L'Elisir d'Amore at the Royal Opera House review

4 / 5 stars
L'Elisir d'Amore

THIS COMIC opera with excellent cast is like the best musicals, only with better singing and better music

L'Elisir d'Amore, Royal Opera House, review, William HartsonMARK DOUET

Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore is a glorious romp

I have long maintained that the elitist image of opera is largely undeserved. Large numbers of people flock to musicals but are intimidated by the very idea of going to an opera, yet almost all the comic operas of Rossini, Mozart or Donizetti are the best musicals of all, and nothing supports my view better than Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore.

The plot centres on the love felt by Nemorino, who is no more than a country bumpkin, for the glamorous Adina, who is way above him in social station. Then, into town comes the quack doctor Dulcamara, peddling his cure-all medicine and Nemorino asks him for a love elixir to win the heart of Adina. 

Dulcamara sells him a bottle of cheap red wine assuring him that it will make him irresistible to women. Nemorino swigs the wine and feels much better immediately, though he has been told it will take a day to work, by which time Dulcamara will be long gone. 

Meanwhile, however, a rival to Nemorino emerges in the form of the boastful soldier Sergeant Belcore, whom Adina agrees to marry. 

Then word gets round that Nemorino's rich uncle has died, leaving him a fortune. All the town girls pursue him, convincing him that the elixir has worked. Even Dulcamara believe it, adding a line to his sales pitch about how his magical potion can even make the poor rich. 

Donizetti, opera reviewMARK DOUET

Lucy Crowe is wonderful as Adina

It's a glorious romp, and Laurent Pelly's production at the Royal Opera House, of which this is the third revival, brings out its best features. The chorus, as so often in Pelly's productions, are at the forefront of the action throughout, and the singers are given the opportunity to indulge their comic acting skills to the full. 

Lucy Crowe, in appearance, voice and acting, is wonderful as Adina. Her delightfully clear, apparently effortless soprano voice is perfect for this role, whether she is being irritated by the clumsy courtship attempt by Nemorino, or annoyed at his drunken post-elixir nonchalance.

The Italian Tenor Vittorio Grigolo is surprisingly good as Nemorino. I have seen him before excelling in romantic roles, but here he shows a great talent for comedy too. 

Most of the fun, however, comes from Bryn Terfel's Dulcamara, whom he portrays more like a shoddy used-car salesman than a doctor, emphasizing how little he believes in his own product. Both Terfel and Grigolo show some excellent comic footwork as they dance their way through some of the comic arias in the second half. 

An excellent cast in the main roles is completed by Romanian baritone Levente Molnar as Belcore, who brings an excellent swagger to the role, without being too hard on poor Nemorino.  

Daniele Rustioni, conducting the orchestra, kept up a light and lively tempo, though at times the singers and orchestra seemed to be having problems keeping together. No doubt this will improve in later performances.

All in all, a great evening's entertainment, which sent the audience away smiling and humming Donizetti's glorious score. Just like the best musicals, in fact, only with better singing and better music. 

L'Elisir d'Amore at the Royal Opera House (020 7304 4000 or roh.org.uk) (until December 9).

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