L'elisir d'amore

Tristano e Isotta – Tristan and Isolde set an example: Nemorino has the evident idea to boost the feelings of his beloved Adina with a love potion. The charlatan Dulcamara sees his chance for a good deal and sells a bottle of the pretended potion to the unhappy lover. And very soon Nemorino does become unusually popular with the young women in town. Will he be able to sweet-talk Adina as well? Or will she decide in favor of Nemorino’s rival Belcore?

Ever since the audience has tasted Gaetano Donizetti‘s “Liebestrank” at the world premiere at Milan in 1832 for the first time, the piece is an indispensable part of the repertoire of opera stages around the world. In the short – and even for him - probably record time of several weeks, Donizetti succeeded in creating a milestone of comic opera. Despite its happy character the music allows deep insight into the protagonists’ inner life. Thus Donizetti created the most famous aria of this opera for Nemorino, who sees his chance to impress Adina, as a showpiece for tenors: “Una furtiva lagrima” is not a cheerful song but a melancholy romance.