by Paul Pelkonen
Ambrogio Maestri (l.) and Anna Netrebko model the latest in top hats.
Promotional image for L'Elisir d'Amore © 2012 The Metropolitan Opera.
The Met opens the 2012 season with this new staging of Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore, one of the most beloved bel canto comedies. The star: Anna Netrebko, who will sing the role of Adina at the Met for the first time. This marks the second season in a row that has opened with the diva essaying a Donizetti role.
One of the most popular comedies in the operatic repertory, L'elisir takes elements of the Tristan legend and transports them to the rural Italian countryside. A bumpkin named Nemorino (Matthew Polenzani) is deeply in love with Adina, but has to overcome his shyness. Thanks to traveling quack (and oeinophile) Doctor Dulcamara (Ambrogio Maestri) he discovers la gioia della vigna rossa and eventually gets the girl.
This is the fourth Donizetti role that Ms. Netrebko has tackled at the Met. It is also the fourth new production to be mounted by Bartlett Sher, whose wacky productions of Il barbiere di Siviglia and Le comte Ory have been among the better efforts presented during Peter Gelb's six-year reign as general manager.
L'elisir d'Amore opens the Metropolitan Opera season on Sept. 24. The first generale performance is Sept. 27.
Recording Recommendations:
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra cond. Vittorio Gui (Glyndebourne, 1962, released 2010)
Nemorino: Luigi Alva
Adina: Mirella Freni
Belcore: Enzo Sordello
Doctor Dulcamara: Sesto Bruscantini
A revalation: this tape sat in the vault for almost half a century before being released in a 2 disc package last year. The young Freni is miraculous here, paired with bel canto specialist Luigi Alva. A thrilling live performance taped in the intimate conflicts of the Glyndebourne Festival.
English Chamber Orchestra cond. Richard Bonynge (Decca, 1972)
Nemorino: Luciano Pavarotti
Adina: Joan Sutherland
Belcore: Dominic Cossa
Doctor Dulcamara: Spiro Malas
This is one of the classic Decca recordings pairing the unbeatable combination of Sutherland and Pavarotti in bel canto repertory. Luciano injects his ineffable charm into the role of the lovestruck Nemorino. Sutherland's cool approach to the music suits the bookish Adina. With her husband conducting, La Stupenda takes a different cabaletta than the norm in Act II, singing one written for the great Maria Malibran.
Return to the Superconductor 2012-2013 Metropolitan Opera Season Preview.
Contact the author: E-mail Superconductor editor Paul Pelkonen.
