Renowned Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti’s opera, once thought lost, has been pieced together and is now set to have its first full performance in SA, with students taking the stage under the guidance of a seasoned conductor.
While excerpts from Dalinda were presented in Berlin in May 2023, the complete opera — written in 1838 and only reconstructed in 2019 — will make its world premiere at the Baxter Theatre in Cape Town.
Local and international opera professionals are probably not surprised by this extraordinary turn of events. Not only has Opera UCT, the University of Cape Town (UCT) Opera School’s performance company, achieved a reputation for producing some of the most compelling opera talents from the African continent but they have been adeptly honed by Jeremy Silver, its director, who is also recognised internationally for conducting lesser-known Donizetti masterpieces.
This is why, when Ambra Sorrentino of the UK-based Opera Co-Pro was considering where in the world to stage the premiere of this newly recovered Donizetti opera, she settled on Cape Town's, Opera UCT.
“We decided to bring it here [SA] because of the splendid job that Jeremy Silver is doing here at UCT and the amazing talent you have in SA. We wanted to involve a young cast but we wanted to be sure that the singers and the conductor could be all of high level. And currently SA is a very, very good country for this,” says William Costabile Cisco, the Italian director who works for Opera Co-Pro and is in the country to direct Dalinda.
His expectations of the student cast have been surpassed.
“I was really flabbergasted when I heard these singers for the first time. Of course, the [main] protagonists are incredible, but also the choir is well trained,” Cisco says.
Although in her fourth year studying opera at UCT and several productions under her belt, the Zimbabwe-born Molly Dzangare, a soprano who takes on the titular Dalinda role, was initially surprised to see that her name appeared on the casting list.
“At our school there are so many good sopranos. It could have been anyone, honestly,” says Dzangare.
Though she grew up in a small town on the edge of Harare, Chitungwiza, she was often exposed to opera, through her father, who was not only an opera lover but as a conductor of a choir he often directed opera performances. She didn’t immediately fall in love with opera.
“I couldn’t understand why people would sing in that way,” she recalls.
However, as her father gave her opera excerpts to sing, the art form grew on her and she eventually would go on to apply to study it in SA.
Dalinda, a moving story which centres on a mother and son looking to be reunited, is the first Italian opera that Dzangare has starred in. Fortunately, however, as is the case when you study opera, she has been learning Italian for some time.
The story driving this opera is unusual (for its time) and modern in its outlook, says Cisco. It presents an abused woman, who in an effort to save her son from a violent tyranny, gives him away, highlighting the far reaching consequences of a violent patriarchal society.
This makes it a hard story to tell on stage, remarks Cisco.
“You want your audience to be touched but not shocked,” he says.
Softening the blows of this tragic tale is the elevating music and song, says Dzangare.
• Dalinda shows from September 4-8 at the Baxter Theatre, Cape Town. Under 18s will be able to see this important work for free. Tickets are available at Webtickets
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.