Before I proceed to what I would have never imagined writing just a year ago - my first opera review (gasp!) - let me preface by saying that I know absolutely nothing about classical music. Zero! Nada. Of course, as I attend the Opera more and more often, I am growing increasingly curious about how in the world all those folks sitting in the orchestra pit manage to produce what for me is a beautiful backdrop to the opera’s main course - the theatrical performance. To me, a good opera is a high dimensional (could you tell I was a physicist yet?) beast centered around a good story. It is then the job of the actors (yes, opera singers are primarily actors in my eyes), the music, and the set - in that order - to make that story shine.
So… This past Monday, 19/11/2018, I went to see L'elisir d'amore, a comic opera in two acts by Gaetano Donizetti, at Opera Bastille here in Paris. I have already seen (and thoroughly enjoyed!) his Don Pasquale earlier this year, so I had a good feeling as I got off work and squeezed myself and a strategically packed salmon sandwich into the subway. Yes, you can bring food to the opera - just be reasonable about what it is (I’ve seen mainly sandwiches and tidy lunch boxes), have pity on your neighbors (make sure nothing smells at all and, for the love of god, no noisy wrappers!!), and enjoy it in the foyer during the intermission. The food at the opera bar is overpriced, but more importantly - the options tend to be as limited, as the queues are long :( Water bottles are obviously allowed in as well - this ain’t no airport, dears.
The Story*
*Here at LOLing we have a strict no-spoiler policy, so you may continue reading with a peace of mind.
Right, back to the opera. L'elisir d'amore apparently premiered in 1832. I am always curious about these dates, because it makes me appreciate the timelessness of the narrative so much more. If people did not fundamentally change during the last 200 years, perhaps there is hope for us all to make it another 200, eh? The story starts off as a classic “he was a punk, she did ballet” kind of thing: a young unremarkable villager Nemorino is madly in love with the beautiful and well-read Adina. Who said men were thrown off by educated women? Not our late 18th century Nemorino, as it seems to only add to Adina’s high value in his eyes (or so I inferred from his first aria). Then there’s another man, Sergeant Belcore, who rushes in and proposes to our lady almost immediately. Adina is not interested in either one: she seems mildly annoyed by Belcore’s snobby approach and engages in friendly mockery of Nemorino. She loves her single life and intends to keep it that way. Looks like Nemorino is headed straight for Heartbreaksville when a mysterious Dr. Dulcamara arrives in town…
(I was going for something in between a movie trailer and a book description with this, I suppose.)
The Actors
I don’t recall seeing any of the cast before (and I usually look up the singers who make an impression on me after the performance). As I am no expert, I cannot vouch for anyone’s singing, but I can confidently say that Valentina Naforniţă makes one convincing Adina. Every gesture, every facial expression, her physique - everything is consistent with the image of a pretty, smart, independent, in the beginning ever so slightly conceited, young woman. You can clearly see hints of her liking Nemorino early on, despite her initially rebuffing his advances. Well done!
Nemorino, played by Vittorio Grigolo. Hehe, you can tell an Italian from a mile away :) Character-wise, I was more consumed with Adina’s part of the story, even though Nemorino plays a bigger role in it. Just for this reason, I don’t have as much to say about Vittorio, apart from the fact that him and Valentina make a powerful and persuasive acting duet. What stood out to me, however, was Vittorio’s showing of gratitude for the audience applause. His very genuine reaction truly was a pleasure to see :)
Gabriele Viviani (also known as Dr. Dulcamara): the father of modern scammers, funny until you find yourself falling for one of his schemes.
The Set
Just how I like it: a modern setting (I was picturing Italy in the 1950s, for some reason), but none of that minimalist-conceptual-modern-art stuff. The outfits are more or less present day; Dulcamara travels by truck. An easily transferable (to today, that is) story in a relatable setting - quite the opposite of Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde that I saw (more like, had to force myself to finish) at the same opera house earlier this month. Don Pasquale, on the other hand, was done similarly, and I loved every minute of it (will probably review that one as well, even though it has been a few months).
My final highly subjective verdict: 7/10 (would recommend)
XOXO
Olga