NZ Opera Presents: The Elixir Of Love
31st May 2018
ASB Theatre, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review by Sarah Kidd. Photography by Simon Watts.
NZ Opera’s latest presentation of the Gaetano Donizetti opera The Elixir of Love (L’elisir d’amore) is an absolute triumph of light, colour and of course glorious song.
Under the direction of Simon Phillips, The Elixir of Love transports us back to rural Australia – as Phillips himself states “unless the director wishes to fly deliberately in the face of the libretto, a rural setting seems unavoidable” – just as the First World War is descending; an inspired decision which allows for the introduction of the character Belcore as an English sergeant heading a troop of soldiers.
Belcore played by the wondrous Australian baritone Morgan Pearse is resplendent in his role, bringing with him just the right amount of amusing ‘cocksuredness’ to elevate his character. In stark comparison our lead Nemorino played by the delightful Pene Pati (who many would also recognise from his performances with brother Amitai and friend Moses Mackay in Sol3 Mio) is the simple country shepherd who yearns for nothing more than the love of the wealthy tenant farmer Adina played by his real life wife soprano Amina Edris. Pati whose cheeky smile could warm even the coldest of hearts is brilliant as he moves throughout the opera that almost lovingly blurs the lines into a musical. Interacting seamlessly with the set pieces (the shearing of the sheep during Act I an absolute comedic highlight) Pati immediately becomes endearing to the audience as he sets about his naïve quest to purchase some ‘elixir’ that will make his beloved Adina finally look upon him with a kind eye. Providing that elixir is of course Australian Opera stalwart Conal Coad in the role of Dr Dulcamara, whose very arrival onto the stage itself was so charmingly clever that you would have been hard pressed to have found a single audience member who was not completely enraptured by it; his delivery of both ‘Udite, udite, o rustici’ and later especially his barcarolle of ‘lo son ricco e tu sei bella’ with Adina stupendous.
The set itself is victorious in its design; comprised completely of corrugated iron it captures the Australian outback in vivid colour; the overlapping centre sections of the first act brilliantly providing depth of field from which the audience watched in wonderment as moveable set pieces gave the appearance of visitors approaching from afar. Gabriela Tylesova in turn complements the set beautifully with her outstanding costume designs which incorporates the dusky orange and russet hues of the surrounding environment in the choruses’ outfits, once again giving the production an overall feeling of the true outback. Adina first appears before us in a dress that reflects the richness of the clear blue skies and the lushness of both the river she refers to in the first act and the flowers she is often surrounded by. Her wedding dress later in Act II stunning in it’s almost ‘English rose’ simplicity.
Against the sumptuous score impeccably delivered by performance partner Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra and conducted by the one and only – and most beloved – Wyn Davies, the voices of Pati and Edris shine, growing in intensity throughout the performance. From the innocent longing entwined throughout Pati’s rendition of ‘Quanto è bella, quanto è cara’ to the heart soaring beauty of Edris’s performance of ‘Prendi, per me sei libero’ this real life double act breathe new life into this comedic opera without ever taking it too far; many of those present tonight completely enamored by Edris’s portrayal of Adina where she mixes just the right amount of independent sass with the often ill thought arrogance of the attractive and wealthy.
Well thought out touches throughout the production such as the rather Australian slang used in the surtitles – the opening line of ‘She’s a corker!’ when Nemorino first lays his eyes on the wondrous Adina eliciting laughter from the audience – through to the use of a well-known brand of refreshment as a pivotal set piece makes this the ideal opera for first time attendees. The performance even cleverly breaks down the fourth wall as Nemorino himself steps out onto the apron of the stage to look up at the surtitles to work out what exactly Dr Dulcamara is trying to tell him through a mouthful of food.
Luminous, refreshing and bursting with an infectious score that you will find yourself humming long after you have left the venue, NZ Opera’s The Elixir of Love is just what the doctor ordered to chase away the dreary cold of the impending first few weeks of New Zealand’s winter!
Were you there at the ASB Theatre for this magnificent Opera? Or have you seen The Elixir Of Love performed somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
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