L’elisir D’amore Comic opera in two acts by Gaetano Donizetti

Libretto Felice Romani

By Eugene Scribb's French Libretto

On Daniel Ober's Le Philtre

 

Conductor IVAN KOZHUHAROV

Director NINA NAIDENOVA

Set design and costumes MARIA DIMANOVA

Choir Conductor NEVENA MIHAYLOVA

Choreography by BORYAN SECHANOV

Concertmaster YORDAN KOVACHEV

Assistant Director DARINA GLAVANAKOVA-BAKARDZHIEVA

Prompter DORA FARTUNOVA

Subtitles SREBRINA SLAVOVA

History of creation

The forty-five-year-old Donizetti wrote his fortieth opera, "L'elisir d'amore" in Naples, and the text is by Felice Romani (1788-1865) - author of a respectable number of opera librettos, which served as based on some of the works of the greatest Italian composers (besides Donizetti also Rossini, Bellini, McNadante), as well as a number of foreign opera authors, including Mayerber.

At the heart of the plot is the belief in decoctions of magical herbs and drinks, which can be used to win the love of a loved one (in "Tristan and Isolde" Wagner also uses an ancient legend for a miraculous love drink). Felice Romani based his libretto on elements of the plot of an opera with a rather long stage life - "The Drink" ("Le Philtre") from 1831 by the French composer Daniel Aubert based on a text by Eugene Scribe. As soon as he received the finished libretto, Donizetti wrote the opera - in just 15 days - in early 1832. Although composed in a very short time and in this "hurried", figuratively speaking, way, "L'elisir d'amore" is indisputable. more than an attractive work, as in it, through the prism of benevolent irony, a number of characteristic features of the Italian way of life, worldview, interpersonal relations and mentality in general are refracted. The premiere of "Love Elixir" took place on May 12 of the same year (1832) in Milan's "Teatro della Canobbiana" (better known as "Teatro Lirico di Milano" after 1894) and was a great success. Immediately after the first show, another 30 were announced, and tickets for them were sold out almost immediately.

In Bulgaria "Love Elixir" was performed for the first time in 1934 at the Sofia National Opera under the direction of Hristo Popov and the baton of Asen Naidenov.

 

Actors

Adina, a wealthy country girl

Nemorino, a young man from the same village, in love with Adina

Belcore, Sergeant

Dr. Dulcamara, a charlatan

Janet, a girl from the village, a friend of Adina

The action takes place in a small Italian village in the early nineteenth century.

 

Contents:

First action

The young Nemorino, in love with his young and lovely countrywoman Adina, suffers immensely, as the object of his longings not only does not reciprocate, but instead invariably throws annoying remarks and jokes at him. The thought of winning it did not give him a moment's peace. Leaning against the fence of Adina's house, Nemorino decides to get such an elixir at any cost. Drums can be heard, to the sounds of which a detachment of soldiers enters the village, led by the slender and attractive Sergeant Belcore - also in love with Adina. The sergeant presents the girl with a bouquet of flowers and immediately begins to court her boldly and confidently, which causes new suffering to poor Nemorino. Belcore manages to persuade Adina to invite him and the people of his platoon to his farm and entertain them. The girl throws another tease to Nemorino, which completely despairs him. Adina, taking pity on the broken young man, eventually invites him along with the others.

The village square. The mail horn announces the arrival of the stagecoach and gathers all the villagers in the square. A mysterious stranger comes out of the car and people start to wonder what he will be like, isn't he a count? Or the Marquis? It turns out that the stranger is Dr. Dulkamara, who immediately starts bragging that he cures all the diseases in the world with the kings he brings with him. The peasants immediately gathered around him and one by one began to buy his balms and medicines; Nemorino also approaches Dulcamara. The latter embarrassedly asks the glorious healer if he has the miraculous drink of Tristan and Isolde, and the cunning charlatan without hesitation offers the boy a "placebo", telling him that the elixir will only work if he is tested after one day (when in fact Dulkamara will have already left the village). Overwhelmed with unspeakable happiness, Nemorino pays dearly and too dearly with his last money for the ordinary wine that the alleged doctor actually sold him. Now the young man is unconvinced that he will be able to win Adina's love, but he can't wait a whole day and he impatiently opens the bottle, drinking the contents in one breath. The Elixir instantly changes Nemorino. Amused by the wine, the young man begins to sing, joke, tease the other girls, paying absolutely no attention to Adina. The girl, who is actually also in love with Nemorino, but keeps her feelings a secret, is deeply offended. To punish him, Adina openly declares to Sergeant Belcore that she agrees to become his wife - if he wishes, they can get married the same day. What Adina said made Nemorino sober up like a magic wand; ruined, he begs the girl to postpone her wedding for at least the next day, and meanwhile the happy Belcore invites everyone to the wedding party.

Second action

The yard of Adinia's farm. The guests have already gathered to attend the wedding of Adina and Belcore. Among them is Dr. Dulcamara. At the same time, the only hope the discouraged and desperate Nemorino places on the doctor's miraculous "elixir"; unfortunately, he also spent his last penny on the ill-fated first bottle. In order to get money for a new one, the young man decides to become a mercenary. With the twenty scudis received from Belcore, the boy goes to look for the doctor. Unexpectedly, however, the news spread (plausible, as it comes from the village courier), that Nemorino's uncle remembered remembering his entire estate to his nephew. Only Nemorino still doesn't suspect anything. In the meantime, he managed to find Dulkamara, bought a new dose of "elixir" and now he is again under its influence. The very first girl he meets (who turns out to be none other than hearing the rumor about Nemorino Janet's newly acquired wealth) begins to court him. Nemorino is not in the least surprised. He fully believed in the power of the magic potion. Adina, who also has no idea that Nemorino is already rich, is very embarrassed by the attention with which all the girls from the village generously shower him.

But perhaps Dr. Dulcamara is most surprised of all by the unsuspected effect of his so-called elixir. The charlatan can hardly believe in its magical power, but still dares to offer it to Adina, because he guesses that she herself suffers from unrequited love. From the words of Dulcamara and the people of the village, the girl understands that Nemorino has already twice bought the miracle drink to win her love. The unfortunate man paid for the second bottle with nothing but the price of his freedom, selling himself as a mercenary. This prompts Adina to decide to play openly, revealing her own feelings. She handed Belcore twenty scudis, in exchange for which she received a receipt signed by Nemorino. She then calls her lover and, handing him the document, informs him that she agrees to become his bride. Nemorino is completely surprised by the unexpected happiness that came to him. Belcore himself, in turn, is not God knows how sad - anyway, the beautiful women in the world will not end, right?!... The swindler Dulkamara is also more than satisfied with the unexpectedly successful development of events - the lucky one can barely fulfill the orders of all who wish to buy, albeit at a fabulous price, from his famous "love elixir" .