Opera review: L’Elisir d’Amore - Royal Opera House

4 / 5 stars
L’Elisir d’Amore

IT IS A JOY to revisit Laurence Pelly’s 2007 take on Donizetti’s masterpiece L’Elisir d’Amore, now in its fourth revival.

The cast of L'Elisir d'AmoreBILL COOPER

The remarkable set conjures images of sun-drenched Italy

Chantal Thomas’s sets of giant haystack, terracotta-washed trattoria and cornfields stretching to the horizon conjure up a sun-drenched Italy in the 1950s. 

The boys on bicycles and girls in summer frocks are back, as is the little terrier that chases Dr Dulcamara’s elixir-peddling pantechnicon van.

Gaetano Donizetti’s opera, composed in the space of six weeks, was an instant success when it was premiered in 1832. It has enduring appeal in its “boy gets girl” story. 

Nemorino, a poor peasant, is unrequitedly in love with wealthy farm owner Adina. She, meanwhile, is courted vigorously by the arrogant Sergeant Belcore.

Driven to distraction when Adina impulsively agrees to marry his rival, Nemorino seeks help from shady pedlar of elixirs Doctor Dulcamara, with seemingly miraculous results although the bottle the charlatan sells him actually contains only red wine. 

There is added delight this time around from the casting of two young singers new to the Royal Opera – South African-born soprano Pretty Yende as Adina and Armenian tenor Liparit Avetisyan as Nemorino. 

Nemorino and Adina on the hayBILL COOPER

Nemorino is in love with wealthy Adina

Yende, making her Royal Opera debut, has been acclaimed for her performances at the Metropolitan Opera in New York and La Scala in Milan. 

Her pure-toned voice is beautifully suited to the role of Adina as she captures her capriciousness as well as her underlying tender heart. 

Liparit Avetisyan took on the role of Nemorino after Rolando Villazon decided to withdraw. 

The tenor, virtually unknown to British audiences, was the surprise hit of the first night. In the aria Quanto è Bella, where Nemorino reveals his love for Adina, he poured his heart and soul into the role. 

Alex Esposito as DulcamaraBILL COOPER

Alex Esposito as Dulcamara

His plea with Adina to delay her wedding – in order to allow the elixir he has drunk time to take effect – was deeply touching and his exquisitely sung Una Furtiva Lagrima (A Furtive Tear) was a revelation. 

The entire audience held its breath to the final note and then burst into rapturous applause. Here we could see a new star tenor in the making. 

There is excellent work from baritone Paolo Bordogna as a bombastic Sergeant Belcore, though someone should have rationed the pratfalls in the haystack. 

The cast of L'Elisir d'AmoreBILL COOPER

L'Elisir d'Amore is the perfect comic opera

Vlada Borovko is lively as Giannetta, leader of the village girls. The only reservation I have is about bass-baritone Alex Esposito’s thug-like Dulcamara, after the roguish charm of Ambrogio Maestri, a former exponent of the role. 

The Orchestra of the Royal Opera under French conductor Bertrand de Billy gives a sparkling performance of the glorious score, springing lightly into action from the start. 

The opera runs in repertoire to June 22, with the role of Adina shared between Yende and Aleksandra Kurzak, while that of Nemorino is shared between Avetisyan, Ivan Magri, and Roberto Alagna.

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