La Gioconda returns to the Erkel Theatre in a new production

As part of its season dedicated to Puccini’s Italy, the Hungarian State Opera presents La Gioconda, the most famous opera by Puccini’s master, Amilcare Ponchielli.

The piece that is complex in plot and enthralling in music returns to the Erkel Theatre, Budapest after a hiatus of twenty years in a new production staged by András Almási-Tóth.

“This opera is performed rarely although it has a great performance tradition. It ought to be a discovery for those who hear it for the first time, whereas those familiar with the piece might also experience a revelation,”

says Almási-Tóth, artistic director of the Hungarian State Opera since July 2018. In his opinion, La Gioconda is an atmospheric opera based on enormous chasms between people and their emotions. The complicated plot posed a challenge to the director, who chose to create an abstract space.

In a traditional Venetian scenery the movements of the characters are obstructed by water and bridges as well as a mysterious wooden box representing ‘family’. All this serves as a perfect background in which eternal human relationships are scrutinised. According to the director “In our world, people cannot connect. Therefore, they attempt to find the most impossible ways to find each other.”

Venue: Erkel Theatre

Premiere: 22 February 2019

Further dates: 24, 18 February & 3, 6, 10 March 2019

Cast: Eszter Sümegi as Gioconda, Bernadett Wiedemann as La Cieca, Alexandru Agache as Barnaba, Gergely Boncsér as Enzo Grimaldi, Erika Gál as Laura Adorno, Krisztián Cser as Alvise Badoero

Director: András Almási-Tóth
Set designer: Éva Szendrényi
Costume designer: Bori Tóth
Lighting designer: Tamás Bányai
Choreographer: Dóra Barta
Artistic consultant: Éva Marton
Dramaturg: Judit Kenesey
Chorus director: Gábor Csiki
Conductor: Gergely Kesselyák

Source: Opera