Opera UCT will give fully staged performances of Gaetano Donizetti’s ‘lost’ opera, Dalinda at the Baxter Theatre in Cape Town until 8 September.
This follows the opera’s first full-length performance on Wednesday evening, Cape {town} Etc reports.
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Dalinda, an opera considered to be lost to history, was unearthed in 2019 and expertly restored. Initially considered to be yet another adaptation of Donizetti’s famous opera, Lucrezia Borgia, (he frequently plagiarised his own work), an analysis of the score revealed that Dalinda is an opera in and of itself.
However, as was customary in nineteenth-century Italy, both works were repeatedly rejected by Naples’ censors, and the manuscript for Dalinda was lost in the process.
Although the Berlin Operngruppe presented Dalinda in concert at the Konzerthaus in Berlin, Germany in May 2023, the Opera UCT production, directed by Jeremy Silver, marks the first full-scale performance and thus represents a significant milestone in the operatic world.
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Silver, who is well known for conducting lesser-known Donizetti classics, was chosen by Ambra Sorrentino of Opera Co-Pro to bring the entire work to life.
He said, ‘We are incredibly excited and deeply grateful to have been selected to present the first full staging of Donizetti’s ‘Dalinda.’ This performance is not only an honour for us as an opera company, but for the country too, and something we are hoping to share with opera lovers and newcomers alike who will appreciate the story, as much as the historic event.’
In order to share this amazing achievement, Opera UCT has decided to offer free seating to all under-18s. Silver hopes that this will lead to a greater interest in and respect for opera.
Dalinda, which was forbidden at the time of its writing in Naples in 1838, is a very evocative investigation of human passion and ‘truth’ – whether or not to reveal, and the repercussions. Unusually for a nineteenth-century book, it also features a highly detailed interplay between the characters. This opera explores the tension between Dalinda’s private and public lives as a mother and political leader, and it is a relevant drama with lessons for all of us.
Silver remarks, ‘As artists we have never shied away from reality and the relevance of opera, even in a modern world, and its ability to tell the human story in a way that is non-threatening to the audience yet allows the storyteller to explore sometimes very hidden prejudices and emotions in a legitimate fashion.’
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This presentation will bring the rediscovered score to life with a spectacular company of exceptional singers including Molly Dzangare, Luvo Maranti, and Violina Anguelov, as well as the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO).
The production will be headed by Italian director William Costabile Cisco, along with Bulgarian costume designer Leticia Parvoleta Ivanova and Cape Town’s renowned set designer Michael Mitchell.
Tickets for this historic premiere are expected to sell quickly. Patrons are encouraged to secure their seats early to witness this once-in-a-lifetime event.
For ticket information and reservations, please visit Webtickets or contact the Baxter Theatre Box Office at 0216857880.
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Picture: Supplied / Opera UCT
