Donizetti: L’Elisir d’Amore (DVD) – Rolando Villazón, Anna Netrebko

Composer: Gaetano Donizetti
Actors: Rolando Villazón, Anna Netrebko, Ildebrando d’Arcangelo, Leo Nucci, Orchester und Chor der Wiener Staatsoper
Conductor: Alfred Eschwe
Director: Otto Schenk
Format: NTSC
Language: Italian
Subtitles: English, Spanish, German, French, Italian
Dubbed: English
Region: All Regions
Number of Discs: 1
Studio: Erato Disques
DVD Release Date: January 16, 2007
Run Time: 130 minutes

From Dan Davis of Classics Today:

“Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore is one of the staples of the comic opera repertory. The plot hinges on whether earnest but dim-witted Nemorino will snag Adina, the flirtatious heroine, who takes up with Belcore, an army sergeant, to make Nemorino jealous. After numerous (and humorous) plot twists that include a phony love potion, it all ends happily. Adina and Nemorino declare their love for each other, Belcore is dumped, and the fraudulent Dulcamara does a landslide business in love potions. It’s all a fast-moving bundle of fun, especially with the star-filled cast of this 2005 Vienna State Opera performance.

“The leads are magnificent. Rolando Villazón as Nemorino exhibits a real gift for comic acting, flawlessly turning stock comic gestures into laugh-out-loud moments, and even juggling apples with the panache of a circus performer. More important, he uses his lyric tenor to sing the part with impressive subtlety. His big show-stopper, “Una furtiva lagrima,” literally stops the show, the audience forcing a welcome encore.

“Netrebko’s Adina is every bit as good, with deft acting and a lovely lyric soprano. Dulcamara is Ildebrando D’Arcangelo, whose ample bass joins a stage presence that puts him at the center of his scenes. His famous duet, “Venti scudi,” with Villazón, is the highlight it should be.

“This is the preferred L’elisir d’amore.”

Read More