Romilda Pantaleoni is associated with her roles of La Gioconda and Margherita in what opera
Romilda Pantaleoni Romilda Pantaleoni (1847 – 20 May 1917) was an Italian soprano who had a prolific opera career in Italy during the 1870s and 1880s. She sang a wide repertoire that encompassed bel canto roles, Italian and French grand opera, verismo operas, and the German operas of Richard Wagner. She became particularly associated with the roles of Margherita in Boito's "Mefistofele" and the title role in Ponchielli's "La Gioconda"; two roles which she performed in opera houses throughout Italy. She is best remembered today for originating the roles of Desdemona in Giuseppe Verdi's "Otello" (1887) and Tigrana in Giacomo Puccini's "Edgar" (1889). Universally admired for her acting skills as well as her singing abilities, Pantaleoni was compared by several critics to the great Italian stage actress Eleonora Duse.
La Loca (opera) La Loca "(The Madwoman)", also known as Juana la Loca "(Crazy Joanna)," is an opera by Gian Carlo Menotti, composed in 1979. It is a romantic drama about the life of Joanna of Castille (1479–1555). It was written as a vehicle for soprano Beverly Sills and received its premiere on June 3, 1979, at the San Diego Opera, followed by the New York City Opera. Critical response was largely negative, so Menotti completely reworked it. The revised version premiered in 1982 at the Festival of Two Worlds in Spoleto, Italy. The American premiere of the revised version took place at the Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston, South Carolina, on June 1, 1984.