Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore is Jan. 21, 2023, Saturday Radio Broadcast

Summary: Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore is the Jan. 21, 2023, Saturday radio broadcast, airing as sixth of the 2022-2023 season's 24 Saturday radio broadcasts.

Ambrogio Maestri as Met Opera's quacky "Doctor" Dulcamara, who finds success as potion-selling "physician" after his fake love potion enheartens a love-addled villager to succeed in wooing a seemingly inaccessible landowner; set by Michael Yeargan, by costumes by Catherine Zuber: The Girl of the Golden Met, via Facebook Dec. 26, 2022

Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore is the Jan. 21, 2023, Saturday radio broadcast, airing at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time as the sixth of the 2022-2023 Met Opera season's lineup of 24 Saturday matinee opera broadcasts.

In L'Elisir d'Amore by Italian composer Domenico Gaetano Maria Donizetti (Nov. 29, 1797-April 8, 1848), a fake love portion quacked by a medicinal charlatan serves as a romantic talisman in the seemingly hopeless quest of a gullible, hapless villager for the love of a lovely landowner. Italian poet Felice Romani (Jan. 31, 1788-Jan. 28, 1865) based his Italian libretto upon a French libretto that French dramatist and librettist Augustin Eugène Scribe (Dec. 24, 1791-Feb. 20, 1861) had created for Le Philtre (“The Potion”), a two-act opera by French composer Daniel Auber François Esprit Auber (Jan. 29, 1782-May 12, 1871). Le Philtre premiered June 15, 1831, at Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin, located at 18, Boulevard Saint-Martin, in the 10th arrondissement of Paris (10e, or Xe, arrondissement de Paris) on the Seine's right bank (rive droite de la Seine). Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin was built as the third opera house for L’Académie Royale de Musique, now known as Opéra National de Paris' National Opera of Paris.

The 2022-2023 Met Opera season's performances of L'Elisir d'Amore mark the opera company's fourth revival of the new production that Bartlett Sher debuted in the 2012-2013 season. The American theater director had made his Met Opera debut Monday, Jan. 28, 2013, with the debut of his Rigoletto production, in the opera company's 842nd performance of Rigoletto by Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi (Oct. 10, 1813-Jan. 27, 1901).

L'Elisir d'Amore receives 12 performances in the 2022-2023 Met Opera season. The Sher production's fourth revival opened Tuesday, Jan. 10, at 7:30 p.m. The month's five additional performances are scheduled for Friday, Jan. 13, at 7:30 p.m.; Tuesday, Jan. 17, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday matinee broadcast, Saturday, Jan. 21, at 1:00 p.m.; Tuesday, Jan. 24, at 8:00 p.m.; and Friday, Jan. 27, at 8:00 p.m.

Six performances are scheduled in spring. The season's last six performances of L'Elisir d'Amore will take place Thursday, April 13, at 8:00 p.m.; Sunday, April 16, at 3:00 p.m.; Wednesday, April 19, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, April 22, at 1:00 p.m.; Wednesday, April 26, at 8:00 p.m.; and closing night, Saturday, April 29, at 8:00 p.m.

The 2022-2023 season's 12 performances of L'Elisir d'Amore are divided among two casts. The winter cast appears in the opera's Saturday matinee broadcast, Jan. 21.

Michele Gamba conducts all 12 performances of L'Elisir d'Amore. The Italian conductor and répétiteur made his Met Opera debut in the fourth revival's opening night, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023.

Golda Schultz appears in all six winter performances, including the Saturday matinee broadcast, as high-spirited Adina, whose indifference to Nemorino transforms into love. The South African soprano had made her Met Opera debut Wednesday, Sep. 27, 2017, as Pamina in the opera company’s 433rd performance of Die Zauberflöte by 18th century Classical Era composer Wolfgang Mozart (Jan. 27, 1756-Dec. 5, 1791).

Javier Camarena appears in all six winter performances, including the Saturday matinee broadcast, as love-addled Nemorino, whose seemingly impossible prospects for requited love improve impressively, thanks to belief in a fake love potion and an uplift in his socioeconomic status. The Mexican operatic tenor had made his Met Opera debut Saturday, Oct. 1, 2011, as Count Almaviva in the opera house’s 587th performance of Il Barbiere di Siviglia by 19th-century Italian composer Gioachino Rossini (Feb. 29, 1792-Nov. 13, 1868).

Davide Luciano appears in the first four (including the Saturday matinee broadcast) and sixth winter performances as Sergeant Belcore, who philosphically accepts Adina's cancellation of their wedding in favor of her new-found love for Nemorino. Davide Luciano's portrayal marks his first reprisal of his Met Opera debut role in the opera's third revival. The Italian baritone had made his Met Opera debut Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018, as Belcore in the opera company's 293rd performance of L'Elisir d'Amore.

Davide Luciano shares the winter role with Michael Sumuel, who sings Belcore in the last of the opera's six winter performances. The American bass-baritone had made his Met Opera debut Friday, Dec. 17, 2021, as the King in the opera company's ninth performance of Cendrillon by French Romantic Era composer Jules Massenet (May 12, 1842-Aug. 13, 1912).

