Los Angeles herald., 1910-02-21
Music Notes

~ night at the Mason opera house
by the Lambardi opera company. Inc
Herald gives a synopsis of the plot OF
the opera and will outline the story OF
each opera during the week the morn
ing of the day it is staged.
ia Gioconda' is the crowning work
of Amilcare Ponchielli, one OF the
foremost musical scholars of modern
italy. Ponchielli filed many musical
yocations, being organist, bandmaster,
orchestra director, conservatory pro-
fessor and composer. He was also the
tutor of many young men prominent
in the musical life of Italy at the pres
ent time, and to him, directly Leon
cavallo and Mascagni owe much OF
their powers.
"Gioconda" was produced IN the
seventies, and was Immediately rec
ognized as a work of great power ana
artistic durability.
rrhe lihretto is of more than ordi-
nary worth. and to this the composer
owes much of the dramatic power OF
his score. This libretto is INSCRIBED
sTobio Gaerio," but it is plainly an
anagram for Arrigo Boito, the Ia
nous italian poet-musician-d -dramatlst
composer of "Mefistofele' ana many
literary works.
The story is one of the inquisition
characters are Barhaba, spy of the IN
ouisition, baritone; EMO, Genoese
noble, tenor; Alvise Badoero, grand IN
uuisitor, bass; Laura, his wife, mezzo-
soprano; Gioconda, a singing GIRL So
prano, and La Cieca, contralto, lle
blind mother of Gioconda.
Barnaba, the spy of the lnqulsltlon'
is furiously desirous of making Glo-
conda his mistress. But she, really III
love with EMO, will have nothing 10
do with him. EMO does not care par
ticularly for her, but is really IN love
with Laura, the wife of Alvise.
This typically Latin basis OF plot
serves for many dramatic incidents.
In the first act Barnaba sets the crowd
upon the blind mother OF Gloconda'
honing to destroy her and thereby
render possession of Gioconda more
easy. But EMO, who is prescribed IN
Venice, breaks through the crowd III
the guise of Dalmatian soldier, ana
saves her. He is instantly recognlzeu
nv Gioconda, also by Laura, and-as
If happens. by Barnaba the spy. But
Barnaba, perceiving that II he can
bring Laura and EMO together his
wav will be clearer to Gioconda- con-
trives a meeting at night for them on
the water. Laura and EMO meet out
the spy has already exposed TINS TO
Alvise.
In the end, EMO and Laura nee La
Cieca is killed and Barnaba optalns
nossession of Gioconda, but before ne
can seize her she stabs hersef ana
falls dead at his feet.
"La Gioconda" is one of the great
nusic-dramas of modern times. Thor
oughly italian. it reflects the Wag-.
merriam spirit to certain degree IN IT'S
dramatic unity. The beautiful bal
let of the Hours" is proclaimed by
many the greatest ballet ever written.
There is seldom a finer example OF
lyric writing to be found than IN the
"Cieloe Mar" for tenor; Sulcldo' ior
soprano, and many incidental solos
scattered through the work
The Crescendo club composed OF
girls 10 to 10 years of age, met at the
Studio of Mrs. Lilly Link Brannan
Saturday afternoon, giving piano solos
by Chopin and Mendelssohn. Those
who played were Emily Townsend,
Wilhelmina Rector, Almena WILSON,
Dorothy Wright, Elya Nelson Mar
garet Couch Lois Baker, Margaret
Boyle. Dorothy Halock, Adelaide
Hutchison, Mildred Schaer and Juanita
Bowen.
81
Although B. r. Baumgardt, the well
known and popular lecturer, is more
busily engaged than ever before with
out of town engagements this season
he has consented to go on with Sunday
evening lectures whenever he is in
town. Next Sunday evening in Blanch-
ard hall he will discuss 1.-THE Comet"
the meaning of Halley's comet and
what it means to the world The lee
lures will be popular in price this sea-
son, owing to the increased seating
capacity of the large hall. The sec
ond lecture will be on Switzerland"
while the third one will be the new
lecture so long looked forward to, "The
Castles and Legends of the Rhine"