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© Gran Teatre del Liceu
La Gioconda
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February 2026  | ||||||
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La Gioconda – Amilcare Ponchielli
Drama in four acts.
Libretto by Tobia Gorrio (pseudonym of Arrigo Boito) based on the play Angélo, tyran de Padoue by Victor Hugo.
Approximate running time: 3 hours 30 minutes
A captivating opera with unexpected twists and a production that does justice to an exceptional score.
La Gioconda by Amilcare Ponchielli, with a libretto by Arrigo Boito, is the only Italian opera, along with Boito's Mefistofele, not written by Verdi that remains in the repertoire of works created during the period between the premiere of Donizetti's Don Pasquale (1843) and the rise of the “Giovane Scuola,” represented by Puccini and the verists.
The opera combines the best of the styles of its time: strongly Verdian influences in the melodies, choral passages typical of Venetian folk music, soliloquies with touches of Mussorgsky or Tchaikovsky, Wagnerian orchestration, dances and ballets characteristic of French Grand Opéra, and a finale that anticipates the verist-naturalist repertoire. Together, these elements make it a truly compelling masterpiece.
This magnificent opera, long cherished by audiences, offers a showcase for six extraordinary singers to shine. For these performances, the Liceu has brought together some of today’s most beloved opera stars: Saioa Hernández and Ekaterina Semenchuk, debuting in the role and alternating with Saioa, will captivate us with the intensity of “Suicidio” and the renowned filato and messa di voce phrase “Enzo adorato. Ah! Come t’amo!”, among many other highlights. The role of the impassioned Enzo Grimaldo, originally performed by the legendary Julián Gayarre, also presents high technical and musical demands. In the voices of Michael Fabiano and Martin Muehle, we’ll hear the exquisite “Cielo e mar.”
Meanwhile, Laura Adorno’s role requires remarkable vocal range, both in high and low notes. “L’amor come il fulgor del creato” and her duet with Alvise in the third act will demand the magic and stage presence of Elina Garanča. Completing the principal quartet, Luca Salsi will perform Barnaba, one of the most villainous characters in all opera literature, delivering the celebrated monologue “O monumento.”
Conductor Nicola Lusotti will bring a performance marked by experience and musical precision, with clarity of sound and a remarkable sense of dramatic tension and theatrical strength. Among the choral and orchestral highlights is the famous “Dance of the Hours.”
Stage director Romain Gilbert embraces the impossibility of detaching La Gioconda from Venice. He places the action in a mysterious and gloomy capital of La Serenissima, where the black-and-white canals evoke both the festive and sinister sides of the city. This new co-production by the Gran Teatre del Liceu and Teatro San Carlo in Naples is further enriched by Etienne Pluss’s scenography and the colorful costumes designed by Christian Lacroix.
An impressive opera full of unexpected twists, where the nobility of the singing, the outstanding performers, and the production do justice to this extraordinary score.
Program and cast
La Gioconda - Saioa Hernández | 17, 20, 23, 26 of February and 1 of March
La Gioconda - Ekaterina Semenchuk | 16, 19, 22, 25, 28 of February and 2 of March
Laura Adorno - Ksenia Dudnikova | 17, 20, 23, 26 of February and 1 of March
Laura Adorno - Varduhi Abrahamyan | 16, 19, 22, 25, 28 of February and 2 of March
Alvise Badoero - John Relyea | 17, 20, 23, 26 of February and 1 of March
Alvise Badoero - Alexander Köpeczi | 16, 19, 22, 25, 28 of February and 2 of March
La Cieca - Violeta Urmana | 17, 20, 22, 23, 26, 28 of February and 1 of March
La Cieca - Anna Kissjudit | 16, 19, 25 of February and 2 of March
Enzo Grimaldo - Michael Fabiano | 17, 20, 23, 26 of February and 1 of March
Enzo Grimaldo - Martin Muehle | 16, 19, 22, 25, 28 of February and 2 of March
Barnaba - Àngel Òdena | 16, 19, 22, 25, 28 of February and 2 of March
Barnaba - Gabriele Viviani | 17, 20, 23, 26 of February and 1 of March
Isèpo - Roberto Covatta
Stage Direction - Romain Gilbert
Scenography - Etienne Pluss
Costumes - Christian Lacroix
Lighting - Valerio Tiberi
Choreographer - Vincent Chaillet
Co-production Gran Teatre del Liceu and Teatro di San Carlo in Naples
Choir of the Gran Teatre del Liceu
Director: Pablo Assante
Symphony Orchestra of the Gran Teatre del Liceu
Director: Daniel Oren
Gran Teatre del Liceu
Barcelona's opera house, the Gran Teatre del Liceu, was founded on the Rambla in 1847 and has continued over the years to fulfil its role as a culture and arts centre and one of the symbols of the city.
Today it is publicly-owned (by the Government of Catalonia, Barcelona City Council, Barcelona Provincial Council and the Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte) and administered by the Fundació del Gran Teatre del Liceu which, in addition to the aforementioned bodies, incorporates the Patronage Council and the Societat del Gran Teatre del Liceu (the old society of owners).
Origins: From 1837 to 1847
The Liceu evolved out of the Sociedad Dramática de Aficionados (Society of theatre-lovers) set up in 1837 at the instigation of Manuel Gibert in the former convent of Montsió by members of the National Militia, an organization of armed citizens with liberal leanings.
Barcelona's economy and population were growing fast at the time and the city needed a music conservatory. This led to the conversion of the Sociedad Dramática into the Liceo Filármonico Dramático Barcelonés de S.M. la Reina Isabel II (Barcelona Dramatic and Philharmonic Lyceum of HM Queen Isabel II). In addition to its theatrical activities, the new organization cultivated Italian-style singing and music.
The building on the Rambla
The original building was solemnly opened on 4 April 1847. The plans had been drawn up by Miquel Garriga i Roca, subsequently assisted by Josep Oriol Mestres. The project was funded by selling shares, which meant that many of the boxes and seats were to be privately owned. The shareholders formed the Societat del Gran Teatre del Liceu, known as the “Societat de Propietaris” (Society of Owners), which was in sole charge of running the Gran Teatre del Liceu from 1855 onwards, after it was legally separated from the Conservatori del Gran Teatre del Liceu.
The theatre was operated by impresarios who were given a concession to stage a specific number of productions in exchange for the proceeds from the sale of tickets not reserved for the Societat itself. This system was to endure until 1980.
The creation of the Consortium
By the last quarter of the 20th century this management system was no longer viable. In 1980, to avert the danger of the disappearance of an institution of such worldwide cultural renown, the Generalitat Catalonia's first government in modern times – set up a consortium, the Consorci del Gran Teatre del Liceu, which also incorporated Barcelona City Council and the Societat del Gran Teatre del Liceu. Barcelona Provincial Council joined the Consortium in 1985, followed by the Spanish Ministry of Culture in 1986. From then on the Consortium took over operation of the theatre.
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