Ponchielli: La Gioconda (1952 - Votto) - Callas Remastered

It was as Ponchielli’s long-suffering ballad singer, La Gioconda, that Callas made her Italian debut, in 1947 at the Arena di Verona, and it proved crucial to her career. Five years later, La Gioconda became her first studio recording of a complete opera. It showcases both the dark-hued splendour of her voice at this period – she was still in her twenties – and her inimitable intensity and insight.