G. Donizetti, "Love Potion" (opera): content, description and reviews

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Lightness, unobtrusiveness and charm - all this is “Love Potion” (opera). The content of the masterpiece is melodramatic, but diluted with ingenuous comic moments. It is thanks to this combination that the work has not lost its popularity to this day and often appears in various new variations.

Short biography of Donizetti

Gaetano Donizetti's parents were simple and poor people. The father of the future genius worked as a watchman, and his mother worked as a weaver. At the age of nine, the boy enters a charity music school, where he becomes the best student. Donizetti continues his education at the Music Lyceum in Bologna. Here he begins to write his first works, with which success and fame come.

Gaetano starts working as a professor at the Conservatory in Naples, where he later becomes director. During this period, he creates a huge number of successful operas and other musical works. This is followed by work in France, Austria and other European countries. After 1844, Gaetano stopped working on music, as he began to suffer frommental disorders.

Creativity

His first operas “Enrico, Count of Burgundy” and “The Carpenter of London” were positively received by the public, but did not become particularly popular. Glory to the author brings his work "Anne Boleyn", followed by other works.

Such operas as “The Favourite”, “Don Pasquale” and others were very popular. G. Donizetti's “L'elisir d'amore” deserves special attention. The opera was a great success during the life of the author, and has not lost its popularity even now.

There are two major periods in the author's work. In the first (before 1830), the strong influence of Rossini is noticeable. Here the author pays special attention to the melody and euphony of his works. As for the second period, at this time he creates his most famous masterpieces, which have become classics of world music. Here, a special place is given to feelings, emotions, experiences and the human soul.

During his career, Donizetti wrote 74 pieces of music, including operas, masses, cantatas, psalms, etc. The speed of the author was especially striking. Unlike other composers, he composed his masterpieces in a few days. The basis of his work was deep melodrama, great poetic talent and a very keen sense of theatricality.

Features of the opera

Two weeks - that's how long Gaetano Donizetti needed to be presented to the audience"Love Potion" (opera). The content of the work was built on the collision of various surprises, which ultimately leads the main characters to a positive ending. As such moments, the following are used: the arrival of soldiers in the village, the appearance of a charlatan doctor, the death of a we althy relative, etc. The opera “Love Potion”, a summary of which is presented below, became the fortieth work of the author. Since its inception, it has been staged hundreds of times in the best theaters on the planet. It has not lost its relevance even now.

Main characters

“Love Potion” is a melodrama in two acts. The main characters of the works are:

• Adina is a rich, capricious and wayward tenant who dreams of sublime love.
• Nemorino is a simple poor guy in love with Adina.
• Gianetta is a peasant woman, a friend of Adina.
• Belcore is a garrison sergeant in a village near Rome.
• Dulcamar is a wandering doctor, a charlatan.

Donizetti's opera L'elisir d'amore (L'elisir d'amore) also has minor characters. Among them: a notary, soldiers, peasants, servants, troubadours, etc. All actions take place in Italy, in the countryside. The content of the opera “Love Potion” is presented below.

Act one. Scene One

Poor guy Nemorino is secretly in love with his fellow villager Adina, a rich and wayward girl. All he hears from her is ridicule and reproaches. Similarly, she communicates with other fans. One eventhowever, it changes the course of action of the work “Love Potion” (opera). The content tells us a conversation between Adina and her friend, which Nemorino accidentally overhears. The girls talk about the old legend of Tristan and Isolde, and also about the magic elixir that makes people fall in love.

At this time, soldiers under the command of Belcore arrive in the village. The sergeant is immediately interested in Adina, but she rejects his advances. Nemorino also tries to confess his feelings to the girl, but to no avail.

Act one. Scene Two

The content of the opera “Love Potion” in the second scene is connected with the appearance of the doctor. Desperate Nemorino is looking for a miraculous love elixir from him. After a little thought, the charlatan hands the hero a bottle of ordinary wine and warns that this magical remedy can only be drunk in a day. During this time, the healer hopes to be far from this village.

Nemorino can't wait long, so he drinks the whole bottle at once. Adina sees a change in the mood of her boyfriend. He became cheerful, jokes a lot, promises to completely get rid of his love. In retaliation, Adina agrees to marry the sergeant. Struck by this news, Nemorino begs his beloved to wait at least one more day.

Act two. Scene One

Preparation for the wedding - this is how the second act of the work "Love Potion" (opera) begins. Its content is as follows: Nemorino is trying to find money to buy another bottle of the miraculous elixir. He only gets them.after enlisting in the ranks of soldiers.

Holding the coveted coins, Nemorino urgently goes in search of the elixir. The doctor at this time is near Adina's house.

Act two. Scene Two

The rapid development of events is a feature of the last scene of the work “Love Potion” by G. Donizetti.

Summary is as follows. The whole village heard the unexpected news. Rich uncle Nemorino dies, leaving him all his inheritance. Only the main character does not know about this, because at that time he drinks the second bottle of the healer's magic elixir. This time, Dulcamar promises an accurate and fast effect. The guy begins to believe it, because Janetta, whom he meets along the way, is more friendly than usual. However, he does not know that this is due to the fact that now Nemorino has become an enviable and rich groom. Seeing their conversation, Adina becomes jealous and realizes that she is in love with Nemorino.

After the intoxication from the wine wears off, the protagonist realizes his stupidity and falls into despair, however, at this time, Adina appears. She ransoms Nemorino's recruiting note and also agrees to his marriage proposal. The end of the opera is happy: the doctor sells all his bottles, the sergeant is not upset because he is sure that the world is full of other beautiful girls, and the peasants and servants joyfully greet the young couple.

Reviews

“L'elisir d'amore” is one of Donizetti's most successful and popular operas. It was repeatedly staged during the life of the author, veryrelevant even now. The audience says that this is an opera with a simple and good-natured plot, typical for such a work. According to them, it is filled with subtle humor, emotional experiences and sensitivity. Those who have ever seen such a production will remember it forever, because it fills with joy, captivating with its lightness and uniqueness. That is why this opera often appears on the world's most famous stages, both in its classical, traditional appearance, and in various modern interpretations.