Customer Reviews

Donizetti: L'Elisir D'Amore

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

But perhaps it will always be considered among critics as second best to the version with a young, fresh-voiced Pavarotti and supreme soprano Sutherland. That recording has gone down in history as one of the best out there, and it's obvious why. Pavarotti has really never been equalled in the Donizetti repertoire as well with other composers, and especially when he was in his prime. And there's no doubt that Sutherland's rendition of Adina is perfectly sung, even though one will hear her famed problem with diction, especially in the quieter parts of the recitative. But as far as I care, that's of little consequence.

As for this recording, we find an older-sounding Nemorino, yet still easily believable as the hopeful lover. And what better choice for a young, beautiful woman than the always gorgeous sounding Kathleen Battle. I was happy to hear that her light lyric tones are always heard with the louder voices and orchestra, which I was somewhat worried about. But, as I found out, it was stupid of me to worry. I absolutely adore Battle's Adina. So perfect is every note, phrase, and word. The character comes through brilliantly as one would hope. Pavarotti is well in character, even if we don't hear youth in every note... His "Una furtiva lagrima" still sounds heartfelt and beautiful though.

The other singers are a nice compliment to the star power of the two main characters. Dawn Upshaw plays the character of Adina's friend Giannetta with conviction, and does a fine job. The only qualm is that she sounds a little too much like Battle as far as voice quality goes, but that's my pickiness coming into play. And as for Enzo Dara, I'm listening to him right now tell the peasants about the elixir and its wonderful properties in the "Udite, udite, o rustici." Although the voice isn't as fantastic as other Dr. Dulcamaras performed out there, he's done extremely well with the character, and I enjoy the interpretation. And what's this about Leo Nucci not being up to par, as another reviewer points out? My view is that he sounds in finer voice than Mr. Dara... His Belcore is first rate, and seems well planned. Overall, a fine supporting cast in my mind.

The Met Chorus is always world-class, and sounds this way with the experienced conducting of maestro Levine. The orchestra is at certain points not quite in synch though(as in the final scene and quartet "Andiam Belcore" where the strings aren't quite making the tempo in one passage near the end), but in the majority of the recording are playing fantastically.

So there's my opinion on this recording. I tried to point out all the necessary info, while comparing it to the earlier version, and giving an alternate view on Mr. Nucci. As a final note, I gave this recording 5 stars knowing that it isn't the perfect "L'Elisir," but needing to raise the overall rating into the 4.5 range, where I believe it merits to be. That's it.

I hope those who buy this CD set enjoy it as much as I do.

Donizetti's comic L'ELISIR D'AMORE is one of opera's enduring favorites. It's a work that can be buffoonish when performed on stage, but recorded versions cut out the antics and give us Donizetti's enjoyable score. This set has so many excellent qualities going for it, it's nearly perfect. It has an all star cast, led by one of opera's greatest conductors, and includes the orchestra and chorus of one of the world's greatest opera houses. Is there any other recording worth considering? Yes and no.

Its strengths include a stellar cast led by Luciano Pavarotti and Kathleen Battle. This is not Luciano Pavarotti's first attempt at recording this work. He did so nearly twenty years earlier in a wonderful set with Joan Sutherland as Adina. While his voice is somewhat darker in this set than it was in the Sutherland set, Pavarotti is one of the best male Donizetti singers. On stage we would not believe Pavarotti is a love struck young man. If anything the cover makes him look like a dirty old man, but I find his interpretation nuanced and in many ways stronger than his earlier rendition and certainly more nuanced than some of his television forays into the work. I love Kathleen Battle's Adina. Her voice is perfect, she sings with great clarity, and each time I listen to it I realize what a loss her departure from the opera stage has been. We also get a young Dawn Upshaw as Giannetta in one of her few complete opera recordings. James Levine is, well James Levine which means the orchestra is in top form as is the Metropolitan Opera Chorus.

The only criticism leveled against this recording by many and I would tend to agree would be the lower range male voices of Leo Nucci and Enzo Dara as Belcore and Dulcamara respectively. I will not say they are the reason to avoid buying this set as some reviewers have said, and I don't find them so horrible that I'd avoid it. The problem is that some of the great recordings of this work have basses and baritones that give the work a personality. Often times the lower roles were written with comedic intentions, and the basses and baritones often became comic figures and took liberties with the score. In comparison the interpretations of Nucci and Dara are rather dull, but Pavarotti, Battle, and Upshaw carry the recording and their strengths cover the weaknesses of this set.

I'm not sure this is the recording of the ages. The earlier Sutherland Pavarotti collaboration would probably earn this title. My favorite is the first LP set I owned with Rosanna Cartieri as Adina under the direction of Tulio Serafin. Now before I sound too pretentious, I will admit I purchased it not because of its quality and my great taste. It was a budget recording for about six dollars and I was a broke high school student who just discovered opera and wanted as many sets as I could afford. Still, I love the Pavarotti-Battle set, have had many hours of listening pleasure from it, and highly recommend it.

Kathleen Battle is the most beautiful Adina on disc, Pavarotti is not at his best, at least not in such way with Sutherland, Dara's exquisite Dulcamara and Nucci doing his best. Something strange is Levine's recordings; the taste of his conducting is full of energy, and that's great.

