L Elisir d Amore A Guide for Educators

Transcription

1 L Elisir d Amore A Guide for Educators Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera

2 WHAT TO EXPECT FROM L ELISIR D AMORE THE WORK: AN ANCIENT LEGEND, A POTION OF QUESTIONABLE ORIGIN, AND A SINGLE TEAR: SOMETIMES that s all you need to live happily ever after. When Gaetano Donizetti and Felice Romani among the most famous Italian composers and librettists of their day, respectively joined forces in 1832 to adapt a French comic opera for the Italian stage, the result was nothing short of magical. An effervescent mixture of tender young love, unforgettable characters, and some of the most delightful music ever written, L Elisir d Amore (The Elixir of Love) quickly became the most popular opera in Italy. Donizetti s comic masterpiece arrived at the Metropolitan Opera in 1904, and many of the world s most famous musicians have since brought the opera to life on the Met s stage. Today, Bartlett Sher s vibrant production conjures the rustic Italian countryside (complete with sun-dappled fields, crumbling stucco walls, and green-painted shutters) within the opulence of the opera house, while Catherine Zuber s costumes add a dash of zesty wit. Toss in a feisty female lead, an earnestly lovesick young man, a military braggart, and an ebullient charlatan, and the result is a delectable concoction of plot twists, sparkling humor, and exhilarating music that will make you laugh, cheer, and maybe even fall in love. This guide presents L Elisir d Amore as a romantic comedy that has much in common with the movies, TV shows, and novels that your students encounter every day. It is designed to provide context, deepen background knowledge, and enrich the experience of the performance. The materials on the following pages include biographical data about the composer, information on the opera s source and creation, and a series of activities that bring the opera into the classroom. By offering an introduction to L Elisir d Amore that incorporates students own experiences and creativity, this guide will help students develop the confidence to engage with opera even after they leave the theater. L ELISIR D AMORE An opera in two acts, sung in Italian Music by Gaetano Donizetti Libretto by Felice Romani Based on the opera Le Philtre (The Potion) by Eugène Scribe and Daniel- François-Esprit Auber First performed May 12, 1832 at the Teatro alla Cannobiana, Milan, Italy PRODUCTION Domingo Hindoyan, Conductor Bartlett Sher, Production Michael Yeargan, Set Designer Catherine Zuber, Costume Designer Jennifer Tipton, Lighting Designer STARRING Pretty Yende ADINA (soprano) Matthew Polenzani NEMORINO (tenor) Davide Luciano BELCORE (baritone) Ildebrando D Arcangelo DULCAMARA (bass) Production a gift of The Monteforte Foundation, in honor of Wim Kooyker 1

3 ABOUT THE METROPOLITAN OPERA HOUSE Photo: Johnathan Tichler/ Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera is a vibrant home for the most creative and talented singers, conductors, composers, musicians, stage directors, designers, visual artists, choreographers, and dancers from around the world. The Metropolitan Opera was founded in 1883, with its first opera house built on Broadway and 39th Street by a group of wealthy businessmen who wanted their own theater. In the company s early years, the management changed course several times, first performing everything in Italian (even Carmen and Lohengrin), then everything in German (even Aida and Faust), before finally settling into a policy of performing most works in their original language. Almost from the beginning, it was clear that the opera house on 39th Street did not have adequate stage facilities. But it was not until the Met joined with other New York institutions in forming Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts that a new home became possible. The new Metropolitan Opera House, which opened at Lincoln Center in September of 1966, was equipped with the finest technical facilities of the day. Each season the Met stages more than 200 opera performances in New York. More than 800,000 people attend the performances in the opera house during the season, and millions more experience the Met through new media distribution initiatives and state-of-the-art technology. 2

