The Elixir of Love - Student Guide

L’Elisir d’Amore

Act I On a farm in a beautiful Italian village nestled in the foot of the Alps Mountains, Adina, the flirtatious proprietress, sits with her friend Giannetta and other villagers as they rest from harvesting the fields. The lovesick Nemorino timidly keeps his distance and secretly pines for Adina. The villagers persuade Adina to read to them the well-known story of Tristan and Isolde of how a love potion helped Tristan win the heart of Isolde. She finishes the story just as Sergeant Belcore swaggers into town with his garrison. He immediately recognizes Adina as the most beautiful and wealthiest young woman in the village, chivalrously presents her with a flower, and asks for her hand in marriage. Adina, amused, agrees to think it over. Nemorino, who secretly witnessed this proposal, is consumed by jealousy. This propels him to muster the courage to confess his love to Adina. Haughty and fickle, she replies that he should spend his time caring for his ailing uncle rather than pursue her.

In the piazza, the town center, the villagers surround Dr. Dulcamara, a traveling salesman who claims his inexpensive potions will cure any ailment, and the villagers eagerly buy them. Nemorino asks Dr. Dulcamara if he sells the love potion described in the story Adina recounted. Though the doctor has never heard Tristan and Isolde, he replies that he does indeed sell

A Student Guide to CHARACTERS

By Gaetano Donizetti

that potion. With his last few coins, Nemorino buys a bottle, which, unknown to him, is only red wine, and drinks its entire contents. He is instructed that the desired effect will take place in 24 hours. Adina arrives to find a cheerful, tipsy Nemorino. She proclaims her decision to marry Sergeant Belcore in one week. Amused, Nemorino feigns indifference since he believes she will be his by the next day. Adina, perplexed by his sudden change of heart, flirts with Belcore only to discover he and his garrison must leave the following morning. Belcore persuades Adina to marry him that very evening. A crushed Nemorino attempts to talk Adina out of her hasty decision and to wait one more day, but she ignores him.

Act II Adina and Belcore’s wedding celebration is underway and Dr. Dulcamara offers to sing a duet with Adina. When the duet ends, Adina and Sergeant Belcore prepare to sign their marriage contract, but Adina stalls because Nemorino is not present. When he finally arrives, Nemorino begs Dr. Dulcamara for a second bottle of elixir, but he refuses because Nemorino has no more money. Belcore persuades Nemorino to join the army by explaining that he will be given a commission (salary). This enables him to buy more elixir immediately, so the desperate young villager agrees.

Adina (soprano) – a young, rich, and capricious landowner

Nemorino (tenor) – a farmer and simple youth in love with Adina

Sergeant Belcore (bass) – the sergeant of the garrison in the village

Dr. Dulcamara (bass) – a traveling medicine man

Giannetta (soprano) – a pretty country girl and Adina’s friend

Meanwhile, the women in the village are gossiping. Giannetta heard that Nemorino’s uncle has just died, leaving him a considerable inheritance. Nemorino arrives, having downed a second bottle of elixir hoping to speed the process along. Giddy and unaware of his new fortune, Nemorino believes it can only be the elixir that has caused all the women in the village to flirt and vie for his attention. When Adina and Belcore arrive, they are

astonished to find Nemorino surrounded by women. Swelling with jealousy, Adina listens as Dr. Dulcamara explains what Nemorino has done by enlisting in the army to buy a second bottle of elixir. She is suddenly touched by the lengths that Nemorino has gone to win her affections and realizes her guilt in not returning such genuine feelings. Adina discovers she loves Nemorino, and although Dr. Dulcamara tries to talk her into buying some of his elixir, she resolves to win him back using her own charms. Even though he is surrounded by women, Nemorino does not fail to notice the single tear on Adina’s cheek and he is heartened that she might finally love him in return.

Nemorino agrees to meet Adina so she can explain how she bought his enlistment papers from Sergeant Belcore. Even though Adina loves Nemorino, she is timid about her feelings and he threatens to enter the army anyway. Finally, Adina confesses her love and Dr. Dulcamara tells the couple of Nemorino’s inheritance, which completes their happiness. Sergeant Belcore returns, sees the new couple, and flippantly exclaims there are hundreds more women in the world for him. Dr. Dulcamara is praised for his magic elixir of love and he happily sells several more bottles before leaving the village.

