L'ELISIR D'AMORE

L'elisir d'amore

DIRECTOR'S NOTES

"Donizetti's playful melodrama tells the story of unrequited love and the path of two young people to liberation from social conditioning. “L’elisir d’amore” is a 'pop' work, which amuses but, at the same time, represents the inner struggle between the need to affirm oneself and the temptation to please one's neighbour.

The action comes to life in the present day, in a city park, during a sunny weekend.

A diverse and exuberant group of people are fighting for the park's common space in a desperate search for recreation and a special place in the world. The choral nature of the work is constant: every event or action of the protagonists is observed, commented on and participated in by the choir, with irony and cynicism.

The kiosk 'La piAdina' (a tipical italian tipe of sandwich) is at the centre of the park's life: we see Nemorino and Giannetta as employees of Adina, the true star of the park, a seductive young woman who attracts the attention of men, as well as the gossip and envyof women.

Two elementary impulses move the characters of 'L’elisir d’amore': the thirst for power and the search for fun. The unrequited love pushes Nemorino to join the army of Belcore, his rival in love, to buy the elixir. Adina, for her part, refuses to show herself vulnerable to love, deluding herself first and then the rest of the world.

This is a world in which being successful is the mask needed to be loved and respected. Meanwhile, society is struggling with the management of common areas. The conflict seems to be the only solution for an entire community that, in a comical escalation of small daily oppressions, finds unity of purpose on rare occasions: either by uniting against the loser, the scapegoat of the moment, or under the ecstatic effect of the magical elixir.

Dulcamara is the catalyst of the action; he appears accompanied by sparkling helpers with delightful circus performances. Everyone is inebriated by the elixir, experiencing the peaks of euphoria and the consequent downfalls, caused by the magical water-soluble powder. The sparkling elixir of love is a smart drug, an intelligent drug, stimulator of serotonin, which dangerously enhances mental and social faculties, infuses well-being and uninhibits the senses. The entire park community deludes itself of the miraculous effect of the elixir, which, combined with plenty of alcohol, seems to be the only solution for a peaceful life.

In this atmosphere of surreal city cohabitation, you'll find the explosion of emotion of a young lover, the enthusiasm and bewilderment of the protagonists, the derision of citizens and the deception of a funny charlatan. The great gear of destiny will involve all the occupants of the park thanks to the advent of the life-saving elixir.” 

Ulduz Ashraf Gandomi