Dalibor
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Dalibor
John Tyrrell
https://doi.org/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.O009166
Published in print: 01 December 1992
Published online: 2002
Opera in three acts by Bedřich Smetanato a libretto by Josef Wenzig; Prague, New Town Theatre, 16 May
1868.
Vladislav Czech king baritone
Dalibor a knight tenor
Budivoj commander of the king’s castle guard baritone
Beneš a gaoler bass
Vítek Dalibor’s messenger tenor
Milada sister of the Burgrave of Ploškovice soprano
Jitka a country girl on Dalibor’s estates soprano
Zdeněk a musician (vision) silent
Judges, the king’s soldiers, Dalibor’s messengers and servants, the people, priests
Setting 15th;century Prague, partly in the castle and its environs, partly in the lower town
Dalibor was one of Josef Wenzig’s six plays and opera librettos based on Czech history. As a Czech
sympathizer but German;speaker he wrote in German and his Dalibor and Libuše texts had to be translated
into Czech. This was undertaken by his pupil Ervín Špindler, who preserved the line lengths and metres of
the original so that, it is claimed, the operas could be performed in either Czech or German (an odd concept
for such nationalist works). It seems more likely that Špindler had little option as far as Dalibor is
concerned since Smetana began composition on 15 April 1865, even before Wenzig finalized his text
(Wenzig’s completed German text is dated 16 June 1865). According to references in his letters, Smetana
completed Act 1 in sketch by 12 October 1865 and on 3 April 1866 he was working on Act 2. The full score is
dated as follows: Act 1, 15 September 1866; Act 2, 24 October 1867; Act 3, 29 December 1867.
Dalibor was first performed on the day of the ceremonial laying of the foundation stone of the National
Theatre on 16 May 1868, by which time Smetana had become chief conductor at the Provisional Theatre
and conducted the opera’s première. By the next performance it was clear that the work was not popular
with audiences and it was attacked in the press for not sounding sufficiently ‘Czech’. Its lack of success
encouraged Smetana to make revisions. He made two cuts, amounting to over 70 bars, in the Act 2 scene
Dalibor
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between Dalibor and Milada and revised and extended the end of Act 3. These changes, made in 1870, had
no effect on the opera’s fortunes; it was given a few times and then disappeared from the repertory. Its
later popularity with Czech audiences dates from 5 December 1886 when it was performed for the first time
at the Prague National Theatre.
Synopsis
ACT 1 The castle courtyard
Ex.1
There is no overture. A 22 bar prelude, introducing the motto theme (ex.1) of this predominantly
monothematic opera, leads into a sombre chorus of ‘people’, waiting to hear Dalibor’s fate. Individual
sentiments are voiced by Jitka, an orphan whom Dalibor has cared for. The brief recapitulation of the
choral;orchestral opening brings Jitka to a decision: Dalibor will be freed, and her new sentiments are
conveyed by the joyous Allegro variant of ex.1, ‘Ze žaláře’ (‘A glow beckons from jail’, ex.2).
Four offstage trumpets announce the arrival of King Vladislav. His entry music, based on a descending
variant of ex.1 (ex.3), is slow;paced, finely gradated and surprisingly long: 57 bars. Although about to judge
Dalibor and thus placed in opposition to the opera’s hero, Vladislav is depicted sympathetically and in the
round. As he describes Dalibor’s crime (disturbing the peace of the land, attacking the castle of Ploškovice
and killing the Burgrave there), his solo goes through eight tempo changes, but the dominant manner is
his first: ‘con espressione’ and maestoso.
Before sentencing Dalibor, the court invites Milada, sister of the murdered Burgrave, to speak. She is
introduced by a solo harp cadenza, soon joined by a pair of clarinets. One of the glories of the Czech
repertory, her speech is a substantial, multi;section declamation, its tempos and expression reflecting the
different moods of the words as she pleads for vengeance and describes in vivid language the battle in
which her brother fell. The part is written for a dramatic soprano with a strong lower register but capable
of a thrilling climactic cry of ‘Dalibor’ to a top B. At the end her voice combines with that of Jitka in a new
variant of ex.1 expressing the two women’s different reactions. This duet provides a link to the third
important entrance: that of Dalibor himself to a brief maestoso transformation of ex.1. All, including
Milada, comment on his calm and noble bearing.
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Ex.4
In recitative, Vladislav describes Dalibor’s crime and invites his response. Far from denying the crime,
Dalibor describes his friendship with the musician Zdeněk (ex.4, a dolce version of ex.1 with throbbing
triplet accompaniment) and then (Marziale) how Zdeněk fell in battle in Dalibor’s longstanding feud with
the Burgrave. In a strongly declamatory passage Dalibor declares how, even had the king stood in his way,
he would have avenged his friend’s death. The judges (a unison bass chorus) pronounce that Dalibor has
condemned himself to death, and confer with the king.
A lyrical episode follows: a 6/8 Lento (including a variant of ex.1) in which Dalibor reveals himself
untroubled by his probable fate since his life has been empty since the death of Zdeněk. Milada, whose
voice occasionally mingles with his, is appalled. Then Dalibor’s sentence is confirmed by one of the judges;
he is to languish in gaol until he dies. His response is ecstatic: over ex.4 he sings ‘quasi in exaltazione’ that
he looks forward to seeing Zdeněk again. Twice the chorus punctuate his solo with their astonishment at
his noble bearing.
