Gaetano Donizetti
L'ELISIR D'AMORE
The comic opera that the great Donizetti composed in only two weeks, became one of his most performed works already during his life, and along Lucia di Lammermoor, this work is present on the repertoire of the largest world opera houses even two centuries later.
L'elisir d'amore was created after the libretto of Felice Romani whose source was the comedy of the French dramatist Eugene Scribe who wrote it for Auber's opera Le Phyltre that was inspired by the medieval romance Tristan of Gottfried von Strassburg. Donizetti moved the plot of the medieval legend from the Basque country to his native northern Italy, but the message of this masterpiece remained unaltered: the love potion from the ancient legends acquired an entirely new meaning and the message is that people are able to offer love and kindness to each other without the help of a potion.
This witty opera, full of impressive and memorable arias, has been prepared by conductor maestro Mladen Tutavac and stage director Ozren Prohić.
