Donizetti's 'Lucrezia Borgia' transformed into 'Dalinda'

[BerlinExpat]

After the successful première of 'Lucrezia Borgia' in Milan in 1833 a performance at the San Carlo Opera in Naples was barred by the censor. The opera was first transformed by Romano Felice and Gaetano Donizetti into 'La cena della vendetta', then 'Elisa Fosco', as well as 'Adelina' before Donizetti's final attempt to convince the censor with 'Dalinda' in 1838 failed. In this final attempt Donizetti even wrote a completely new third act. With the fifth 'thumbs down' from the censor Donizetti gave up and 'Dalinda' was forgotten. Until yesterday evening (14 May 23), when the Berlin Opera Group produced semi-staged première of the critical edition by Eleonora Di Cintio published by Ricordi  to resounding applause.

The story is transferred to Persia at the time of the Third Crusade at the end of the 12th century.
Cast:
Dalinda - Lidia Fridman, soprano
Acmet - Paolo Bordogna, bass-baritone
Ildemaro - Luciano Ganci, tenor
Ugo d'Asti - Yajie Moreno Garic, mezzo-soprano
Six other male characters
Chorus & Orchestra of the Berlin Opera Group
Conducted by Felix Krieger
How much of Lucrezia survived the changes, omissions, end expansions demanded by the censor I cannot say. I feel the result is a fully fledged Donizetti opera that can stand the competition from Lucrezia Borgia.