SummerScape Opera/New Production
Libretto by Josef Wenzig
Czech translation by Ervín Špindler
Directed by Jean-Romain Vesperini
American Symphony Orchestra conducted by Leon Botstein
Sung in Czech with English supertitles
July 25 – August 3
“Botstein, and his annual opera production at Bard, seem more invaluable by the year.” —The New York Times
Experience the gripping drama of Bedřich Smetana’s Dalibor, a powerful Czech opera that weaves themes of revenge, love, and fate. Set against a backdrop of medieval intrigue, Dalibor follows its titular tragic hero as he faces a desperate struggle for redemption. With sweeping orchestral music and unforgettable arias, Dalibor captivates with its emotional depth and stirring melodies. Director Jean-Romain Vesperini (Henri VIII) returns to Bard SummerScape to helm this first fully staged American production of a rarely heard masterpiece.
Preshow Opera Talk
Sunday, July 27 at 12 pm
Free and open to the public; reservations required
Maestro Leon Botstein delivers a talk on Bedřich Smetana’s rarely heard opera ahead of its Sunday, July 27 performance.
Time: 15th century
Place: Prague
Act 1
Dalibor, a Czech knight is on trial before the king for having murdered the burgrave of Ploškovice in revenge for execution of his best friend, the musician Zdeněk. At the trial, the king calls upon the burgrave’s sister, Milada, who demands his execution. As Dalibor is brought in, the crowd rises in support of him. When Dalibor tells of his friend’s capture and murder the court reduces his sentence from death to lifetime imprisonment. Milada painfully realized that she is falling in love with Dalibor, and in collusion with Jitka, an orphan befriended by the knight, she resolves to set him free.
Act 2
After a scene in a mercenary camp, where Jitka and her lover Vítek plot to free Dalibor, Milada enters the prison disguised as a boy and finds employment with Dalibor’s jailer, Beneš. She charms the jailer into allowing her into the dungeon where Dalibor is being held, to give him a violin similar to the one his friend used to play. The knight is dreaming, and initially thinks Milada is a reincarnation of his beloved Zdeněk. Milada reveals her identity, seeks forgiveness, and explains the purpose of her mission. Then in a passionate duet, they sing of their joy in having found each other.
Act 3
In the dungeon, Dalibor looks forward to escape (singing his famous Song to Freedom) but feels it is a bad omen when one of the violin strings breaks. The plot to bribe Beneš fails, and the jailer informs the king of the intended escape. Taking the advice of his council, the king orders Dalibor’s death. Milada, waiting outside the prison, hears the tolling of the bell that signals Dalibor’s execution. Accompanied by her followers, she storms the castle, where, after rescuing Dalibor, she is wounded and dies in his arms. Dalibor stabs himself and is united in death with his beloved.
Direction Jean-Romain Vesperini
Set Design Bruno de Lavenère
Costume Design Alain Blanchot
Lighting Design Christophe Chaupin
Projection Design Étienne Guiol
Hair/Makeup Design Anika Seitu
Dramaturg and Diction Coach Véronique Firkusny
Supertitle Creation Corinne Hayes
Dalibor
Milada
Vítek
Budivoj
Jitka
Vladislav
Beneš
Jean-Romain Vesperini studied acting at l’École du Théâtre National de Chaillot in Paris and singing at The Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London where he trained as a baritone. After graduation, Jean-Romain decided to pursue a career as a stage director and spent several years collaborating with Luc Bondy, Peter Stein, and Georges Lavaudant from 2005 until 2017.
As a result of these long-term partnerships, he built solid professional experience by managing, leading the artistic ensembles, planning, and negotiating in major Opera Houses such as La Scala, Paris and Lyon Opera, Bolshoi Opera, as well as at the Opéra-Comique, Salzburg Festspiele, Verona Opera, Aix en Provence festival.
In 2012 his own career developed with a successful production of La Traviata invited by Rennes, Limoges and Reims Opera Houses in France, which was broadcast on French national television and radio, and which led to a return invitation by these opera houses to stage a new production of Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor. He also founded his own company and became a producer of his own theatrical shows, being responsible for fundraising and building the production budget. He staged Ibsen’s The Lady from the Sea, Paravidino’s Two Brothers, Levin’s The Labour of life, Sacha Guitry’s Quadrille.
At the same period, he was appointed artistic director of Les Nuits de Corté festival in Corsica where he worked on all aspects of the development of the festival, building a special partnership with Lyon Opera house. He staged in this festival Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Die Zauberflöte, and Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia.
At only 33, on Nicolas Joël and Stéphane Lissner’s specific request, he staged Gounod’s Faust at Opéra National de Paris conducted by Michel Plasson with whom he would work on the same opera at Geneva Opera House in 2018.
In 2018, The Bolshoi Theatre invited him to create a new production of Puccini’s La Bohème, now an important part of the opera house’s repertoire. This same year, Hong Kong Opera, in coproduction with The French May Festival, hired him for Bizet’s Carmen.
He staged Puccini’s Turandot at Ekaterinburg National Opera House, as well as rediscovering Benjamin Godard’s Dante at Saint-Etienne Opera House in coproduction with Palazzetto Bru Zane. Saint Etienne Opera House also invited him for a new French rediscovery, Joncières’s Lancelot.
In 2021, he staged Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov at Opéra de Monte-Carlo, which was revived in Avignon in 2024.
He also made his debut in the USA, staging Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi at Festival Napa Valley thanks to the support of Maria Manetti Shrem. With this festival, he staged Donizzetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore, Don Pasquale, and this upcoming season Mozart’s The Abduction from the Seraglio.
Vesperini keeps developing his career in North America, staging Henri VIII by Saint-Saëns at the Fisher Center at Bard, NY, Summerscape 2023, which was nominated for Best Classical Music Performances by The New York Times.
In Canada, he staged a new Faust production, and following this production, he was invited to stage La Vie Parisienne and Le Comte Ory.
With his education and background, Vesperini is deeply connected to the music and particularly aware of what the score brings to dramaturgy. He is extremely grateful to have had the chance to work with great artists such as Sir Antonio Pappano, Tugan Sokhiev, Evan Rogister, Zubin Mehta, Myung-Whun Chung, Daniele Rustioni, Alain Altinoglu, Daniele Gatti.
Jean-Romain Vesperini speaks French (mother tongue) and English, German, Italian, and Russian fluently.
Lead support for the Bard SummerScape production of Dalibor has been generously provided by Sarah Billinghurst Solomon.
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