COMPOSER

Gaetano Donizetti was born in 1797 in Bergamo, Italy, just outside of Milan. Musically gifted, Donizetti was accepted at age nine to study at the Lezioni Caritatevoli School where he met his mentor and founder of the school, Simon Mayr. Donizetti considered Mayr his second father. Mayr helped Donizetti through his studies and to launch a professional career. Donizetti was a prolific composer, writing as many as 65 operas, as well as works for chamber orchestra, string quartets, and sacred music. He was highly influenced by his contemporary, Gioachino Rossini (The Barber of Seville), and imitated Rossini’s work until he found his own style. Donizetti had a talent for composing very quickly and often completed an opera in as few as ten days. His most famous operas, two comedies and one drama, are L’elisir d’amore (1832), Don Pasquale (1843), and Lucia di Lammermoor (1835) respectfully. Although he was very fond of his home in Northern Italy, many years of his career were spent living and composing in Paris, the cultural center of Europe. He had a wife and three children, all of whom died from a cholera epidemic. Donizetti fell ill from complications of cerebro-spinal syphilis in 1845, and after months of treatment in Paris, he returned to his home in Italy, where he died in 1848.

FUN FACTS

During the period that L’elisir d’amore takes place, it was uncommon for anyone beyond clergy members to be literate. Therefore, to have Adina, a young, single, wealthy, educated woman, open the first scene of the opera reading to the other villagers is significant.

In United States courts, accusing someone of quackery is distinguished from an accusation of fraud in that one who is a quack is not knowingly deceptive.

LIBRETTIST

Felice Romani was born in 1788 in Genoa, Italy. He was a poet and scholar of literature. He wrote libretti for many operas and collaborated with composers such as Simon Mayr, Vincenzo Bellini (La sonnambula and Norma), Gioachino Rossini (II Turco in Italia), Gaetano Donizetti (Lucrezia Borgia, Anna Bolena, and L’elisir d’amore), and later, Giuseppe Verdi (Un Giorno di regno) Romani never created his own stories, but preferred to adapt plays that were popular in Paris. L’elisir d’amore was adapted from a play written by French playwright Eugène Scribe called Le Philtre (The Potion). Adapting existing works got him into trouble especially when he rewrote Victor Hugo’s play Lucrezia Borgia into the libretto for Donizetti’s opera of the same title. When Hugo found out, he barred further performances until Romani changed the title and some of the characters. Romani resided in Milan and was the resident librettist for the famous opera house Teatro alla Scala. He died in 1865.

The Medicine Show The Medicine Show

Dr. Dulcamara, a quack, or traveling charlatan, is not a real doctor at all. The word quackery comes from the kwakzalver meaning “boaster who applies salve”, and refers to the practice of advertising “medicine” that lacks proven effectiveness. Quacks often traveled with a medicine show, which was a traveling band of vaudevillian style entertainers. The show climaxed with a “doctor” or “professor” pitching the persuasive sale of cure-all medicines. The origin of medicine shows can be traced back to early 14th century Europe. Between the mid-17th and early 18th century, medicine shows were prevalent throughout the United States. Their purpose was to sell patent medicine to people in towns across the country.

Patent medicine dates back to the early days of marketing elixirs as medicines whose ingredients were kept secret and effectiveness was questionable. When a particular elixir was used by European royalty, it was issued letters patent, a royal decree, authorizing the use of the royal endorsement in advertisement. The name continued to be used in the post-American Revolution United States even though the patent was no longer of value. By today’s standards, we would equate this kind of patent with a trademark, rather than the present day definition of a patent. Companies created patent medicines and employed performers to travel to neighboring towns to sell them. One of the most well known American companies was the Kickapoo Indian Medicine Company in New Haven, Connecticut with its Wild West theme. During the show, Native Americans were often employed as spokespeople.

