This piece is from La Gioconda, Amilcare Ponchielli's (1832 - 1886) best known opera, which his librettist arrigo Boito adapted from the same play by Victor Hugo that had been previously set by Mercadante (Il Giuramento, 1837) and Carlos Gomes (Fosca, 1873). It was first produced in 1876 and revised several times.
