Opera L`elisir d`amore (Melodramma giocoso in two acts) World famous Mariinsky Ballet and Opera Theatre - Opera and Concert Hall
Running time: 2 hours 30 minutes (till 21:30)
The performance has 1 intermission
Schedule for L`elisir d`amore (Melodramma giocoso in two acts) 2022
Composer: Gaetano Donizetti Conductor: Pavel Bubelnikov Principal Chorus Master: Andrei Petrenko Musical Director: Maestro Valery Gergiev Musical Preparation: Irina Soboleva Stage Director: Andrei Petrov Set Designer: Vladimir Firer Costume Designer: Vladimir Firer Stage Director: Alexander Petrov Piano: Irina Soboleva
Orchestra: Mariinsky Theatre Symphony Orchestra Opera company: Mariinsky (Kirov) Opera
Opera melodrama in 2 act
Performed in Italian with synchronised Russian supertitles
(concert
performance) melodramma giocoso in two acts Music: Gaetano
Donizetti Libretto by Felice Romani Performed in Italian
Stage
Director and Costume Designer: Laurent Pelly Stage Director
for the Mariinsky Theatre: Christian Rath Set
Designer: Chantal Thomas Assistant Set Designer:
Caroline Ginet Lighting Designer: Joel Adam
Musical Preparation: Irina Soboleva Principal Chorus Master:
Andrei Petrenko Italian Language Coach: Maria
Nikitina
In the spring
of 1832 the impresario of the Teatro
alla Canobbiana, the second largest theatre in Milan, was facing
hard circumstances: the theatre had not received the score of an
opera due to be premiered there soon. The impresario turned
to Donizetti with the request of reworking one of his old
scores for him. “I am not used to covering up either my own
or other people`s cracks. It would be better, with Romani helping
me, to compose a new opera,” the composer told him. That very day
he went to the librettist Felice Romani and said “I have promised
to set some poem to music within two weeks. I`ll give you
a week for the libretto. Let`s see which of us is more
daring. But bear in mind that we have a German prima donna,
a tenor who hiccups, a buffo with a voice like a goat and
a French bass who is quite cheap, but we have to emerge from all
of this with honour. Dear Romani, hang on – and onwards!”
The premiere took place two weeks later. That is the story behind
the composition of L`elisir d`amore according
to Romani`s widow Emilia Branca. She wrote her memoirs almost forty
years later. In 1832 Emilia Branca was a young girl,
the daughter of a close friend of Donizetti and Romani. That
is why we can lend greater trust to her personal impressions
of Bellini and Donizetti than just the mere historical facts.
According to Branca, at that time Donizetti was so handsome, clever and
talented that all of Milan`s female residents were mad about him.
In artistic salons and in his friends` houses, the composer often
sang, brilliantly accompanying himself, engaging the audience with romances
and songs from various regions throughout Italy performed
in the appropriate dialects.
In the Branca household, for example, immediately after
composing it he gave a virtuoso performance of Dulcamara`s first aria,
delighting all who were present. The Teatro alla Canobbiana`s
impresario Alessandro Lanari asked Donizetti and Romani to help out his
theatre, it would seem, in March 1832 following the premiere
of Ugo, conte di Parigi. The poet and
the composer studied the latest arrivals from Paris (and Romani
regularly received the very latest literature from France) and settled
on the libretto for the opera Le Philtre,
which had been written by Eugene Scribe for Auber (the premiere
of that opera took place in Paris in June 1831). Romani left
not just the plot but also the main collisions of Scribe`s
libretto completely unaltered. The characters were given new names:
Theresine became Adina, Guillaume became Nemorino, Dr Fontanarose became
Dulcamara and Jolicoeur became Belcore. The season at
the Canobbiana opened on 23 April with
the opera semiseria L`orfanella di
Ginevra by Luigi Ricci. Donizetti attended a performance
to meet the singers. “Last night was a revelation, the tenor
was magnificent, the prima donna has a glorious voice, but
she alone knows what she is singing. Buffo is a dog,” he wrote to his
father. By this time, the music of L`elisir was
completely ready and orchestral rehearsals began while Romani was putting
the final touches to the text. It was probably about these last
two weeks before the premiere that Emilia Branca had written.
In frenzied haste, the composer and the poet assembled an
integral work from the complete sketches. At times they argued bitterly.
For example, Romani did not want to include yet another tenor
aria in the opera`s finale, believing it would slow down
the plot. Hearing the melody the composer proposed, he was unable
to hide his indignation: “Why on earth would this village idiot come
in and sing in a pathetique manner when he is supposed to be
happy and bright?” Apropos, Donizetti insisted on it and, as time has
shown, he was absolutely right. The evening of 12 May was
a triumph for the composer, the poet and the cast.
The role of Adina was performed by Sabine Heinefetter, one
of three sisters who had conquered various opera houses. Buffo
the Dog was none other than Giuseppe Frezzolini, one of the most
famous comics of his time and the father of the young
Erminia, who subsequently became one of the finest performers
of operas by Donizetti and Verdi. The French bass
(a baritone in today`s terminology) Henri-Bernard Dabadie was
the principal performer in Le Comte Ory (Raimbaud)
and Guglielmo Tell (title role) by Rossini, and he also sang the role
of Jolicoeur at the premiere of Auber`s Le Philtre.
