The Elixir of Love

The Elixir of Love description

A creative World War Two setting brings this popular 1832 romance to life in a fresh new way. Welcome to a particularly heart-warming Italian operatic comedy with beautiful music by the legendary Gaetano Donizetti, composer of almost seventy operas.

The setting for this production is a TV sitcom, where a tale of unrequited love unfolds. When a love potions salesman arrives at a smart country estate where local people and Land Girls are working, young Nemorino can’t resist giving it a try.

Meet innocent Nemorino, who’s madly in love with Adina

Nemorino, who is madly in love with Adina the landowner, is too shy to make his move. She secretly feels the same. Believing the love potion – which is actually just regular red wine – will overcome his shyness, he takes a dose. The placebo effect is powerful and Nemorino is convinced it’s working. But can he really win Adina’s heart?

Full of warmth and humour, this is one of the world’s best loved ‘bel canto’ operas. It contains an aria so famous you’ve probably heard it before without realising where it comes from. Watch out for una furtiva lagrima, sung by Nemorino in Act Two. It’s quite simply gorgeous.

Performed by acclaimed artists

The acclaimed soprano and former Harewood artist Rhian Lois sings Adina, praised by Opera Today for her 'flawlessly produced soprano’ and ‘highly musical singing', making her one of the most captivating singers of our time.

Director Harry Fehr makes his English National Opera début. His recent productions include Semele with Blackheath Halls Opera, La sonnambula at Buxton Festival, Sir John in Love with the British Youth Opera and a double bill of Debussy’s L’enfant prodigue and Philip Hagemann’s Poison, Passion & Petrifaction with the Pegasus Opera Company.

The conductor is the Austrian-Spanish genius Teresa Riveiro Böhm, who is also new to the ENO. Already a potent force in the classical music and opera world, she won the coveted Neeme-Järvi-Prize at 2019’s Gstaad Menuhin Festival.

The result of all this skill and talent is a perfect balance between story and song, a beautiful comic opera you’ll love.

Playing at London Coliseum

St Martin's Lane, London, WC2N 4ES GB (venue info)

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