Donizetti - L'elisir d'amore / Cotrubas, Domingo, Wixell, Evans, Watson, ROH, Pritchard

Gaetano Donizetti (Artist), Ileana Cotrubas (Artist), Plácido Domingo (Artist), John Pritchard (Artist), Lillian Watson (Artist), Sir Geraint Evans (Artist), Ingvar Wixell (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 11, 1989)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B000002596
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #392,795 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. L'elisir d'amore, opera: Act 1. Scene 1.: Prelude

2. L'elisir d'amore, opera: Act 1. Scene 1.: 'Neath this leafy shade

3. L'elisir d'amore, opera: Act 1. Scene 1.: Ah! how lovely!

4. L'elisir d'amore, opera: Act 1. Scene 1.: Ah! 'Tis a most amusing story!

5. L'elisir d'amore, opera: Act 1. Scene 2.: As the gay and gallant Paris

6. L'elisir d'amore, opera: Act 1. Scene 2.: Ah! waste no time so uselessly

7. L'elisir d'amore, opera: Act 1. Scene 2.: Meanwhile, my dear girl

8. L'elisir d'amore, opera: Act 1. Scene 3.: One word, Adina

9. L'elisir d'amore, opera: Act 1. Scene 3.: Go demand of you light zephyr

10. L'elisir d'amore, opera: Act 1. Scene 4.: What can mean those strange sounds?

See all 22 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. L'elisir d'amore, opera: Act 2. Scene 1.: A song, boys, a song!

2. L'elisir d'amore, opera: Act 2. Scene 1.: I have riches

3. L'elisir d'amore, opera: Act 2. Scene 2.: Witnessing a contract

4. L'elisir d'amore, opera: Act 2. Scene 3.: What an incomprehensible being is woman

5. L'elisir d'amore, opera: Act 2. Scene 3.: Twenty crowns!

6. L'elisir d'amore, opera: Act 2. Scene 3.: I know full well that the path of wor

7. L'elisir d'amore, opera: Act 2. Scene 3.: Now your hand

8. L'elisir d'amore, opera: Act 2. Scene 4.: Is it possible?

9. L'elisir d'amore, opera: Act 2. Scene 5.: Of this miraculous elixir

10. L'elisir d'amore, opera: Act 2. Scene 6.: Ah! This is wonderful!

See all 20 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cast Does Justice to Bittersweet Comedy, November 17, 1999

By 

Joan Rogers "hautcontre" (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Donizetti - L'elisir d'amore / Cotrubas, Domingo, Wixell, Evans, Watson, ROH, Pritchard (Audio CD)

This is an excellent recording of Donizetti's exquisite comic opera, capturing and expressing the darker themes underlying all the fun. Placido Domingo is a simple and wistful Nemorino manipulated by circumstance; his "Una furtiva lagrima" overflows with hopeless longing. Ileana Cotrubas is at the height of her vocal power as Adina; the characteristic plangency and focus of her singing adds a more sympathetic edge to an essentially selfish character. She negotiates the coloratura passages with ease and displays a breathtaking bloom and purity of sound in the upper register. Veteran character baritone Geraint Evans is a sly and knowing Dulcamara; the thoughtful nuance of expression that he brings to his singing amply compensates for some harshness of tone. Ingvar Wixell is a pompous Belcore; the voice is fresh and brimming with energy; his rapid even vibrato adds a wonderful texture to ensemble numbers. Lillian Watson is a puckish Gianetta; the chorus sings well, and John Pritchard leads the orchestra with zest, joy, and attention to the shadowy side of this most accomplished farce.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fresh approach, April 29, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Donizetti - L'elisir d'amore / Cotrubas, Domingo, Wixell, Evans, Watson, ROH, Pritchard (Audio CD)

I am writing about the other reviews of this recording. I have the original on disc so I can't speak of the CD quality. But I found this version to be a fresh interpretation, so different from all the other Elisirs. "Una furtima" lagrima is the only part of the opera that does not fit Domingo's (beautiful) voice. But there is much more to this opera than just that "coffee table" aria. He may not sound like anyone else in the role, but he sounds devastatingly rich and exciting. The duets are thrilling and Cotrubas is in magnificent and expressive voice. It's too bad that only past versions are used as benchmarks in reviewing a newer one.

Domingo does not sound like Pavarotti (thank God !!!) and Cotrubas on this recording sounds the way she did in her best live performances. The recording (originally quadraphonic) is pristine (at least in the original disc) and it was recorded with care (in 1978). All in all, an unusual version of Elisir that HAD to be recorded.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Gran version, October 12, 2003

By 

Annio (Spain) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Donizetti - L'elisir d'amore / Cotrubas, Domingo, Wixell, Evans, Watson, ROH, Pritchard (Audio CD)

Estamos ante una gran version del 'Elissir', con un muy buen sonido y un cast de gran calidad, encabezado por la Adina de ILEANA COTRUBAS, que esta simplemente fantastica: la voz es bellísima y las coloraturas son impecables. El Nemorino de PLACIDO DOMINGO cuaja más por su caracterizacion psicologica del papel que por su voz, que aqui no es la mas apropiada, aun así, está notable. Como el sargento Belcore, INGVAR WIXELL ofrece una interpretacion muy belcantista, muy acertada. Y el Dulcamara de GERAINT EVANS esta muy bien cantado, aunque le falta un poco de comicidad. LILIAN WATSON canta sin problemas a Gianetta.
La Orquesta y el coro dirigidos por JONH PRITCHARD suenan muy bien, y todo esto consigue cuajar una gran version de esta obra. Muy recomendable.