Photo by Simon Annand “L' Elisir d'Amore” Glyndebourne Productions Ltd, 2009

村娘アディーナに想いを寄せるネモリーノ。彼女も彼の気持ちにうすうす勘付いています。そこへ颯爽と軍曹ベルコーレが登場。彼も彼女に一目惚れし、結婚を申し込みます。慌てたネモリーノは、流しのインチキ薬売りドゥルカマーラから惚れ薬を手に入れて、彼女の気持ちを自分に向けようと試みます。でもその薬、実は中身はただの安ワインなのです……。

Nemorino is in love with Adina, a village girl. She is conscious of his affection toward her. Dashing Sergeant Belcore appears and falls in love with Adina, too, and immediately proposes marriage to her. Being frightened by the rival in love, Nemorino buys love portion from Dulcamara, a traveling quack salesman and a self-proclaimed apothecary. Nemorino is convinced that the magic portion will gain her love, but actually the bottle contains only cheep wine…

才長け美貌のアディーナが純朴なネモリーノの真の愛に気付き、受け入れるまでの心の動きと、それに伴うドタバタが楽しいオペラです。いわば、喜劇の姿をまとったピュアな愛の物語。アヤシイけれどもどこか憎めないドゥルカマーラが登場するシーンでの、不思議な従者や、イラスト映像を用いた演出もユニークです。そして外せないのは、やはり〈人知れぬ涙〉。彼女の涙は自分を愛している証拠だと歌うこのアリアは、甘い声で歌われるテノール・アリアの傑作のひとつです。場面ごとに着替えるアディーナの衣裳にもご注目を。

It is a real fun to see how Adina, the clever and attractive girl, gradually becomes aware of the true love of naïve Nemorino and eventually comes to love him, after all the comical swings and roundabouts that come along with the event. It seems as if it is a comedy, but it really is a sort of a pure love story.
The direction is unique in such scenes as an enigmatic valet appears with dubious yet lovable Dulcamara, as well as the use of projected illustrations on stage. I’m sure you will fall in love with the aria “Una furtiva lagrima (A furtive tear),” one of the masterpieces of tenor arias, which sings that “her tears prove her love to me.” Pay attention to the costumes of Adina, too, as she changes her costumes in every scene.