L’elisir d’amore

ACT I

Scene 1

Adina, a rich young lady owns several farms. The action of the opera takes place at one of them. Adina’s friends are singing a merry tune, the leading voice belongs to Adina’s close friend, Gianetta. Meanwhile, Nemorino who is desperately in love with Adina is singing a tender aria about his love, «Quanto e bella, quanto e ñàrà» (“How beautiful she is”).

As for Adina, she is reading the story of Tristan and Isolde to her friends. It tells about a magic potion helping the main characters fall in love with each other, and speaking to himself, Nemorino decides to find this magic potion come hell or high water.

With the sound of the drums the soldiers of Sergeant Belcore enter the village. The glorious warrior Belcore immediately notices Adina and vigorously proposes her to marry him. The lady declines his proposal in light and flirty way. Now that everyone is gone, the stuttering poor boy Nemorino annoys Adina with his courting. She sends Nemorino away to his sick uncle in town, who has been getting at her lately with passionate expressions of love («Chiedi all'aura lusinghiera» — « Ask the flattering breeze »).

Scene 2

The villagers are excited to see a wealthy looking man. That is doctor Dulcamara, the quack healer, trading all kind of stuff. What is it that he is selling now? The magic potion, of course. One becomes all powerful in love after drinking it. The locals set in line to buy this elixir, which costs not so much, by the way. The suspicious Nemorino wants only the one, capable of charming Isolde. He gets it for a significantly bigger amount of money (Nemorino gives away the last golden coin for it). That was of course, the same bottle of Bordeaux, just like all the rest. After having a lot of it, Nemorino being pretty drunk and self-aware speaks to Adina in presumptuous way. This new behavior affects the girl’s pride and she agrees to marry Sergeant Belcore to spite Nemorino.

Poor Nemorino! Dulcamara told him to take the potion in twenty four hours, but Adina has accepted Belcore’s proposal and promised to marry him tonight, because the sergeant received an order to set off next morning. Everyone is invited to the wedding; Nemorino is begging (in vain) to delay the ceremony at least for one day.

ACT II

Scene 1

Several hours later. The villagers gather to help Adina prepare for her wedding with Sergeant Belcore. Doctor Dulcamara plays the main role in this event. When the civil law notary is announced to arrive, confused Nemorino talks to Dulcamara about the situation he got into. Obviously, the quack recommends buying another bottle, the one that will start working in half an hour. Unfortunately, Nemorino has no more money left. Consequently, when the doctor leaves him Nemorino turns to his nemesis, Sergeant Belcore, asking for advice. He suggests signing up for the combat arms, because each recruit gets twenty escudo for that. They come to an agreement and Nemorino gets his money.

Scene 2

As it should be in a typical music comedy, things work out the best possible way in the final scene, which takes place the same evening. The chorus of chatty girls informs the audience that Nemorino inherited his uncle’s immense fortune. Nemorino yet knows nothing, and when he appears – more self-aware than ever, because of the “elixir” – all girls fall in love with him. He acts like he doesn’t care about the burst of attention to his person, even Adina’s behavior; she seems to be really upset about this turn of events. Doctor Dulcamara sees a potential customer and suggests Adina buying his potion. She tells him that she has a better option, which is a number of female tricks.

Left alone, Nemorino sings his famous aria — «Una furtiva lagrima» («A furtive tear»). He sees how sorrowful Adina is and tells that he would rather die to make her happy. However, when Adina approaches him, he acts indifferent. Even when she returns him the recruit form, which she has bought back from Belcore, he is still cold. In the end, she can’t hold it and confesses she loves him. Their duet ends up in passionate outpour of feelings – they are happy now. Belcore is philosophic about that: there are a lot of other goals to reach for a courageous soldier. Now everyone knows that Nemorino inherited a fortune. The good old doctor Dulcamara is convinced – and convincing the others - that their happiness is a product of his potion, his chemical experiments. The opera ends with everyone buying a bottle of magic Love Potion.