- L'elisir d'amore
-
L'elisir d'amore (The Elixir of Love) is an opera by the Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti. It is a melodramma giocoso in two acts. Felice Romani wrote the Italian libretto, after Eugène Scribe's libretto for Daniel-François-Esprit Auber's Le philtre (1831).
L'elisir d'amore is one of the most frequently performed of all Donizetti's operas, and there are a number of recordings. It appears as number 12 on the Operabase list of the most-performed operas worldwide.[1] It contains the popular aria "Una furtiva lagrima," one of the most famous and often-excerpted arias in all of opera.
Contents
Performance history
The premiere of L'elisir d'amore was at the Teatro della Canobbiana, Milan on 12 May 1832.
Giuseppe Frezzolini as Dr Dulcamara
Roles
Role Voice type Premiere Cast,
12 May 1832
(Conductor: - )Nemorino, a simple peasant, in love with Adina tenor Gianbattista Genero Adina, a wealthy landowner soprano Sabine Heinefetter Belcore, a sergeant baritone Henri-Bernard Dabadie Dr Dulcamara, an itinerant medicine man bass Giuseppe Frezzolini Giannetta, Adina's friend soprano Marietta Sacchi Peasants, soldiers of Belcore's platoon Synopsis
Front page of the libretto published by editions Ricordi.- Place: A small village in the Basque Country.
- [The Schirmer English edition of the score states that the action takes place 'In a small Italian Village'].[2]
- Time: The end of the 18th century
Act 1
The opening of this comic opera finds Nemorino, a poor peasant, in love with Adina, a beautiful landowner, who torments Nemorino with her indifference. When Nemorino hears Adina reading to her workers the story of Tristan and Isolde, he is convinced that a magic potion will gain Adina's love for him. He is afraid she loves the self-important Sergeant Belcore who appears with his regiment and immediately proposes marriage to Adina in front of everyone. The traveling quack salesman, Dulcamara (the self-proclaimed Dr. Encyclopedia), arrives, selling his bottled cure-all to the townspeople. Nemorino innocently asks Dulcamara if he has anything like Isolde's love potion. Dulcamara says he does, selling it to Nemorino at a price matching the contents of Nemorino's pockets.
"Dr. Dulcamara" (Andrew Foldi), an itinerant quack and purveyor of "elixirs" and other tonics, gestures to "Cochise" (Bruce Cooper), his sly trumpet playing assistant, to call together the townspeople as he sings his Act 1 (Scene 2) aria "Udite, udite, o rustici" ("Hear me, hear me, oh peasants") in a performance of the Cincinnati Opera's noted 1968 "Wild West" production of L'Elisir d'Amore in which the 1832 opera's setting was moved from a village in the Basque country to 1870s Texas.Unknown to Nemorino, the bottle contains only wine. And, in order to make a timely escape, Dulcamara tells Nemorino the potion will not take effect until the next day. Nemorino drinks it, feeling its effects immediately. Emboldened by the 'elixir' Nemorino encounters Adina, and although she teases him mercilessly, the audience senses that the attraction just might be mutual, were it not for the marriage proposal of the impressive and pompous sergeant. In fact, their wedding date had been set for six days hence. Nemorino's confidence that tomorrow he will win Adina by virtue of the elixir, causes him to act indifferently toward her. This upsets Adina, but she attempts to hide her feelings. Instead, she ups the ante as well by agreeing to Sergeant Belcore's alternate suggestion: that they marry immediately as he has just received orders that the regiment must ship off the next morning. Both Adina and the Sergeant gauge Nemorino's reaction to this news, the Sergeant with resentment, Adina with despair. Nemorino is, of course panicked, and cries out for Doctor Dulcamara to come to his aid.
