The Elixir of Love
Think you don’t like opera? Try this then
Red, red wine goes to my head... UB40 sang in their version of Neil Diamond’s song and it has the same effect on Nemorino, the hero of Donizetti’s comic romance The Elixir of Love given a gem of a production by Stanley Opera at the Concordia this week.
As frothy as a freshly-made cappuccino, as bright as a button on love rival Sergeant Belcore’s tunic and light and crisp as a chilled Frascati, this is opera for all.
By coincidence I have just got round to reading Lesley Garrett’s autobiography Notes From A Small Soprano and have just read that one of the roles she ad to learn for her first season at the London Opera Studio was Adina in The Elisir d’Amore.
The diva who has done more to popularise the art form than any other moved on to English National opera where she was part of the set accused of causing a revolution by making it ‘exciting, sexy and dangerous.’
But she says: “It was a renaissance. We felt were were returning opera to its rightful place in popular culture. Opera is not an intellectual affair. When it works well it goes for the gut not the head.”
In his own way Nick Bacon has been behind a revolution or renaissance with Stanley Opera, making productions exciting and sexy, and the sense of fun in this piece shines through in his direction again.
Elixir has been described as a male Cinderella with Nemorino in love with the seemingly unattainable Adina who prefers the dashing soldier but when a quack pedlar comes to town and, knowing the story of Tristan and Isolde where a love potion does the trick in similar circumstances, the waiter seeks him out.
What he is given is only a cheap plonk but it has a surprising effects as suddenly all the girls find Nemorino magnetic. However, is the attraction something else other than the fake doctors wares?
It has been 30 years since Hinckley audiences last had the chance to see Donizetti’s comedy but don’t risk leaving it another three decades before catching it as I doubt you will ever see a better amateur production of a work that is a perfect introduction for opera newcomers.
Matt Connolly has been imported from London to make his SO debut as Nemorino while Stanley regulars Louise Duguid (Adina) and Chris Marlow (Belcore) complete the love triangle and Andrew Robinson makes a larger than life Dulcamara, the quack.
All are in fine voice and backed by what seems a larger than usual but equally harmonic chorus for a company that carries you along, delighting, charming and entertaining on the way.
If you think opera is not for you, try this one with an open mind and it might shatter one or two illusions. It’s funny, melodic, happy and if you still have doubts it’s not too long.
I think you’ll enjoy it. I certainly did.
Mitch Irving, Hinckley Times, April 2008
