L'elisir d'amore
Gaetano Donizetti
Malibran Theatre
L’elisir d’amore (The Love Potion) premiered at Teatro della Canobbiana, Milan, on May 12, 1832. Its score, abounding in charming melodies, is arguably the most pleasing that Donizetti ever wrote in the comic genre. In the first act, the self-introductory tirade for the quack Doctor Dulcamara and his duet with the poor lad Nemorino, who is hopelessly in love with the fickle village belle Adina, are remarkable for animation. Highlights in the second act are the chorus, “Cantiamo, facciam brindisi”; the barcarole “Io son ricco e tu sei bella”; the quartet “Dell’elisir mirabile”; the duet between Adina and Dulcamara “Quanto amore”; and finally the delicate ballad for Nemorino “Una furtiva lagrima”, a stalwart in the tenor repertoire.
La Fenice staging
with Italian surtitles
