Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Dalibor, Barbican, review: A brilliant all-Czech performance

The pivotal duets were gloriously sung, while chorus and orchestra honoured the full beauty of the score

Michael Church
Monday 04 May 2015 11:43 BST
Comments
Dalibor and the BBC Symphony Orchestra perform at the Barbican
Dalibor and the BBC Symphony Orchestra perform at the Barbican

To hear a concert performance of Smetana’s almost-forgotten Dalibor after witnessing a lavish production of Szymanowski’s comparably-ignored Krol Roger the night before, was to wish that these works could have swapped places, because while Szymanowski’s opera is dramatically inert and melodically barren, Smetana’s is a cornucopia of melody, intensely dramatic in every bar.

It wasn’t appreciated by his Czech compatriots when it premiered in 1868, being unfairly seen as a Wagnerian betrayal of his native tradition, but it’s now recognised as his finest opera. The plot has echoes of Fidelio – with the imprisoned hero’s attempted salvation by his cross-dressed lover – but its mainspring is revenge for the political murder of a young Czech musician.

In this Barbican performance the BBC Symphony Orchestra and BBC Singers were the ground troops for an all-Czech leadership: conductor Jiri Belohlavek and a line-up of Prague’s top stars.

The role of Milada, who turns from being the eponymous hero’s accuser to being his lover, was sung by the charismatic Dana Buresova, while Dalibor was sung by Richard Samek with lovely musicality; Alzabeta Polackova, Svatopluk Sem, and Jan Stava also excelled.

The pivotal duets were gloriously sung, while chorus and orchestra honoured the full beauty of the score. This work should be Kasper Holten’s next project.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in