Ambrogio Maestri appears in all six winter performances, including the Saturday matinee broadcast, as "Doctor" Dulcamara, whose socioeconomic status is boosted, from quack medicine hawker to esteemed doctor of best-selling potions by Nemorino's fake love potion-induced, successful wooing of seemingly unattainable Adina. Ambrogio Maestri's Dulcamara marks his first reprisal of the role that he had added to his Met Opera portfolio in the 2012-2013 debut of Bartlett Sher's new production. The Italian operatic baritone had made his Met Opera debut Monday, Nov. 15, 2004, as Amonasro in the opera company’s 1,074th performance of Verdi’s Aida.

The 2022-2023 Met Opera season's lineup of Saturday matinee broadcasts continues with the Jan. 28, 2023, airing of Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites. The quasi-historical, French Revolution-based opera is scheduled as the seventh of the season's 24 Saturday matinee opera broadcasts.

Met Opera's winter cast for Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore features Golda Schultz as seemingly Nemorino-impervious Adina (upper left), Javier Camarena as lovelorn Nemorino (upper right), Ambrogio Maestri as "Doctor" Dulcamara (lower left) and Davide Luciano as philosophical groom-not-to-be Sergeant Belcore (lower right): Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Twitter Jan. 10, 2023

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Ambrogio Maestri as Met Opera's quacky "Doctor" Dulcamara, who finds success as potion-selling "physician" after his fake love potion enheartens a love-addled villager to succeed in wooing a seemingly inaccessible landowner; set by Michael Yeargan, by costumes by Catherine Zuber: The Girl of the Golden Met, via Facebook Dec. 26, 2022, @ https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=121971837418037&set=ecnf.100045194088981

Met Opera's winter cast for Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore features Golda Schultz as seemingly Nemorino-impervious Adina (upper left), Javier Camarena as lovelorn Nemorino (upper right), Ambrogio Maestri as "Doctor" Dulcamara (lower left) and Davide Luciano as philosophical groom-not-to-be Sergeant Belcore (lower right): Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Twitter Jan. 10, 2023, @ https://twitter.com/MetOpera/status/1612838274824867841

For further information:

“Debut: Javier Camarena.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 354056 Il Barbiere di Siviglia {587} Metropolitan Opera House: 10/01/2011.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=354056

“Debuts: Ambrogio Maestri, Armando Braswell.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 351078 Aida {1074} Metropolitan Opera House: 11/15/2004.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=351078

“Debuts: Domingo Hindoyan, Davide Luciano.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 356855 L’Elisir d’Amore {293} Metropolitan Opera House: 01/16/2018.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=356855

“Debuts: Golda Schultz, Lucas Mann.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 356741 Die Zauberflöte {433} Metropolitan Opera House: 09/27/2017.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=356741

"Debuts: Matthew Anchel, Jonah Hoskins, Michael Sumuel." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 357532 Cendrillon {9} Metropolitan Opera House: 12/17/2021. (Debuts: Matthew Anchel, Jonah Hoskins, Michael Sumuel Broadcast/Streamed). December 17, 2021. Abridged version in English.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=357532

The Girl of the Golden Met. "My new post is out! The Met's Winter Operafest: January 2023 A pioneer of 'realism'. A classic tragedy. A rom-com. A Reign of Terror drama. New York’s New Year just got a lot more exciting . . . 𝘍𝘦𝘥𝘰𝘳𝘢: Passionate, vivid, and gripping, Fedora will sweep you off your feet. [A] moving verismo drama . . . is a fantastic way to end 2022. 𝘓𝘢 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘢: Verdi’s La Traviata is one of the most beautiful and tragic operas . . . a gorgeous tearjerker. 𝘓'𝘌𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘳 𝘥'𝘈𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦: It’s hard to imagine an opera with a more winning combination of liveliness and lovesickness . . . one to enjoy time and time again. 𝘋𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘶𝘦𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘴: [W]e are confronted with a chilling image: thirteen nuns, lying face-down on a giant cross. Read the full article now at The Girl of the Golden Met's website, girlofthegoldenmet.com!" Facebook. Dec. 26, 2022.
Available via Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=121971837418037&set=ecnf.100045194088981

Marriner, Derdriu. "The Elixir of Love Opens Feb. 17 as Second 2022-2023 HOT Season Opera." Earth and Space News. Monday, Oct. 17, 2022.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2022/10/the-elixir-of-love-opens-feb-17-as.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "L’Elisir d’Amore Is Feb. 10, 2018, Met Opera Saturday Matinee Broadcast." Earth and Space News. Monday, February 5, 2018.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2018/02/lelisir-damore-is-feb-10-2018-met-opera.html

Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. "Join us tonight, Jan 10, for the season premiere of Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore! Maestro Michele Gamba conducts an exciting cast in his company debut. On stage Jan 10–27: http://bit.ly/3HoBsLz. Marty Sohl / Met Opera." Twitter. Jan. 10, 2023.
Available via Twitter @ https://twitter.com/MetOpera/status/1612838274824867841

"New Production: L'Elisir d'Amore." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 354544 New Production L'Elisir d'Amore {268} Metropolitan Opera House: 09/24/2012. Metropolitan Opera Radio Sirius XM channel 74 Broadcast live. Streamed at metopera.org (Opening Night {128} Peter Gelb, General Manager Broadcast/Streamed/Times Squarecast/Plazacast Review). September 24, 2012.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=354544