I am incapable of recognizing the case against Nucci and Dara's singing and not highly motivated to find out. I listen to operas, not to nuances distingishing one professional from another. In a review of the Ferro Don Pasquale, I state a preference for L'Elisir D'Amore because it is less formulaic than the 1843 opera buffa. The 1832 work is genuinely comic rather than satirical. Pavarotti has said that he particularly enjoys singing the part of Nemorino, a "simple young man," because of the contrast it offers him to the blood-and-thunder roles he is usually called on to sing. Pavarotti's voice lends itself to a "simple" part because of its down-to-earth quality. His choice not to sing German accords with the impression that he is a definitive representative of Italian culture. L'Elisir D'Amore is about as Italian as opera can get. I have never heard a better comic opera than this; and the effect is no doubt owing to the performances despite the criticisms of Nucci and Dara.

Comedy presents undistinguished characters designed to represent the basic health of society. It is antithetical to the tragic depth of Wagner's Tristan und Isolde and to the sublime mystery of Bartok's Bluebeard's Castle. Comic characters involve themselves in inconsequential troubles based on inconsequential goals, decisions and actions. No doubt Nemorino would like to prosper in love with Adina; but her capriciousness keeps her from figuring as a major erotic prize. She plants the notion of a magic potion in Nemorino's mind after reading the story of Tristan and Isolt. Heaven knows what a gulf separates L'Elisir D'Amore from Wagner's love-and-death opera! After the handsome Belcore sweeps Adina off her feet (whatever that means) by comparing her to Venus in the Judgment of Paris, the charlatan Dulcamara saves the day with his fake but psychologically effective potion. Nemorino sings, "Dear elixir! You're mine! / Yes, all mine. / How powerful your strength must be/ if, without having drunk any yet/ you fill my breast with so much joy!" Thalia, the muse of comedy, must have been proud of this one.

Of the many recordings of L'Elisir d'Amore this one is a stand out. Upon hearing this studio version from 1989 I was taken by the great beauty of Kathleen Battle's singing and reminded once again what a loss her early withdrawal from the performance stage was. With this CD however we have a record of happier times when Levine and Battle were involved in serious musical collaboration. Enough has been written about L'Elisir to fill a couple of volumes and for good reason, it's a musical feast.
This version is an excellent reading of Donizetti's 1832 score from a Felice Romani libretto. Pavorotti and Battle give us a delicious Nemorino and Adina with the great fluidity and agility that Donizetti requires; very sound performances both technically and dramatically. And delightful!! James Levine and his orchestra rise to the occasion with a virile, energetic pacing and a superb balance with the singers. Levine's conducting is a revelation even though he does not enjoy conducting bel canto operas (this is only 1 of 3 he has recorded). The chorus is in great form, the supporting roles more than adequate if not inspired. But the reason for owning this set is Levine/ Battle/ Pavarotti preserving in this recording a moment of mastery and brimming over with Donizettian charm. Highly recommended.

Turn the lights off, relax in your favourite chair and sip a glass of fine wine. Press play close your eyes and enjoy !!. This is without doubt one of the definitive productions of this Opera by Donizetti. The Quality of the cast (The late great Pavarotti and Battle) and the recording itself oozes out of every pore of this cd. Ignore the supporting cast as per other reviews.just let the music and lyrics flow through you as the mins drift by.I would recommend that you buy this recording , no matter the costto your pocket. The haunting quality of Una Fortima Lagrima is worth the money on its own.

This CD is very good, the sound quality is excellent and all the Opera is an exquisite piece of art. Even if you are not much of an Opera music lover, Donizetti is able to involve you in this world of music, drama, and romance. The performers are unique and the director did an excellent job. I would recommend this cd to anyone.

There are a lot of positivs about this recording, however there are a few annoying things which keep me from giving this version of L'Elisir five stars.

First for the positives. The cast is wonderful and mostly in good form. For his part Pavarotti is a wonderful Nemorino. He is very involved during this performance, and delivers a wonderful combination of fun and sorrow which captures Nemorino to a tee. You can truly feal that he was having fun during this performance. Kathleen battle delivers a stron performance but one which is sub par for someone of her considerable tallents.
Leo Nucci is simply fantastic. He is truly the embodyment of the arrogant Belcore, and his voice is in excellent form here.
Lastly Enzo Dara delivers a solid performance as the excentric doctor Dulcamarra. There are better performances out there(See the Gheorghiu-Alagna set)but Dara does a good job with this difficult role.

The second major positive about the recording is the Orchestra and Conducting. Levine generall has a good sense for the pacing of a piece, as well as the talent with which he is working. This skill is on full display here. Levine moves the opera along at a brisk pace, yet one that does not force the singers to fight to catch up with the orchestra. In addition the orchestra does not drown out the performers(as is so often the case).

Now for the negatives: The production work here is not perfect. At one point in the first act you can hear someone coughing, as well as there is the occasional page turning which I assume is from the orchestra. These things are not constant, but they are annoying and show a lack of attention to detail on the part of the production team. The second weakness is actually related to Battle. She never hits any of the high notes built into this opera. One such case is at the end of the first trio in act one. I don't quite understand why she does this, she is certainly more then capable of comfortably reaching a high D or E.This is truly dissapointing. Lastly Enzo darra at times struggles whith the Dulcamara role. At one point his voice even cracks during his first duet with Nemorino. Grant it this role is very demanding, but again a dissapointment.

Whith all that said, this is a fine recording of a wonderful opera, and a solid 4 star selection.

Again very satisfied with Amazon and the sellers I purchase from. Nice to do business with both.

If you are a fan of Pavoratti this is a recording which I highly reccomend purchasing....I'm not a big fan of Battle but she does an excellent job as well!