4 A GUIDE TO L ELISIR D AMORE This guide includes several sections with a variety of background material on L Elisir d Amore. The Source, The Story, and Who s Who in L Elisir d Amore. A Timeline: The historical context of the opera s story and composition A Closer Look: A brief article highlighting an important aspect of Lehár s The Merry Widow Guided Listening: A series of musical excerpts with questions and a roadmap to possible student responses Student Critique: A performance activity, highlighting specific aspects of this production; and topics for wrap-up discussion following students attendance The activities in this guide will focus on several aspects of L Elisir d Amore: The plot of L Elisir d Amore in the context of traditional romances, both tragic and comic The role of music in creating humorous and relatable characters Similarities between L Elisir d Amore and other stories, works of art, and movies and TV shows that students already know Creative choices made by the artists of the Metropolitan Opera for this production The opera as a unified work of art, involving the efforts of composer, librettist, and Met artists This guide is intended to cultivate students interest in L Elisir d Amore, whether or not they have any prior acquaintance with opera. It includes activities for students with a wide range of musical backgrounds, and seeks to encourage them to think about opera and the performing arts as a whole as a medium of both entertainment and creative expression. Further Resources: Recommendations for additional study, both online and in print Glossary: Common musical terms found in this guide and in the concert hall Ken Howard/ Metropolitan Opera 3

5 THE STORY SUMMARY Nemorino, a poor peasant, is in love with Adina, a beautiful and clever woman who owns a farm in his village. She tells Nemorino that she isn t interested in him. One day, a group of soldiers arrives at her farm. They are led by the vain sergeant Belcore, who flirts with Adina and asks her to marry him. Adina tells him she needs time to think about it. That afternoon, Doctor Dulcamara arrives in town. He is a traveling salesman whose medicine, he claims, can cure any illness. Nemorino buys Dulcamara s a love potion, which he claims will make Nemorino irresistible. (He does not reveal to Nemorino that the potion is merely wine!) Nemorino drinks the potion in several large gulps. Drunk, he flirts with the women of the town. This upsets Adina, who angrily decides to marry Belcore that very day. The townspeople gather for the lavish wedding banquet. Although she seems happy, Adina is secretly sad that Nemorino is not there. Nemorino is desperately looking for Dulcamara, hoping that a second dose of the potion will make Adina fall in love with him before she marries Belcore. Meanwhile, Adina s friend tells the women of the town a secret: Nemorino s rich uncle has died and left Nemorino all his money. When Nemorino walks into the town square a few minutes later, the women crowd around him. Adina, jealous, begins to cry. When he sees her crying, Nemorino realizes that Adina loves him. She finally she admits that she loves him as much as he loves her. Just then Dulcamara arrives to tell Nemorino that he has inherited his uncle s fortune. As everyone celebrates, Dulcamara announces that his magical potion not only makes people fall in love, it can also make poor peasants rich. Ken Howard/ Metropolitan Opera 4

6 THE SOURCES: The immediate source for L Elisir d Amore was Le Philtre (The Potion), a comic opera by Eugène Scribe and Daniel-François-Esprit Auber that premiered in Paris in Love potions have been a feature of romantic tales for millennia. Scribe s plot, however, featured a clever twist on the traditional trope: the opera s romance is catalyzed not by a love potion per se, but by a story about a love potion. The opera begins with the heroine reading Tristan and Iseult (pronounced ee-zoht), a medieval legend about a knight and princess who fall madly in love after drinking a magic elixir. (For the full story, see the article Tristan and Iseult: The Medieval Legend, included in this Guide.) Listening to the tale, the opera s hero is inspired to seek out a love potion of his own. Tristan and Iseult is rooted in ancient Celtic lore, and many variations of the legend have appeared since the story was first written down in the 12th century. In almost all cases, however, the romance ends in tragedy: Iseult, the princess, is betrothed to the king of Cornwall, and thus she and the knight Tristan can never be together. Le Philtre and L Elisir d Amore, on the other hand, are both comedies with happy endings, in which the main characters are brought together not by a magical drink (the potion of the title turns out to be nothing more than wine) but by their own actions. Real magic, the operas seem to suggest, is not to be found in a bottle. Rather, it is to be found in the sincerity, friendship, and respect that can unite two hearts. Ken Howard/ Metropolitan Opera 5