The Gazzetta privilegiata di Milano wrote that “...
this opera, beautiful from start to finish, has deservedly brought
the composer and the performers widespread acclaim... The arias,
duets, tercets and ensemble scenes in Acts I and II are all beautiful,
incredibly beautiful, and it was well met. It is not an easy task
to say which number is the best… We must also mention that
the composer was applauded after each number, and when
the curtain went down, he was called back again and
again along with the singers, giving praise and expressing their
approval. The score is distinguished by the lively, brilliant
musical style of a genuine comic opera. The transition from
the comic to the serious is done with incredible subtlety and
impetuosity, and filled with the musical passion that is
characteristic of the composer of Anna Bolena.”
In the first season, the opera was performed thirty-two
more times, and since then it has triumphantly taken its place at
opera houses all over the world. Without exaggeration,
L`elisir d`amore can be called a consummate masterpiece.
There is nothing superfluous in the opera, not a single page that
contains less power and expression than the opera as
a whole. The fast-moving action, the multi-faceted
depiction of the main characters, the diversity
of the musical forms – these are just some of the features
that determine the great merit of this comedy.
In the summer of 1832, Donizetti recalled
L`elisir d`amore once more. Giovanni Ricordi, who
was preparing the score of the opera for publication,
wrote a letter to the composer asking him to whom he wished
to dedicate the opera. Typically, the first
publication of a score or piano version was dedicated
to a local aristocrat. The composer replied “I am very flattered
that you have given me the chance to choose the object
of the dedication. Let it be ‘To the women
of Milan.`” Lev Khrol
SYNOPSIS
Act I Harvest time in a village. It is the
middle of the day and all are resting after lunch. The young peasant Nemorino,
as usual, admires from afar the beautiful Adina, the rich and capricious
farmer`s daughter (Quanto и bella). Adina, a passionate reader, is
perusing a volume detailing the legend of Tristan and Isolde and laughing about
the story of the love potion. She then tells the story to the peasants
(Della crudele Isotta). Sergeant Belcore appears; he has recently been
appointed a squadron commander. He publicly declares his affections for Adina
and proposes to her (Come Paride vezzoso). Adina asks him to wait a
little with her answer (Non и sм facile, Adina a conquistar) and
invites him inside and brings him water. The despairing Nemorino reveals his
love to Adina and threatens to kill himself but Adina dissuades him.
Empty-headed and carefree, she laughs at his feelings (Chiedi all'aura
lusinghiera). The apothecary Dulcamara – a charlatan and phrase-monger –
appears (Udite, udite, o rustici). He is selling a magic potion that
cures all ills – from wrinkles to diabetes and paralysis. Nemorino rushes up to
him and asks if he has Queen Isolde`s potion (L`elisir che desta
amore). Delighted that he has found such a fool (Io ne son
distillatore), Dulcamara sells Nemorino a bottle of Bordeaux, promising
that it will work within twenty-four hours (by which time he himself will be far
from the village). Nemorino, beside himself with joy, tries the potion and soon
empties the bottle. He believes the potion is beginning to act (Caro
elisir!). Confident that Adina will fall in love with him soon, Nemorino
acts coolly. The enraged Adina agrees to marry Belcore in six days` time.
Nemorino is not at all concerned – after all, the potion will work by tomorrow
(Ah! Va ben cosм!). But suddenly Belcore discovers that the next day he
must depart for the war. Adina then resolves to arrange the wedding without
delay. The desperate Nemorino begs her to wait (Adina credimi). But the
farmer`s daughter takes her revenge on the peasant by inviting the entire
village to the wedding. Nemorino is destroyed with grief (Dottore! Dottore!
Soccorso! ripero!).
Act II The wedding banquet. The guests are
drinking, enjoying themselves and singing barcaroles for two voices (La Nina
Gondoliera). Adina is annoyed by Nemorino`s absence (Compita non mi par
la mia vendetta). All enter the courtyard in order to sign the marriage
licence and leave Dulcamara alone at the table. Nemorino appears. His despair
has left him on the verge of suicide (Oh me infelice!). Dulcamara
advises him to drink a little more of the magic potion. But Nemorino has no
money left... He decides to become a soldier to Belcore and buy another bottle
of Bordeaux with his salary (Fatti soldato e venti scudi avrai). The
village maidens discover that Nemorino`s uncle has died and left him a vast
fortune (Immensa ereditа). Now they see Nemorino as incredibly handsome
and they begin to flirt with him. “The potion works!” the peasant rejoices,
having just finished his second bottle (И questa l`opera del magico
liquor). Adina sees Nemorino`s hitherto unknown success with the girls and
learns that he has enlisted in the army to win her heart. After all this she
could fall in love with him. Dulcamara offers her the magic potion too but Adina
turns him down: she believes only her own eyes (In quest`occhi и
l`elisir). Nemorino rejoices at seeing Adina`s confusion (Una furtiva
lagrima). Adina gives Nemorino back the recruiting statement which she has
redeemed from Belcore (Prendi: per me sei libero) and, at last, falls
into his embraces (Ti giuro eterno amor). Belcore decides to try his
happiness with some other woman (Pieno di donne и il mondo). And
Dulcamara`s magic potion, which brings love as well as money, is now selling
like hot cakes in the village... |
Schedule for L`elisir d`amore (Melodramma giocoso in two acts) 2022
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