Elena Souliotis is in her element as Gioconda, giving of her voice as if it were her last performance. While this all-or-nothing approach would eventually take a toll on her career, here she is still fully in control of the instrument, and the result is thrilling. The rest of the cast rises to meet her intensity, with Mignon Dunn a commanding Laura and Sherrill Milnes bringing dark charisma and vocal force to the role of Barnaba.