You are on page 1of 2

A Different Kind of Elixir

By Zachary Heinlein
Performance at Metropolitan Opera on Mar. 19, 2016
Review made on Apr. 4, 2016

Love cannot be forced onto another, but it must be earned and it must grow. This is
the theme of Gaetano Donizettis L'Elisir D'Amore (Eng. The Elixir of Love). I saw this
opera at the famous Metropolitan Opera, at the Lincoln Center in New York City on
March 19, 2016, with my fellow classmates and choir members. While there were some
things that made the show less appealing, the outstanding parts of the show outweighed
the negative aspects.
One of the things that was not well crafted were the costumes. Most of them
seemed lacking; there was hardly any vibrancy and intricacy to the costumes, and many
of the characters, at least from where I was sitting, seemed to blend in and had no
significance, no uniqueness to them. However, the props and set made up for the dullness
of the costumes. The props were intricate and the set created a specific atmosphere that
added to the plot, and it immersed me into the world of the show.
Immediately after watching the show, I was thinking to myself at how different the
two acts were. The first act was slow paced, it really focused on Nemorino, the main
character, and his desire for Adina, and the drama of the relationship. It built up to
Nemorino meeting Dulcamara and obtaining the titular elixir. However, the second act
really picks up the pace; it includes much more comedic dialogue from the actors, and

had stunning performances from the entire cast, but especially from Aleksandra Kurzak
and Vittorio Grigolo, who play Adina and Nemorino, respectively.
However, one of the more prominent flaws that was stopping me from enjoying
the show was the language, and how it was not in a language I spoke. The auditorium had
subtitles on railings in front of each seat, and so you had to glance between the subtitles
and the actors, which added a barrier between watching the actors and knowing what they
are saying. But, the stunning performances made up for the dialogue I didnt understand,
and the set and atmosphere of the theater helped immerse me in this story.
LElisir DAmore is an opera buffa, with many comedic aspects to it; it's lighter in
tone and seems to let itself move around and try different things, which, for the most part,
really did benefit to the performance. The actors and actresses of the show shined
individually in their own light, and the show wouldn't have been the same without the
actors chosen to portray the characters. I highly recommend The Elixir of Love to lovers
of opera and to those who are not so familiar with opera. But I do recommend that you
read a short summary of the show beforehand, so you have a better understanding of what
is going on onstage.

You might also like