7 SYNOPSIS Act I: A small village in the Italian countryside, circa 1830 Nemorino, a poor peasant, is madly in love with the beautiful landowner Adina. He adores her intelligence, admires her education, and unfortunately believes that she is way out of his league. One day, Adina offers to read the workers on her farm the story of Tristan and Iseult, a knight and princess who fall in love after drinking a magic potion. Along with the crowd, Adina wishes that she had the recipe for such a potion. Her thoughts are interrupted, however, by the arrival of a regiment of soldiers led by the vain sergeant Belcore. When Belcore spots Adina, he announces that he will win her, just as Mars (the Roman god of war) won the heart of Venus (the goddess of love). He promptly asks Adina to marry him, and she says she needs time to think about it. Satisfied that Adina will soon surrender to his charms, Belcore struts off. Nemorino approaches Adina and asks to speak with her. Teasingly, she replies that his time would be better spent visiting his rich uncle, without whose money Nemorino would starve. Nemorino replies that he is dying, not of starvation but of love. Adina warns the earnest young man that she is fickle: her love is like a breeze, jumping from flower to flower and never staying in one place for long. She tells Nemorino that he should approach love like she does, as a passing fancy, and he replies that his love is as constant as a river flowing towards the sea. A marvelous carriage rolls into the town square. Out steps the traveling salesman Dulcamara. A shameless charlatan who gets rich selling fake medicines, Dulcamara announces that he has a patented potion that will cure all manner of ills. As the gullible villagers clamor to buy a bottle, Nemorino enters the square carrying Adina s book. Shyly, he asks if Dulcamara sells Iseult s potion. Dulcamara says he has an elixir guaranteed to make its drinker irresistible, although it requires 24 hours to take effect. Overjoyed, Nemorino spends all of his money on a bottle and promptly drinks it down in a few large gulps. The elixir, however, is nothing but wine, and Nemorino soon begins to feel its effects. Hiccupping and swaying on his feet, he flirts with the women of the town. When Adina arrives, Nemorino (who believes that Adina will fall madly in love with him the next day) avoids her, in order to teach her a lesson. Unfortunately, his confidence does not last long: Adina, annoyed by Nemorino s behavior, agrees to marry Belcore that very afternoon. Nemorino begs her to wait just one day, but she laughs at him. As Adina, Belcore, and the townspeople head to the wedding banquet, Nemorino is left alone in despair. 6

