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‘The Elixir of Love’
by Marc Geelhoed Nov 26, 2003

Opera review

In Clowes Hall last Friday, the Indianapolis Opera moved Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore from the Italian countryside of its original setting to the American frontier of 1849. The cast of this comic opera was a strong one, with a lyrical pair in the young lovers Adina and Nemorino, and rich-voiced contributions from the snake-oil salesman Dr. Dulcamara and the boastful army sergeant Belcore.

Indianapolis Opera presented 'The Elixir of Love' last weekend at Clowes Hall. See review for details.

The story focuses on the relationship between Adina and Nemorino, a rich girl and a peasant boy. Swaggering Belcore comes along and decides to have Adina himself, and Adina agrees so she can spite Nemorino. Nemorino is crestfallen and vows not to lose her, enlisting the recently arrived Dr. Dulcamara to help him. Nemorino asks if Dulcamara has the elixir of love. No entrepreneurial slouch, Dulcamara announces he’s its brewer, and sells the boy a bottle of wine. Adina comes to recognize Nemorino’s goodness and Belcore’s macho posturing, and they wed in the end, though not after a close call. The light-hearted opera was a success when it premiered in 1832, and has never left the repertory. The directors, Kay Walker Castaldo and David McCarty, force us to suspend our disbelief that the pioneers could sing Italian opera. Should the IO ever decide to stage Puccini’s La Fanciulla del West, which is already set in the California Gold Rush, they have the sets and costumes ready. Castaldo and McCarty moved the characters around easily, but they reduced Belcore (the round-voiced Jeff Mattsey) to a cartoon. The entire role is acted with a cocked eyebrow, as if no man could possibly be as vain as he. Not true. Lisa Saffer’s characterization of the wealthy Adina captured her character’s headstrong nature and her eventual capitulation to Nemorino’s charms. Her voice is clear and carries well, but there could have been more embellishing of Donizetti’s line, this being an important part of bel canto opera. Nicholas Coppolo’s Nemorino was pitch-perfect: guileless but not dumb, and with a soft-edged tenor that only rarely sounded pinched during top notes. His “Una Furtiva Lagrima,” the big second act aria when he reveals that he knows Adina loves him, was a plangent line of golden tone. Arthur Woodley, an IO veteran, gave a ringing performance as Dulcamara. The ISO under James Caraher gave a soulful but occasionally ragged performance.

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