The medicine show, and all the billing and press that went along with it, is the foundation of modern American advertising. Patent companies printed catalogs and filled newspapers and magazines with their advertisements. Many techniques that were used to sell patent medicines are often used today in printed and televised advertising. Medicine shows came to an end in 1906 when the United States government passed the Pure Food and Drug Act that required all medicines to be labeled with their ingredients. The first drug stores in small towns, along with better forms of advertisement, only encouraged their end.

Explore:

• If you could create a patent medicine or elixir, how would you advertise it and what would it cure?

• Forms of quackery still exist today. Can you name a few?

FUN FACTS

Coca-Cola, Dr. Pepper, Pepsi Cola, Hines Root Beer, and tonic water were first marketed as patent medicines and sold in medicine shows with claims to be effective remedies for many ailments.

In many towns, the medicine show was the only form of entertainment, so when a show came to town, schools and shops were closed and people gathered in their finest attire to watch the show.

COMMEDIA DELL’ARTE

Commedia dell’arte, a style of comedic theater that was popular in Renaissance Italy, has origins in ancient Greek theater. The height of commedia dell’arte was before Eugène Scribe’s (The playwright of Le Philtre, the original story on which Felice Romani based his libretto for Donizetti’s opera) time, but was still a major influence on his writing. Commedia dell’arte consisted of a cast of stock characters each defined by specific one-dimensional archetypal traits. They represented social stereotypes of the time, but can be seen as timeless. The setting and a rough plotline were devised ahead of time, but no script was prepared and it was up to the skill of the actors to create moments of drama, comedy, suspense, and romance through improvisation. They brought comedy from the royal courts to the common people throughout Italy by traveling from town to town, and presenting situations that the common villager could relate to. Dialogue was wittily exchanged and cleverly timed and often included local slang and profanity. The physical aspect of comedy was also an integral part of commedia dell’arte, whether it was exaggerated pantomime, acrobatic feats, or staged brawls. Think of the physical comedy made popular by Lucille Ball or Jim Carrey for example. The comedy was often accompanied by a Cantarina (Italian for “singer” or “musician”) and entr’actes (French for “between acts”) were performed by Ballerina (Italian for “dancers”). Many comedic Italian operas, such as The Marriage of Figaro, were influenced by commedia dell’arte, and in fact, it is still a major influence in modern comedy.

Traditionally, stock characters were identified by distinct masks and costumes, not unlike Greek theater. They also had other defining characteristics. Usually, the characters would consist of an old man, a young soldier, a pretty woman, her maid, and a young simpleton. Do these characters sound familiar? The names and descriptions of some stock characters from commedia dell’arte are listed below. Which characters in L’elisir d’amore do they represent?

❋ Isabella is beautiful, headstrong, and flirtatious. Men are always falling in love with her and she loves to tease and test them.

❋ Columbina is the lady’s maid and confidant of Isabella. She is witty, bright, and usually propels the intrigue.

❋ Pedrolino is a young, naïve, moonstruck dreamer and is often portrayed as being a bit shy.

❋ Il Dottore is the caricature of learning and knowledge. Pompous and fraudulent, he loves to expound on any subject just to hear himself speak, but very little of what he says has any validity.

FUN FACTS

When commedia dell’arte traveling troops were peak, Italy unified country, divided into city-states. state had dialect of Italian was often difficult Italians from to understand in a different When these traveled the to perform, residents may understood the performers Emphasis was the language but on the physical comedy. fact, different within the troop not even speak same language each other depending on of their character.

FACTS

commedia traveling were at their was not a country, but into different Each cityhad its own Italian and it difficult for from one region understand those different region. these troops the country many local may not have understood a word performers said. was not on language itself, aspects of comedy. In different actors troop might speak the language to other on stage on the origin character.