Act 2
Adina's outdoor wedding party is in full swing. Dr. Dulcamara is there, and performs a song with Adina to entertain the guests. The notary arrives to make the marriage official. Adina is sad to see that Nemorino has not appeared. Everyone goes inside to sign the wedding contract. But Dulcamara stays outside, helping himself to food and drink. Nemorino appears, having seen the notary, realizes that he has lost Adina. He sees the Doctor and frantically begs him for more elixir, of the type that will work immediately. But because Nemorino has no money, the Doctor refuses, disappearing inside. The Sergeant emerges, alone, wondering aloud why Adina has suddenly put off the wedding and the signing of the contract. Nemorino spots his rival, but is powerless to do anything. The Sergeant asks about Nemorino's dejection. When Nemorino says he has no money Belcore immediately suggests that if he joins the army he'll be paid immediately. He produces a contract, which Nemorino signs (with an X) in return for the cash Belcore gives him on the spot. Nemorino privately vows to fly to Dulcamara for more potion, while Belcore muses that he has easily dispatched of his rival by sending him off to war.
Later that evening the women of the village are gossiping that Nemorino is unaware that he has just inherited a large fortune from his deceased uncle. They spot Nemorino, who has clearly spent his military signing bonus, and has bought and consumed a large amount of 'elixir' (wine again) from Dr. Dulcamara. The women approach Nemorino with overly friendly greetings, the likes of which he has never seen. This is proof to Nemorino that this dose of the elixir has worked. Adina sees Nemorino in a jolly mood and, encountering Dr. Dulcamara, wonders what has gotten into him. Dulcamara, unaware that Adina is the object of Nemorino's affection, tells her the story of the smitten bumpkin who spent his last penny on the elixir, and even signed his life away, joining the army for money to get more, so desperate was he to win the love of some unnamed cruel beauty. Adina immediately realizes Nemorino's sincerity, and regrets teasing him. She falls for Nemorino, basking in the sincerity of his love. Dulcamara interprets this behavior as some sort of condition requiring a cure by one of his potions.
They depart. Nemorino appears alone, pensive, reflecting on a tear he saw in Adina's eye when he was ignoring her earlier. Based on that tear alone, he is sincerely convinced that Adina loves him. She enters, asking him why he has chosen to join the army and leave the town. When Nemorino says he's seeking a better life, Adina responds by telling him he is loved, and that she has purchased his military contract from Sergeant Belcore. She offers the cancelled contract to Nemorino, asking him to take it. He is free now. She says, however, that if he stays, he will no longer be sad. As he takes the contract Adina turns to leave. Nemorino believes she is abandoning him and flies in to a desperate fit, vowing that if he is not loved, if the elixir has not worked, and the Doctor has fooled him, then he might as well go off and die a soldier. Adina stops him and confesses that she loves him. Nemorino is ecstatic. Adina begs him to forgive her for teasing him. He does so with a kiss. The sergeant returns, seeing the two in an embrace. Adina explains that she loves Nemorino. The Sergeant takes the news in stride, noting that there are plenty of other women in the world. Dulcamara, his bags packed, pops out of a doorway, adding that he will happily provide elixir for the Sergeant's next conquest. A crowd has gathered by now, all agreeing that the elixir has done its job as they bid a fond farewell to the doctor.
