Statement of the problem. Amilcare Ponchielli’s opera “La Gioconda” (1876) remains an understudied yet significant work of the late Romantic Italian opera tradition. Despite its enduring popularity, particularly due to its strong charismatic heroine and memorable arias, the opera has not received sufficient scholarly attention in terms of dramaturgical construction, feminist narrative potential, and its intertextual dialogue with Victor Hugo’s drama “Angelo, Tyrant of Padua”. Although “La Gioconda” has been occasionally analyzed within the broader context of post-Verdi Italian opera and French grand opra influence, detailed studies focusing on the psychological and dramaturgical structure of the protagonist’s image are scarce. In particular, the Ukrainian musicological discourse has largely overlooked this work, and little has been written about its interpretation on Ukrainian stages or the contributions of Ukrainian performers to its tradition. Objectives, methods, and novelty of the research. The purpose of the study is to re-evaluate “La Gioconda” through the lens of gender dramaturgy, with a special focus on the complexity and development of the titular character. The research also seeks to explore the significance of Venetian historical and cultural environment in the opera and the librettist Arrigo Boito’s role in adapting Hugo’s play to the operatic stage. The study presents an original interpretation of “La Gioconda” as a proto-feminist operatic text. It introduces new perspectives on the opera’s dramatic and ideological subtexts, and the symbolic role of Venice as a space of moral resistance. The research applies a combination of historical-contextual, music-analytical, and comparative literary approaches, including analysis of the plot and libretto in comparison with Hugo’s original conception, and performance examination of key vocal scenes. Results. The article demonstrates that Gioconda’s character embodies a unique synthesis of romantic passion, moral fortitude, and tragic heroism. Her musical profile aligns closely with the aesthetics of verismo while preserving the moral grandeur typical of earlier Romantic heroines. The opera’s structure reveals an intentional dramaturgical overload modeled on grand opra, which both enhances and complicates the narrative. The findings also underscore the opera’s role in shaping representations of female agency on the operatic stage. Conclusion. La Gioconda emerges as a dramaturgically ambitious and ideologically rich work that merits renewed academic attention. Its central figure anticipates the modern operatic heroine who acts autonomously and sacrifices for higher ethical ideals. The opera’s Ukrainian performance history further affirms its relevance and interpretive depth, opening avenues for future musicological and performance-based studies.
Tatyana Viktorovna Anisimova (Tue,) studied this question.