Les Arts hosts the first rehearsals of Donizetti's "L'elisir d'amore".

The Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía hosts this week the first rehearsals of “L'elisir d'amore”, by Donizetti, the opera with which the II Preseason begins with popular prices on October 1st.

Canadian conductor Keri-Lynn Wilson returns to Les Arts to lead this production, becoming only the second woman to conduct opera in the theater's history. Back in the inaugural season in 2006, Chinese-American conductor Xian Zhang led the Main Hall in "La Bohème." Months later, in February 2007, Wilson made her debut conducting the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana with a concert featuring mezzo-soprano Olga Borodina and bass Ildar Abdrazakov.

The arts center is reviving its production of “L'elisir d'amore,” a co-production with the Teatro Real, which has been requested by the opera houses of Brussels, Graz, and Palermo. Damiano Michieletto directs the production, with set design by Paolo Fantin, costumes by Silvia Aymonino, and lighting by Alessandro Carletti.

Prominent artists, young singers, and alumni of the Centre Plácido Domingo make up the cast of the production. Soprano Ilona Mataradze, one of the Centre's first artists, alternates the role of Adina with Karen Gardeazabal, from the current cohort of the artistic program.

Meanwhile, rising American tenor William Davenport, who will also sing in Donizetti's "Lucrezia Borgia," plays the role of Nemorino, while Paolo Bordogna, one of the most sought-after baritones in the bel canto repertoire and who debuted at Les Arts in 2011 with "La Cenerentola," brings Dulcamara to life.

The main cast is completed by baritone Mattia Olivieri (Belcore), who also trained at the Centre de Perfeccionament and currently sings regularly at La Scala in Milan.

In addition to the premiere on October 1st, Les Arts will host further performances of “L'elisir d'amore” on the 4th, 7th, 9th, and 12th of that same month. Ticket prices range from 7 to 50 euros, with intermediate prices of 40, 28, 20, and 15 euros.

A metaphor for the malaise of young people

“L’elisir d’amore” is a comic opera in two acts with a libretto by Felice Romani , based on Eugène Scribe’s libretto for “Le philtre” by Daniel-François-Esprit Auber. Premiered in Milan in 1832, it recounts the trials and tribulations of the naive Nemorino as he tries to win the love of the wealthy and aloof Adina. Donizetti’s work is a staple of the operatic repertoire and contains some of the genre’s most popular arias, such as “Una furtiva lagrima” and “Chiedi all’aura lusinghiera.”

According to Damiano Michieletto, the stage director of this production, “The story of 'L'elisir d'amore' is funny but also sad because it shows the unfortunate Nemorino as a slave to a magic elixir that promises love. But the elixir itself is a lie.”

Donizetti's work, Michieletto explains, is also a metaphor for the unease of young people who seek refuge in chemical substances to avoid confronting their fears and problems. "That's why," he clarifies, "I've chosen to contextualize the story in the present day with real and believable characters. The setting for this 'L'elisir d'amore' is the beach."

For Michieletto, “this place, the beach, simply captures the necessary relationships of the libretto and enhances the fun and credibility for today's audience. In the first act, it is the beach by day, with families and children playing. In the second act, it is the beach by night, with the partying, the alcohol, the sex, the jokes, and then the desolate and empty beach where Nemorino sings 'Una furtiva lagrima', one of the most celebrated moments of the score.”

In Michieletto's production, Adina runs the beach bar where Giannetta works. Nemorino is a humble handyman whose greatest joy is gazing upon the beautiful Adina. Dulcamara is a modern-day charlatan who promises happiness in exchange for his energy drinks, while Belcore is a sailor newly arrived in port who disembarks on the shore eager for female companionship.