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Love, Italy and bel canto in the celebrated opera production by Mario Gas
This holiday season, come see one of the audience’s most beloved operas.
With the voices of Javier Camarena, Serena Sáenz, Pretty Yende, and Michael Spyres
Courage and epic elements surround the creation of this masterpiece of the buffo genre. In his instructions to his librettist, Felice Romani, Donizetti said: "I am obligated to compose music for a libretto within fourteen days. I give you one week to prepare it for me. We shall see which one of us has more courage."
Love potions have been widely used in romantic tales for thousands of years, but in L’elisir d’amore, there is an unexpected and clever twist to the tradition: in this case, the happy ending is not brought about by a love potion (which is nothing more than red wine!), but by a story that revolves around a love potion. When the opera begins, the heroine is reading Tristan and Isolde, the medieval legend where a love affair does occur after drinking a magical elixir.
L’elisir d’amore is a perfect comedy where the main characters manage to be together through their actions, not by a potion. In an unexpected twist, Nemorino will unintentionally win Adina’s heart: the real magic is not in a bottle, but in the sincerity, friendship, and respect that can unite two hearts.
Donizetti’s comedy is one of the most beloved operas of bel canto, like the landowner and the peasant in search of love. The brilliant sopranos Pretty Yende, Serena Sáenz, and Marina Monzó alternate as the clever and intelligent Adina, alongside the innocence and shyness of Nemorino in the voices of tenors Javier Camarena, Michael Spyres (in his debut in this role), and Filipe Manu, winner of the 2024 Viñas Competition. Maestro Diego Matheuz returns to the Gran Teatre del Liceu after a successful Don Pasquale in the 2014-2015 season. Completing the cast are Huw Montague-Rendall and Carles Pachon as the vain and pompous Sergeant Belcore, and Ambrogio Maestri, Fabio Capitanucci, and Simon Orfila as the talkative and charismatic Dottore Dulcamara: their potions can cure anything, even a broken heart.
The beautiful and insightful production by Mario Gas (premiered at the Teatre Grec and the Castell de Peralada International Festival in 1983 and at the Liceu since the 1997-1998 season) transposes this melodramma giocoso to Italy in the early years of Mussolini’s fascism. The staging is a combination of fantasy and poetry, from Dulcamara’s arrival to Nemorino’s legendary romance with Adina: a comic work that also contains a serious sensitivity. A fresh production and a classic that breathes with Donizetti’s music, which gives prominence to the emotion of bel canto.
Melodramma giocoso in two acts:
Libretto by Felice Romani based on the libretto Le philtre by Eugène Scribe.
- World premiere: 12/05/1832 at the Teatro della Cannobiana in Milan
- Premiere in Barcelona: 25/05/1833 at the Teatre de la Santa Creu
- Premiere at the Gran Teatre del Liceu: 05/02/1848
- Last performance at the Liceu: 28/01/2018
- Total number of performances at the Liceu: 103
With the collaboration of:
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Special sessions
November 28: Breathing the Opera – Mindfulness session
December 14: Digital premiere on the Liceu OPERA+ platform
December 14: Live audio description service
- Acte primer 72 min
- Pausa 30 min
- Acte segon 60 min
Artistic profile
- Stage Direction
- Mario Gas
- Revival Director
- Leo Castaldi
- Set and Costume Design
- Marcelo Grande
- Lighting Design
- Quico Gutiérrez
- Production
- Gran Teatre del Liceu
- Assistant Stage Director
- Yannis Herrera
- Costume Assistant
- Berta Riera
- Assistant to the Music Director
- Xavier Palà
- Assistant Musical Coaches
- Véronique Werklé, Rodrigo de Vera, David-Huy Nguyen-Phong and Jaume Tribó
- Chorus of the Gran Teatre del Liceu
- Chorus Master Pablo Assante
- Symphony Orchestra of the Gran Teatre del Liceu
- Conductor Diego Matheuz
Cast
Cast change
Due to the vocal indisposition that already prevented tenor Javier Camarena from taking part in the pre-dress rehearsal of L’elisir d’amore, and as his voice is still compromised, the tenor will not sing in the performances on November 22, 25, and 28. In his place, the November 22 performance will be sung by tenor Filipe Manu and the November 25 and 28 performances by Michael Spyres. We sincerely thank both of them for their willingness and professionalism.
Soprano Pretty Yende performs the role of Adina in the December 4 performance, replacing Marina Monzó, who is experiencing a vocal indisposition.
Get ready for 'L'elisir d'amore'
Making of
Special sessions
Breathing the Opera
Breathing the Opera is a 30-minute guided session led by coach Mònica Arús, with a soundscape by music therapist Núria Andorrà, where we will practise simple breathing, relaxation and mindfulness exercises to enter a state of calm and openness that will help us enjoy the performance with presence and awareness.
Friday, November 28
6:15 pm
Buy the full experience here: mindfulness session + opera performance.
Liceu OPERA+
Liceu OPERA+ subscribers will be able to enjoy the live broadcast of L'elisir d'amore by Gaetano Donizetti at the Liceu, the first since the platform's relaunch, staged by Mario Gas and conducted by maestro Diego Matheuz.
Once edited, it will be available on-demand for subscribers.
Sunday, December 14: Digital premiere
Audiodescription
Live audio description service during one performance of each staged opera, providing narration about key visual elements for the benefit of blind and visually impaired audience members. The service consists of two parts: an audio introduction fifteen minutes before the start of the performance, and simultaneous audio description during the show.
LiveVoice App
To listen to the audio description, simply click on Audiodescription at the Liceu, or open the LiveVoice app and enter the code: 075177.
Sunday, December 14
6:00 pm
More information
Broadcasts
On Tuesday, December 2nd, at 7:30 p.m., Catalunya Música will broadcast live Gaetano Donizetti’s opera “L’elisir d’amore” from the Gran Teatre del Liceu, as part of the programme “Directe a l’òpera”, hosted by Xavier Montagut, Aleix Palau, and Judit Jordana.