BEL CANTO

Reaching its height in the 17th century, bel canto (Italian for “beautiful singing”) is characterized by music that showcases the voice. Composers such as Vincenzo Bellini (Norma), Gioachino Rossini (The Barber of Seville) and Gaetano Donizetti (L’elisir d’amore) are well known for writing many operas and art songs in this style. It was common, and even expected, for the singer to add embellishments between the notes already written. These embellishments are referred to as coloratura, which are most commonly, but not always, associated with the soprano voice. Bel canto can be distinguished by smooth, delicate, slow singing or fiery, fast singing that ranges the entire scale. Below is an example:

Donizetti specialized in tightly weaving the musical components with the dramatic components in his operas. The score of L’elisir d’amore is steeped with musical clues, which convey to the audience that this opera is taking place in a small Italian village. The rhythms and tones come directly from traditional Italian folk music and the orchestra imitates a local Italian band at times. Musical suggestions of traditional dances and songs are interwoven throughout the opera. There are very few lines of recitative, or sung narration with little or no accompaniment, which also keeps the relation between the music and the drama close and provides more opportunities for the singer to show off his or her talents in true bel canto style.

Coloratura in bel canto is used to express a wide range of emotions. Donizetti wrote music for the orchestra to support these emotions being portrayed by the singers. A unique example features the bassoon at the beginning of Nemorino’s aria “Una furtiva lagrima” at the end of Act II. Most often, the bassoon portrays a comic sound, as it does in the well-known musical story of Peter and the Wolf by Sergei Prokofiev. In “Una furtiva lagrima” however, the bassoon plays a plaintive, sad melody.

Explore:

• Listen for examples of coloratura in L’elisir d’amore. Can you find some?

• Listen to the beginning of Nemorino’s aria“Una furtiva lagrima” at the end of Act II.

• Can you pick out the bassoon?

• What emotions are being expressed by both the bassoon and the tenor?

• How do they support each other to propel the aria to the climax?

• How are bel canto and coloratura similar to jazz improvisation?

• Close your eyes and listen to the music. How does it, by itself, convey the setting?

TRISTAN AND ISOLDE

You may have seen the recent blockbuster film, Tristan and Isolde, the same story that Adina reads to the villagers in this opera, but here are some things you may not know:

❋ Tristan and Isolde was one of the most influential medieval love stories that predates the Arthurian love story of Lancelot and Guinevere.

❋ The earliest history of this story can be traced back to two French poets, Thomas and Beroul, who lived in the second half of the 12th century. Their sources came from archetypal Celtic romance.

❋ Other later versions of the story takes place in Arthurian time (Fifth century Wales), which, in some cases became more well known than the previous versions.

❋ The opera Tristan und Isolde, written, both music and words, by German composer Richard Wagner in 1859, was inspired by a love affair in his personal life.

❋ The opera premiered at the National Theater in Munich, Germany in 1865 and was revolutionary in its style, emphasizing harmony and tightly weaving textures of the drama with musical dynamics and subtleties.

❋ The story has been told and retold throughout history by many poets, writers, artists, and musicians.

Explore:

• Why do you think this particular story was chosen to be read by Adina at the beginning of L’elisir d’amore?

FUN FACTS

Prolific poet and playwright Eugène Scribe, the author of the story Le Philtre (that was later adapted by Felice Romani) wrote opera libretti for Vincenzo Bellini, Gioachino Rossini, Gaetano Donizetti, and Giuseppe Verdi among others.

WHAT DO WE WEAR? AND OTHER STUFF…

The following will help you to better enjoy your experience of a night at the opera:

❋ Dress in what is comfortable for you, whether it is jeans or a suit. "Fun casual" is usually what people wear - unless it is opening night, which is typically dressier. A night at the opera can be an opportunity to get dressed in formal attire.

❋ Arrive on time. Latecomers will be seated only at suitable breaks and often not until intermission.

❋ Please respect other patrons' enjoyment by turning off cell phones, pagers, watch alarms, and other electronic devices.

❋ You will see a full dress rehearsal; an opportunity to get an insider’s look into the final moments of preparation before an opera opens.

❋ The singers will be in full costume and makeup, the opera will be fully staged, and a full orchestra will accompany the singers, however they may choose to mark, or not sing full voice, in order to save their voices for the performances.

❋ A final dress rehearsal is often a complete run through, but there is a chance the director or conductor will ask to repeat a scene or two. This is the last opportunity the performers have to rehearse with the orchestra before opening night, and therefore need this valuable time to work.