Noted arias
- Quanto è bella, quanto è cara (How beautiful she is) — Nemorino in Act I, Scene 1
- Della crudele Isotta (Of the cruel Isolda) — Adina in Act I, Scene 1
- Come Paride vezzoso (Just as the charming Paris) — Belcore in Act I, Scene 1
- Udite, udite, o rustici (Listen, listen, o peasants) — Doctor Dulcamara in Act I, Scene 2
- Barcarolle for Two Voices Io son ricco e tu sei bella (I'm rich, and you are beautiful) — Dulcamara, Adina in Act II, Scene 1
- Una furtiva lagrima (A furtive tear) — Nemorino in Act II, Scene 2
- Prendi, per me sei libero (Take it, I have freed you) — Adina in Act II, Scene 2
Arrangements and adaptations
In 1840, Richard Wagner arranged the work for solo piano.[3] W. S. Gilbert wrote a burlesque adaptation of the opera, Dulcamara, or the Little Duck and the Great Quack, in 1866.[4]
In 2011, Divaria Productions in New York City set the opera in a golf resort in the modern age. [5]
Recordings
Year Cast
(Adina, Nemorino, Belcore, Dulcamara)Conductor,
Opera House and OrchestraLabel[6][7] 1955 Hilde Gueden,
Giuseppe Di Stefano,
Renato Capecchi
Fernando CorenaFrancesco Molinari-Pradelli,
Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Orchestra and ChorusCD: Decca
Cat: 4435421967 Mirella Freni,
Nicolai Gedda,
Mario Sereni,
Renato CapecchiFrancesco Molinari-Pradelli,
Rome Opera Orchestra and ChorusCD: EMI
Cat: CMS 7 69897 21970 Joan Sutherland,
Luciano Pavarotti,
Dominic Cossa
Spiro MalasRichard Bonynge,
English Chamber Orchestra
Ambrosian Opera ChorusCD: Decca
Cat: 424912-21977 Ileana Cotrubas,
Plácido Domingo,
Ingvar Wixell,
Sir Geraint EvansJohn Pritchard,
Royal Opera House
Covent Garden Orchestra and ChorusAudio CD: Sony Masterworks
Cat: 2796-96458-21986 Barbara Bonney,
Gösta Winbergh,
Bernd Weikl,
Rolando PaneraiGabriele Ferro,
Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Orchestra and ChorusCD: Deutsche Grammophon
Cat: B0004580021989 Kathleen Battle,
Luciano Pavarotti,
Leo Nucci,
Enzo DaraJames Levine,
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and ChorusCD: Deutsche Grammophon
Cat: 4297441996 Alessandra Ruffini,
Vincenzo La Scola,
Roberto Frontiali,
Simone AlaimoPiergiorgio Morandi,
Hungarian State Opera Orchestra and ChorusCD:Naxos
Cat: 8660045-461997 Angela Gheorghiu,
Roberto Alagna,
Roberto Scaltriti,
Simone AlaimoEvelino Pidò,
Lyon Opera Orchestra and ChorusCD:Decca
Cat: 4556912006 Anna Netrebko,
Rolando Villazón,
Leo Nucci,
Ildebrando D'ArcangeloAlfred Eschwé,
Vienna State Opera Orchestra and ChorusDVD: Virgin Classics/EMI
Cat: 00946 363352 92007 Silvia Dalla Benetta,
Raùl Hernández,
Alex Esposito,
Damiano SalernoAlessandro De Marchi,
Teatro Donizetti, Bergamo Orchestra and ChorusDVD: Dynamic (record label)
Cat. 33577References
- Notes
- ^ "Opera Statistics". Operabase. http://operabase.com/top.cgi?lang=en#opera. Retrieved 8 May 2011.
- ^ The Elixir of Love: G.Schimer printed 1990/91 p.x
- ^ Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 5th ed., 1954
- ^ "St. James's Theatre, The Era, 30 December 1866, p. 15
- ^ Popular Opera Gets Contemporary, Golf-Themed Update
- ^ L'elisir d'amore discography from Stanford website
- ^ Recordings of Elixir on operadis-opera-discography.org.uk
- Sources
- Ashbrook, William, Donizetti and His Operas, Cambridge University Press, 1982, ISBN 052123526X ISBN 0-521-23526-X
- Holden, Amanda (Ed.), The New Penguin Opera Guide, New York: Penguin Putnam, 2001. ISBN 0-140-29312-4
- Osborne, Charles, The Bel Canto Operas of Rossini, Donizetti, and Bellini, Portland, Oregon: Amadeus Press, 1994 ISBN 0931340713
- Weinstock, Herbert, Donizetti and the World of Opera in Italy, Paris, and Vienna in the First Half of the Nineteenth Century, New York: Pantheon Books, 1963. ISBN 63-13703
External links
- Full score with english translation at the International Music Score Library Project
- Vocal score with english translation
- Karadar.com | Libretto (Italian)
- Stanford.edu | Libretto (Italian)
- Essay by Thomas May for San Francisco Opera
- (English) (French) & (Occitan) Cross-over between L’Elisir d’amore and the traditional music from County of Nice, France
Categories:- Operas by Gaetano Donizetti
- Italian-language operas
- Operas set in Iberia
- Opera buffa
- 1832 operas
- Operas
- Operas set in Italy
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