World premiere staging of ‘lost opera’ to be performed in Cape Town
OPERA UCT, the UCT Opera School's performance company, will present fully staged performances of Gaetano Donizetti's ‘lost' opera, Dalinda at the Baxter Theatre in September. This is the first time in history that this opera will be performed in full.
Dalinda, an opera thought to be lost to history, was rediscovered in 2019 and meticulously reconstructed. At first thought to be yet another version of Donizetti's famous opera, Lucrezia Borgia, (he often copied his own work), examination of the score showed that Dalinda is an opera in its own right. As was common in 19th century Italy, however, both works faced repeated rejections by the censors in Naples, and in the process, the manuscript of Dalinda was lost.
Although Dalinda was given a concert presentation by the Berlin Operngruppe at the Konzerthaus in Berlin, Germany in May 2023, the Opera UCT production, under the baton of its director Jeremy Silver, marks the first full-scale performance and a significant milestone in the operatic world.
Silver, who is globally recognised for conducting lesser-known Donizetti masterpieces, was selected by Ambra Sorrentino of Opera Co-Pro to bring the full masterpiece 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 looking to share this impressive work, Opera UCT have also made the decision to offer free seating to all under 18s. This, Silver hopes, will also encourage a following and appreciation for opera itself.
Dalinda, which was censored at the time of its composition in Naples in 1838, is a deeply evocative exploration of human emotion and ‘truth' – whether to tell and what to tell – and the consequences. Unusual for a 19th century work, it also offers a remarkably detailed interplay between the characters. Exploring the tension between the private and public life of Dalinda, a mother and political leader, this opera is a timely story for now with lessons for all of us.
Silver said: “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 nonthreatening to the audience yet allows the storyteller to explore sometimes very hidden prejudices and emotions in a legitimate fashion.”
Bringing the rediscovered score to life, this production will feature a stellar cast including Molly Dzangare, Luvo Maranti and Violina Anguelov along with the prowess of the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra.
The production will be led by Italian director, William Costabile Cisco, together with Bulgarian costume designer, Leticia Parvoleta Ivanova, and Cape Town's veteran set designer, Michael Mitchell.
Tickets for the Dalinda, on from September, 4 - 8, are through Webtickets or the Baxter Theatre Box Office.