Opera Zuid

Whether a love potion really works as a medicine that brings the unattainable love within reach, that is the question. The drug must provide a quick solution to a really complex and universal problem: falling in love with what is actually unattainable. It is this theme that is central to L’elisir d’amore, or the elixir of love, a comic opera by Donizetti from 1832. And that is some thirty years before that other opera with a famous love potion: Tristan und Isolde.

Together with Rossini and Bellini, Donizetti is the composer of the Italian bel canto style from the beginning of the nineteenth century. Lyrical beauty and comical arias alternate in this opera. The most famous fragment of the opera is the aria "Una furtiva lagrima ..." ("A secret tear ..."). Tenor Nemorino sings this moving romanza when he sees his beloved Adina wiping away a tear.

The opera is presented in a special arrangement and is a contemporary comedy with young singers and a completely new musical arrangement. The production will consist of an ensemble of five soloists and twelve musicians.