New look at Donizetti: Dalinda

Dutch 'premiere'

The world premiere of Gaetano Donizetti's opera Dalinda took place in Germany in 2023, and now the Dutch premiere follows. Is it a newly discovered work? Yes and no. Starting in 1833, Donizetti had problems with his opera Lucrezia Borgia. The censors considered a work full of morally reprehensible characters too politically and socially sensitive. To get it later performed anyway, the composer changed the location and names of the characters several times. One such disguise was Dalinda, but even that version was rejected by the Neapolitan censors and was never performed.

Lidia Fridman sings Dalinda

Donizetti composed the third act of Dalinda from scratch; the music of the first two acts was borrowed from the original Lucrezia Borgia. As in this predecessor, the title role Dalinda is written for a dramatic coloratura soprano - the still young Lidia Fridman also sang this role at the world premiere with great success. Dalinda is a mother torn between love for her son, her new husband and her people. Her son Ildemaro is a true spinto-tenor, easily alternating his lyrical cantilenes with characterful dramatic and heroic passages. Dalinda's husband and partner-in-crime is the bass-baritone Acmet, who likewise mixes lyricism with drama.