Gaetano Donizetti’s comic opera
in two acts premiered in Milan in 1832, but L’Elisir
d’Amore remains as crowd-pleasing and entertaining today, especially in the
Met’s beautiful production.
 |
| Grigolo and Kurzak |
Italian peasant Nemorino
(Vittorio Grigolo) is desperately in love with well-read landowner Adina
(Aleksandra Kurzak), but she’s a perpetual flirt, currently taken by visiting
soldier Belcore (Adam Plachetka).
The love triangle plays out
against Michael Yeargan’s gorgeous sets, reminiscent of nineteenth-century
landscape paintings in their composition. It’s a sort of comedic Far from the Madding Crowd (1874), minus
the death and heartache. The only death here is offstage and brings Nemorino
wealth and, subsequently, ridiculous levels of female attention, prompting
Adina’s jealousy. The chemistry between the leads and the usual comedic
misunderstandings keep the audience constantly engaged. It’s easy to follow
without the usual rustling of programmes and whispered explanations.
 |
| ‘Udite, udite, o rustici’ |
But the comedic heart of
Donizetti’s opera, and this production, is Dulcamara (Alessandro Corbelli)—the
travelling salesman whose miraculous elixir is fabled to cure all ills, even
unrequited love. His aria, ‘Udite,
udite, o rustici’, is a highly entertaining operatic sales pitch, and surely
the inspiration for Stephen Sondheim’s ‘Pirelli's Miracle Elixir’ in 1979
musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of
Fleet Street.
Unusually for a comedy not all
the misunderstandings are set right, not all the mysteries are unravelled.
Dulcamara is never revealed as a fraud and his elixir is heralded as a miracle
cure to the end, when young love’s trials have concluded satisfactorily.
 |
| Corbelli and Kurzak |
Grigolo’s performance was
probably the standout in the matinee I saw, but Kurzak was also charming and
the chorus made this a true ensemble piece, as Enrique Mazzola conducted.
Adorable child actors, beautiful
costuming, fine performances all around and settings that made you feel
immersed in Italian landscapes: what more could you ask for in the middle of
New York City?
 |
| The cast of the Met's production |
What productions would you like
to see the Secret Victorianist review next? Let me know—here, on Facebook or by tweeting @SVictorianist.
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