On this day in 1928, the Metropolitan Opera on tour in Ohio presented La Gioconda with Rosa Ponselle, Marion Telva and Giacomo Lauri-Volpi. 

William G. Smith in the Cleveland Press

Ponchielli’s intriguing opera “La Gioconda,” held the stage of Public Hall and an audience of something over 6,000 in thrall Wednesday night. And the latter instance is easily accounted for since it was another operatic disclosure that only the significant word superb can qualify. From present indications the season is being conducted on a cumuistive plan, a sort of piling Pellon on Ossa – visa versa. The artists seem to vie with each other to give us the best that is in their ability, and to the reviewer they are succeeding in a marvelous degree. If grand opera ever has been presented with more perfect artistry I have no recollection of having witnessed or heard it.

. . . .

Ponselle, as was to be anticipated, was in glorious voice and gave to her tragic role a superb portrayal. The height of tragic utterance was realized in her singing in the final act. If anguish and despair can be depicted vocally, certainly she accomplished it. Telva, too, asserted her artistic claims in the role of Laura, of which she gave a fine vocal exposition. Lauri-Volpi, as Enzo, was in exceptionally fine voice and gave to the part a convincing realism. His “mezza voce” singing of his aria in the second act was magnificently artistic. For a tenor of such robust and dramatic character it was an achievement of super-artistry. The audience was not slow to recognize the fact, and delayed the action of the opera thru insistent demands for a repetition, which, however, were not complied with, much to their disappointment.