The heart of the farm worker Nemorino beats for the landowner Adina. Because she shows no interest at all, he digs deep into his already almost empty pocket and spends his little money on a supposed love potion. But the love potion is only red wine, and Nemorino's plan backfires: Adina doesn't even look at the drunken Nemorino and angrily wants to marry someone else that same day. For the two to get together, even more high-proof elixir is needed - and a good pinch of coincidence and luck. According to legend, the composition of this opera buffa took Gaetano Donizetti less than three weeks - the result is a jewel of bel canto full of melodic inventiveness and sparkling coloraturas.

The Love Potion (L'elisir d'amore)

Staatstheater Darmstadt

In 1847, Giuseppe Verdi was working on a piece unlike anything ever seen on the opera stage. To turn a dark, blood-soaked Shakespearean tragedy into an Italian opera was already a bold undertaking. But to go even further and create an opera that adhered closely to the character of the original rather than to established operatic forms seemed almost impossible. “I believe the time has come to abandon the usual forms and models,” Verdi wrote. Thus he ventured into the creation of a musical drama exploring psychological abysses amid a whirl of crime, guilt, and punishment, under the imposing English title of the original: Macbeth.

Matteo Roma

Events

Upcoming events

May 2 - Jul 10, 2027

Macbeth · Oper Köln

Past events

Feb 7, 2025

The Love Potion (L'elisir d'amore) · Staatstheater Darmstadt

Future and recently performed repertoire

Macduff in Macbeth by Verdi

Oper Köln

Nemorino in L'elisir d'amore by Donizetti

Staatstheater Darmstadt

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