About the work
Dalibor is an opera in three acts by Bedřich Smetana, premiered in Prague in 1868. The work is regarded as Smetana's most ambitious and serious contribution to Czech national opera and treats the story of the legendary knight Dalibor of Kozojedy from Bohemian history.
Plot
The knight Dalibor is brought to trial for killing a burgrave—in revenge for the death of his friend Zdeněk. Milada, the sister of the slain burgrave, at first accuses him but falls in love during the trial with the noble, upright Dalibor. She disguises herself as a boy to stand by him in prison and organise his escape. But the attempt at liberation fails: Milada is mortally wounded in the fighting, and Dalibor follows her into death.
Cultural significance
Dalibor combines Czech national opera with influences of Wagnerian music drama, which at times earned Smetana the charge of "Wagnerianism." The work is striking for its symphonic cohesion and its heroic-tragic mood. Alongside The Bartered Bride and Libuše, it is among Smetana's most important stage works and belongs to the patriotic core repertoire in the Czech Republic.