L'Elisir D'Amore February 6, 2013

Anna Netrebko and Matthew Polenzani star in one of the greatest comic gems in opera, as the fickle Adina and her besotted Nemorino. Maurizio Benini conducts. Popular since its premiere in Milan in 1832, this charming comedy has delighted audiences throughout the world. It tells of the peasant Nemorino who decides to take some magic elixir sold to him by a quack doctor, so that he can win the heart of a wealthy land-owner, who (to spite Nemorino) has announced her marriage to a sergeant. The score is full of memorable tunes, including Adina's 'Prendi' and Nemorino's 'Una furtiva lagrima', a favorite of tenors from Mario and Caruso to Gigli, Gedda and Pavarotti.