8 Act II The wedding festivities for Adina and Belcore are in full swing. Dulcamara leads a toast, Belcore gloats, and Adina joins Dulcamara in singing a song, much to the delight of the crowd. Privately, however, Adina is sorry that Nemorino is not present, and when the notary arrives to sign the wedding contract, Adina stalls. Nemorino, meanwhile, is desperate. He begs Dulcamara for another flask of elixir, hoping that a double dose will speed up its effect. Alas, he spent his last penny on the first bottle and cannot pay for a second. The opportunistic Belcore announces that if Nemorino signs up for the army, he will receive a purse of money right away. Nemorino hates to think of leaving his town, his friends, and especially Adina, but believes that a second dose of potion is the only way to avoid losing Adina forever. Sadly, he signs the conscription papers. Adina s gossipy friend Giannetta calls together the women of the town and tells them some surprising news: Nemorino s rich uncle has died, leaving Nemorino his entire fortune. When they see Nemorino, now swigging his second bottle of potion, the girls crowd around him. Adina, meanwhile, has heard from Belcore that Nemorino joined the army, and the news has made her realize how much she will miss him. When she sees the horde of girls fighting over Nemorino, she believes she has lost him forever, and a single tear falls from her eye. Dulcamara, seeing her grief, offers to sell her a bottle of Iseult s potion, but Adina replies that she has a more effective elixir at her disposal: her natural charm. Nemorino also saw Adina s tear. Alone, he now realizes what her sorrow really means: she loves him. Soon, Adina enters. She tells him that she has bought back his conscription papers, but Nemorino replies that he d rather die as a soldier than live without love. Adina, overcome, finally reveals that he is the man of her dreams. Soon, Dulcamara arrives with the townspeople to announce what the women (except Adina) already know: that Nemorino, heir to his uncle s fortune, is suddenly rich. Brandishing bottles of potion, Dulcamara declares that his magical potion not only makes people fall in love, it can even turn poor peasants into millionaires. VOICE TYPE Since the early 19th century, singing voices have usually been classified in six basic types, three male and three female, according to their range: SOPRANO the highest-pitched type of human voice, normally possessed only by women and boys MEZZO-SOPRANO the female voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto (Italian mezzo =middle, medium) CONTRALTO the lowest female voice, also called an alto COUNTERTENOR a male singing voice whose vocal range is equivalent to that of a contralto, mezzosoprano, or (less frequently) a soprano, usually through the use of falsetto TENOR the highest naturally occurring voice type in adult males BARITONE the male voice lying below the tenor and above the bass BASS the lowest male voice 7

9 WHO S WHO IN L ELISIR D AMORE Character Pronunciation Guide Voice Type The Lowdown Adina A young woman, owner of a farm ah-dee-nah soprano Clever and wealthy, Adina likes to flirt with lots of people but secretly is in love with Nemorino. Nemorino A peasant, in love with Adina NEH-mohr-EEN-oh tenor Poor and shy, he loves Adina but thinks she will never notice him. His name means little nobody in Italian, which is how he views himself. Belcore A sergeant in the army bel-cohr-eh baritone Dr. Dulcamara A traveling salesman DOOL-cah-MAHR-ah bass Extremely vain and unpleasantly pompous, Belcore also has romantic designs on Adina. His name means beautiful heart. A fast-talking charlatan, Dulcamara claims that his potions can solve any ailment even a broken heart. His name is a combination of the words dulce (sweet) and amara (bitter), perhaps pointing to the bittersweet qualities of love. 8

10 TIMELINE 1797 Gaetano Donizetti is born in Bergamo, a city in northern Italy. Although his family is poor, with six children to support and no money for music lessons, the young boy s talents are evident early, and he receives a scholarship to study music with the renowned composer and teacher Simon Mayr at the cathedral of Santa Maria Maggiore in Bergamo The music school at Santa Maria Maggiore puts on its annual play with the 14-year-old Donizetti in the lead role. Il Piccolo Compositore di Musica (The Little Composer) features a libretto by Mayr, and Donizetti s part includes the lines I have a vast mind, a quick talent, and ready imagination. I am a thunderbolt at composing Donizetti travels to Bologna to continue his studies at the Liceo Filarmonico, one of the top music schools in northern Italy. He will return to Bergamo two years later Donizetti, not quite 25, is invited by the impresario Domenico Barbaja to Naples. Barbaja is one of the most important producers of opera in Italy, and Naples is the major center of opera in the southern part of the peninsula. (In northern Italy, the operatic capital is Milan). Donizetti will reside in Naples for the next 16 years, although his career will occasionally require travel to other cities in Italy and Europe. At this time, Donizetti also first works with the librettist Felice Romani, with whom he will later collaborate for L Elisir d Amore. Unfortunately, their first opera, Chiara e Serafina, is a flop Donizetti signs a new contract with Barbaja, which requires that he compose four new operas per year for the theaters in Naples. Writing only for Barbaja would have been hectic enough, but Donizetti s career has begun to pick up steam in other cities as well, and he enters a period of tremendous productivity Donizetti is appointed director of the royal theaters of Naples, a position with considerable power and prestige. Nevertheless, he continues to write operas for many of the other major opera houses in Italy. 9

