L'elisir d'amore

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L'elisir d'amore (The Elixir of Love) is a melodramma giocoso, a genre of Italian comic opera, in two acts by Gaetano Donizetti. 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.

Contents

1 Performance history
2 Roles
3 Noted arias
4 Synopsis

4.1 Act I
4.2 Act II

5 Recordings
6 External link

Performance history

The premiere was at the Teatro della Canobbiana, Milan on May 12, 1832.

Roles

Premiere, May 12, 1832
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
Giannette, a peasant girl soprano
Peasants, soldier's of Belcore's platoon

		Premiere, May 12, 1832
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
Giannette, a peasant girl	soprano
Peasants, soldier's of Belcore's platoon

Noted arias

"Una furtiva lagrima" -- "A furtive tear" (Nemorino)
"Come paride" (Belcore)
"Quanto è bella" -- "How beautiful it is" (Nemorino)
"Udite, udite o rustici" -- "Listen, listen, o peasants" (Dulcamara)

Synopsis

Time: The 19th century.

Place: A small Italian village.

Act I

Nemorino is in love with Adina, but he is sure she loves Belcore. When Nemorino hears Adina tell her workers of the story of Tristan and Iseult, he is convinced that a magic potion will gain Adina's love for him. The quack Dulcamara arrives, singing 'Udite, udite, o rustici' (Listen up, you peasants)! and sells his quack medicine. Dulcamara convinces Nemorimo to buy a magic love potion to solve his problem, but sells him only wine.

Act II

Adina agrees to wed Belcore to spite Nemorino who is now ignoring her. He reacts by hastily joining the army to earn more money to buy more love potion. Unknown to Nemorino, but known to his village, he has inherited a large sum of money. The village girls flock to him which only convinces him that the love potion is working. Adina buys back his enlistment contract and confesses her love for him.

Recordings

External link

[Libretto] (Italian)

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