer............Joseph Novak
Costume designer........Mathilde Castel-Bert
Choreographer...........Zachary Solov
La Gioconda received four performances this season.
Review of Harriett Johnson in the New York Post
Tozzi Debut in 'Gioconda'
The blood and thunder of Ponchielli's "La Gioconda" were back at Metropolitan last night for the first time since the 1952-53 season with several assets and some liabilities, including the antique sets and Zachary Solov's clumsy choreography for the ballet. Mia Slavenska's brilliant dancing in the "Dance of the Hours" was in spite of the ineptness of the choreography with which she was surrounded.
Zinka Milanov outdid even herself in the title role, singing with
moving dramatic intensity and an exciting beauty of vocalism. Judging by Milanov's performances lately, we suggest that the advent of Renata Tebaldi has been the best kind of tonic.
Giorgio Tozzi. bass, making a delayed Met debut as the revengeful Alvise, proved to have a voice of beautiful quality. Though not large, it was rich in texture and expertly handled both as to characterization and technique. In addition, he makes a handsome and imposing figure. Fausto Cleva conducted a dynamic performance which was also generally well sung by the rest of the cast, too numerous to mention here.
Photograph of Giorgio Tozzi as Alvise in La Gioconda by Sedge LeBlang.