Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’amore is one of the most famous operas of the 19th century. It is an accessible and sparkling work, ideal for taking your first steps into opera.
A lively, warm, and very accessible work, Gaetano Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore is one of the most famous operas of the 19th century.
From its creation in 1832 in Milan, the work ignited Italy, soon spreading to Europe and even the New World.
Opera in two acts: Libretto by Felice Romani, based on the libretto written by Eugène Scribe for Le Philtre (1831), an opéra-comique by Daniel François Esprit Auber
Premiered on May 12, 1832, at the Teatro della Canobbiana in Milan
Sung in Italian, with French surtitles
Following a last-minute cancellation in its programming, the director of the Teatro della Canobbiana in Milan urgently needed an opera. Felice Romani then wrote a libretto in one week (a faithful adaptation of a French opéra-comique created eleven months earlier), and Gaetano Donizetti composed the music in just under a month. From its premiere, the opera ignited Italy, soon spreading to Europe and even the New World.
A major work among Donizetti’s seventy-one operas, L’Elisir d’amore combines a light and witty plot with an irresistible score that features the traditional characters of Italian “commedia dell’arte”: the lover, the coquette, the boastful soldier, and the charlatan.
The shy Nemorino is overwhelmed by the humiliations inflicted on him by the beautiful Adina, whom he loves. He believes he has found the solution with a “love elixir” praised by the traveling salesman Dulcamara… where we discover the unexpected virtues of a simple bottle of Bordeaux wine!
To bring out the dynamic and colorful sounds of the score, the Nice Philharmonic Orchestra will be conducted by Roland Böer.
The role of Adina will be played by soprano Gabrielle Philiponet, that of Gianetta by Aude Fabre (also a soprano), Nemorino by tenor Davide Giusti, while baritones Philippe-Nicolas Martin and Marc Barrard will portray the characters of Belcore and Dulcamara, respectively.