❋ At the very beginning of the opera, the concertmaster of the orchestra, the violinist who sits closest to the conductor, will ask the oboe player to play the note “A.” Listen carefully. You will hear that all the other musicians in the orchestra will tune their instruments to match the oboe’s “A.”

❋ After all the instruments are tuned, the conductor will arrive. Be sure to applaud!

❋ Feel free to applaud (or shout BRAVO!) at the end of an aria or chorus piece to signify your enjoyment. The end of a piece can be identified by a pause in the music. Singers love an appreciative audience!

❋ Go ahead and laugh when something is funny!

❋ Taking photos or making audio or video recordings during a performance is not allowed.

❋ Do not chew gum, eat, drink, or talk during the performance. If you must visit the restroom during the performance, please exit quickly and quietly. When you return, an usher will let you know when you can re-enter.

❋ Let the action on stage surround you. As an audience member, you are a very important part of the process that is taking place. Without you, there is no show!

❋ Read the English supertitles projected above the stage. Operas are usually performed in their original language. Opera composers find inspiration in the natural rhythm and inflection of words in particular languages. Similar to a foreign film, the supertitles help the audience gain a better understanding of the story.

❋ Listen for subtleties in the music. The tempo, volume, and complexity of the music and singing depict the feelings or actions of the characters. Also, notice repeated words or phrases; they are usually significant.

❋ Have fun and enjoy the show!!

FUN FACTS

Italian comedic opera is known as opera buffa

What do the characters’ names tell you about them? Here are some loose Italian translations:

Nemorino—little nothing

Giannetta—the skin of a wild cat

Dulcamara—a climbing parasitic plant like deadly nightshade

Opera House Teatro alla Scala, Milano, Italy

EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMS

ARE MADE POSSIBLE BY THE GENEROUS SUPPORT OF THESE FUNDERS:

as of February 17, 2006

$50,000 and above

Mr. and Mrs. John Pohanka

$25,000 and above

The Bank of America Charitable Foundation

Prince Charitable Trust

$10,000 and above

DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts Dominion

Mr. and Mrs. Ken Feinberg

Jacob & Charlotte Lehrman Foundation

The Washington Post Company

$5,000 and above

The Honorable Max N. Berry and Mrs. Berry

Mr. and Mrs. Melvin S. Cohen

International Humanities

Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Rotberg

$2,500 and above

Mr. Walter Arnheim

Clark-Winchcole Foundation

The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation

The K.P. and Phoebe Tsolainos Foundation

$1,000 and above

Paul and Annetta Himmelfarb Foundation

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Professor Martin Ginsburg

Horwitz Family Foundation

George Wasserman Family Foundation, Inc.

Ms. Diane Wolf

Washington National Opera

Founded in 1956, Washington National Opera is recognized today as one of the leading opera companies in the United States. Under the leadership of General Director Plácido Domingo, Washington National Opera continues to build on its rich history by offering productions of consistently high artistic standards and balancing popular grand opera with new or less frequently performed works.

As part of the Center for Education and Training at Washington National Opera, Education and Community Programs provides a wide array of programs to serve a diverse local and national audience of all ages.

Our school-based programs offer students the opportunity to experience opera first hand -- through in-depth yearlong school partnerships, the acclaimed Opera Look-In, the District of Columbia Public Schools Partnership, and the Kids Create Opera Partners (for elementary schools), and the Student Dress Rehearsal (for high schools) programs. Opera novices and aficionados alike have the opportunity to learn about WNO’s 50th anniversary season through the Opera Insights series, presented throughout the season on the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage. All Insights are free, open to the public, and archived on the WNO website. Outreach to the greater Washington, D.C. community is achieved through our numerous public Library Programs, as well as through the Family Look-In.

For more information on the programs offered by Washington National Opera, please visit our website at www.dc-opera.org.

CREDITS

Writer:

Rebecca Kirk

Education and Community Programs Associate

Editors:

Michelle Krisel

Director, Center for Education and Training

Caryn Fraim

Associate Director, Education and Community Programs

Stephanie Wright

Education and Community Programs Manager

Graphic Design:

LB Design