La Gioconda (opera)
La Gioconda is an opera in four acts by Amilcare Ponchielli set to an Italian libretto by Arrigo Boito (as Tobia Gorrio), based on Angelo, Tyrant of Padua, a 1835 play in prose by Victor Hugo (the same source Gaetano Rossi had used for his libretto for Mercadante's Il giuramento in 1837).
"Gioconda" redirects here. For other uses, see La Gioconda.La Gioconda
First performed in 1876, La Gioconda was a major success for Ponchielli, as well as the most successful new Italian opera between Verdi's Aida (1871) and Otello (1887). It is also a famous example of the Italian genre of Grande opera, the equivalent of French Grand-Opéra.
Ponchielli revised the work three times; the fourth and final version was first performed in 1879 in Genoa before reaching Milan in 1880 where its reputation as the definitive version was established. There are several complete recordings of the opera, and it is regularly performed, especially in Italy. It is one of only a few operas that features a principal role for each of the six major voice types.[1] The opera also includes the famous ballet Dance of the Hours, often performed separately or in parody.
The Dance of the Hours[edit]
The ballet "Dance of the Hours" (Italian: Danza delle ore) from Act III of the opera became an international hit in the concert repertoire after it was performed at the Paris Exhibition of 1878.[2] It has remained a frequently programmed selection from the opera in orchestral and ballet concerts internationally.[2] Considered one of the most popular ballets in history, the ballet was used in the 1940 Walt Disney animated film Fantasia. The segment consists of the whole ballet, but performed comically by animals. The dancers of the morning are represented by Madame Upanova and her ostriches. The dancers of the daytime are represented by Hyacinth Hippo and her hippopotamus servants. (For this section the piece is expanded by a modified and reorchestrated repetition of the "morning" music.) The dancers of the evening are represented by Elephanchine and her bubble blowing elephant troupe. The dancers of the night are represented by Ben Ali Gator and his troop of alligators. All of the dancers rejoice in the great hall for a grand finale, which is so extravagant that the entire palace collapses at the end.
Another famous parody of Dance of the Hours is Allan Sherman's song "Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh", describing a miserable time at summer camp. It uses the main theme of the ballet as its melody. Sherman's song was later referenced in a 1985 television commercial.[40]
Portions of the ballet were also used by Spike Jones and his City Slickers in their song parodying the Indianapolis 500.