The infallible elisir

PalmAgain, The elisir He again gave the impression that he preaches the jocoso Doctor Dulcamara, sung for this occasion by the great Ambrogio Maestri, is a role he has performed so many times throughout his career that it has become a paradigmatic canon. And regardless of his voice's decline, he is still the smooth-talking purveyor of the cure-all potion. Meanwhile, Javier Camarena/Nemorino, who debuted at the Liceu thirteen seasons ago in this role, was still unwell, and Michael Spyres took over, who, it should be remembered, had sung it the day before. There was little applause at the end of almost any of the most famous and acclaimed arias, until he sang the renowned... A furtive tearWith that, he woke the audience up as if someone had stepped on a lightbulb. A little unfair, they made up for it later, and the party ended as always, with the audience in a frenzy, accompanying Dulcamara when she did the obligatory encore, the usual one. Udite, Udite Oh! Rusticio.

That said, it must be acknowledged that the orchestra, conducted by Diego Matheuz, lacked a certain bel canto freshness, making it sound a little flatter than is advisable and necessary. Perhaps Spyres needed to finish, for example, with just a touch of the highest note in the opening. How beautiful she is, how expensive she is!, But the overall effect of their performances was superbly elegant, their voices velvety, clear, and consistent. Belcore, the ridiculous sergeant, was particularly consistent, though Hugh Montague Rendall had much more charm and less vocal projection. Serena Sáenz's Amina also did not disappoint at all, although there were some embellishments, with good resolution in the high notes and even better stage presence, which made a character with many facets and complexities believable.

The heart of the production rose to the occasion, impeccable in this staging, which, almost thirty years after its premiere at the Teatre Victòria, continues to run like clockwork. It should be said that the interpretation of the characters was very natural, completely removed from caricature, which not only preserves their narrative value but also lends credibility to the familiar resolution of the story, with the happy ending that a comedy of this kind requires.

The Elisir of LoveGaetano Donizetti's opera is always a safe bet, a joyous celebration, but it's worth noting that it arrives at the most opportune moment, like a wink, just before the program of the origin of it all, the Tristan and Isolde who will sing Lise Davidsen in January.