Milada is quite overcome. In a violent change of mood (Presto) she begs Vladislav to pardon him but, as the
judges explain, Dalibor has threatened the king and must die. Vladislav himself, in a tranquillo passage with
solemn brass accompaniment, declares that the law must be upheld. To a repeat of his entrance music, he
withdraws with his retinue. The people disperse, leaving Milada and Jitka.
Ex.2
In a passionate 6/8 Presto Milada describes her feelings, ‘Jaká, jaká to bouře ňadra mi plní’ (‘What a storm
fills my breast!’). On her last word her voice combines with that of Jitka, who has observed her growing
love for Dalibor and suggests action. This is agreed in an extended duet repetition of ex.2 as Jitka describes
her plan for rescuing Dalibor from prison. Milada takes up her part; the two voices combine in what is in
effect a vigorous cabaletta, a joyful pendant to their duet before Dalibor’s entrance.
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ACT 2.i A road in the lower town, with an inn
A new atmosphere is suggested by a brief prelude and by the strophic offstage chorus for soldiers – one of
the few parts of the opera whose ‘Czechness’ appealed to its early audiences. Jitka meets her lover Vítek,
their unanimity reflected in the intertwining 3rds and 6ths of their duet. Jitka then describes how Milada
has dressed as a boy and with harp in hand has charmed her way into the castle in search of Dalibor. The
soldiers come out of the tavern; their chorus is heard again with added parts for the two soloists. As they go
off a long orchestral interlude covers the scene change and introduces the subdued mood of the next scene;
a chromatic figure leads into a Largo with ostinato quavers in the bass.
2.ii An inner room in the castle Budivoj questions Beneš the gaoler about his new assistant, a ‘poor
musician’, then, warning him to be vigilant over Dalibor, he departs. The chromatic figure and ostinato
quavers of the prelude return to preface Beneš’s aria about the hard life of a gaoler (‘Ach, jak těžký
žalářníka život jest’), a simple ABA structure against the quaver ostinato.
To exuberant music (Moderato, with frequent triplets in the voice part) Milada, now dressed as a boy, runs
in with food for her new employer. Before he eats, Beneš goes to fetch his old violin (Dalibor has asked for a
violin to relieve his boredom). Left alone, Milada expresses her agitation at the thought of seeing Dalibor
(scena) and, to a surging orchestral accompaniment, her feelings of ‘unbounded joy’ (‘Radostí
nesmírnou’) in the following aria. Beneš returns with a lamp and a violin for Milada to take to the prisoner,
and, after a brief duet passage, both go off. An extended interlude includes Milada’s harp cadenza from Act
1 and a new version of ex.4.
2.iii A dark prison Dalibor has woken from a dream about Zdeněk; in a broad Andante amoroso he expresses
his thoughts about embracing him. His reverie is interrupted by the arrival of Milada. Dalibor is thrilled
with the violin and cries out to Zdeněk; only then does he notice the ‘boy’ and asks who he is. To the
passionate theme from her first solo in Act 1 Milada reveals herself; regretting her earlier pleas for
vengeance, she has come to try and rescue him. Then in an Andante (a slow, major;key variant of ex.1) she
begs forgiveness. They vow faithfulness to one another and the act concludes with their Largo duet ‘Ó
nevýslovné štěstí lásky’ (‘O the unutterable happiness of love’), in which their voices intertwine as
artlessly as those of the younger lovers at the beginning of the act. An orchestral postlude concludes with
the Zdeněk variant (ex.4) of the motto theme.
ACT 3.i The royal chamber, brightly lit
Ex.3
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The prelude includes Vladislav’s march (ex.3), Beneš’s quaver ostinato and a new maestoso theme. Budivoj
warns King Vladislav of a rebellion by Dalibor’s people and Beneš describes how his harp;playing assistant
has disappeared, leaving instead a purse and a note telling him to keep silent. They withdraw. While his
advisers confer, Vladislav sings a lyrical aria about the burdens of office. His advisers decree that Dalibor
must die that day and Vladislav reluctantly gives instruction to Budivoj. The interlude begins with the
motto theme in its original form and key (ex.1), passing on to Vladislav’s march (ex.3), the concluding duet
of Act 2, and Jitka’s ‘freedom’ motif (ex.2).
3.ii Dalibor’s prison Dalibor, now unfettered, sings a vigorous aria contemplating his impending freedom,
‘Ha, kým to kouzlem’ (‘What magic is this’). His exultation is shortlived; just as he is about to give a signal
on his violin, Budivoj appears with his soldiers and takes him off, to the strains of a march.
3.iii In front of the prison; night, faint moonlight Milada, Jitka, Vítek and their company are waiting for
Dalibor’s signal. When instead they hear an offstage chorus of monks, Milada realizes that they have been
betrayed and, sword in hand, she leads her soldiers into the castle. All return, with Dalibor now bearing the
mortally wounded Milada. They bid farewell to one another, and Milada dies. Budivoj and his soldiers
emerge and celebrate their victory. Dalibor throws himself into battle with them and dies joyfully with the
thought that Zdeněk and Milada await him.
With Milada’s Leonore;like bid to rescue Dalibor from his prison, this opera has been criticized for being a
Czech Fidelio. There are, however, striking differences. This is not an opera about marital fidelity or the
brotherhood of man. Dalibor shows more interest in his dead friend Zdeněk than in his would;be rescuer
Milada. With its continuous scene;change music and thematic metamorphosis, the opera’s aesthetic is that
of Liszt and early Wagner, not of Beethoven. And in supplying Dalibor with a violin, the opera reinforces a
favourite myth about the Czechs being good musicians. As Beneš, the music;loving gaoler who supplies the
instrument for his charge, declares: ‘What Czech does not love music?’.