Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore (PDF)

Donizetti's colourful and comic opera, a favourite of Pavarotti, attracts opera fans who enjoy light farce, sentimental comedy and satire. The successful Milan production of 1832 followed the comedies of Rossini such as La Cenerentola and Le Comte Ory. It was assembled in a fortnight. In the heyday of operatic mass production, Donizetti was highly professional, as his score in beautiful handwriting shows. Its music hall characters were imitated by Gilbert and Sullivan: the oafish Nemorino buys his love potion (cheap wine), in order to attract the affluent Adina, who has fallen for Belcore, the local sergeant. Dulcamara, the medical charlatan may arrive by coach, by balloon or even on Ringo the donkey.With its popular melodies, Nemorino's Quanto bella and Una furtiva lagrima, Dulcamara's Udite, udite, o rustici, and his duet with Adina Io son ricco it is hard to say which is the best tune. It was written before the death of Donizetti's wife and young children, after which he degenerated with syphilis caused by his depraved sexual behaviour among the prostitutes of Paris and Vienna.Short Guides to Great Operas written by Michael Steen, author of the acclaimed The Lives and Times of the Great Composers, are concise, entertaining, and easy-to-read books about opera. They are packed with useful information and informed opinion, helping to make you a truly knowledgeable opera-goer, and so maximising your enjoyment of a great musical experience.Each at around the price you pay for a standard opera-house programme, and available from all popular ebook retailers and ereaders, they are the perfect accompaniment to a night at an opera - whether that's at home, or at the opera house, or in the cinema for opera on screen, such as ROH Live, Met Opera HD Live, or Glyndebourne Festival in cinemas.