11 1830 Anna Bolena, Donizetti s opera about the doomed English queen Anne Boleyn and his third collaboration with Romani, premieres in Milan. It is a tremendous hit L Elisir d Amore premieres on May 12 at the Teatro alla Cannobiana Milan. It is Donizetti s sixth opera with a libretto by Romani L Elisir d Amore is performed in Naples for the first time, as well as in Berlin. Its popularity quickly spreads around the globe Donizetti receives his first commission to write an opera for a theater outside Italy. In fact, the commission, for the Théâtre-Italien in Paris, comes from none other than Gioachino Rossini, the most famous Italian opera composer of the early 19th century, who has lived in Paris since Following the untimely death of his wife and a series of disappointing professional setbacks in Italy, Donizetti moves to Paris. Nevertheless, his popularity in Italy continues to grow. Between 1838 and 1848, L Elisir d Amore is the most frequently performed opera in Italy Donizetti relocates again, this time to Vienna, where he assumes the position of court composer for the Habsburg emperor. He will continue to travel to Paris and Italy to compose new operas and help stage old ones Donizetti, suffering from the illness that will ultimately end his life, is confined to a hospital outside Paris. His doctors grant his request to be sent back to Bergamo the following year Donizetti dies in Bergamo on April 8. Despite his fame, the news of his death is overshadowed by a political uprising against the Austrians who rule northern Italy. He is buried in the Bergamo cemetery, but in 1875 his remains will be moved (along with those of his first music teacher, Simon Mayr) to the cathedral of Santa Maria Maggiore In March, an up-and-coming conductor by the name of Arturo Toscanini leads a performance of L Elisir d Amore at La Scala. The role of Nemorino is sung by the young tenor Enrico Caruso. Toscanini and Caruso will go on to become two of the most famous musicians of the 20th century, and both will enjoy illustrious careers at the Metropolitan Opera. Toscanini will serve as artistic director of the Met for seven seasons. Caruso will sing with the Met for 17 seasons, ten of which ten will include his performance of L Elisir d Amore. His recording of Nemorino s beautiful aria Una furtiva lagrima is still available today. 10

12 A CLOSER LOOK TRISTAN AND ISEULT: THE MEDIEVAL LEGEND King Mark of Cornwall was engaged to marry Princess Iseult (ee-zoht) of Ireland. As the wedding day neared, he sent his knight Tristan to Ireland to bring her back to his court. When Tristan and Iseult set sail to return to Cornwall, Iseult was outwardly calm and friendly. But inside, she burned with a secret fury. Several years before, her uncle had been killed during a battle with the armies of Cornwall, and Iseult recognized Tristan as the man who struck the fatal blow. Thus, Iseult hated the young knight, and as she departed for Cornwall, she swore to avenge her uncle s death. As it happens, Iseult s mother was a powerful sorceress, and she had given her daughter a chest filled with medicines and potions to take on her journey. One evening, Iseult invited Tristan to share a drink with her. She selected a flask from her medicine chest, and told her nurse Brangien (brahn-zhee-ehn) to pour it into two goblets. Brangien, however, recognized the bottle: it contained a deadly poison, and she understood that Iseult planned to kill both Tristan and herself. Hoping to save Iseult at any cost, Brangien chose a different bottle a love potion from the chest. She poured it into the two goblets and delivered it to Tristan and Iseult, who drank it down and immediately fell in love. Unfortunately, Iseult was still set to marry King Mark, and the love that had blossomed between her and Tristan was nothing short of a curse. When Mark learned of Tristan s feelings for his wife, he flew into a rage and banished Tristan to a distant land. Only then did he learn that Iseult loved Tristan as well. Sorry for the pain he had caused, Mark sent Iseult to join Tristan. Iseult set out at once, but Tristan s heart had been broken by the separation. Unaware that Iseult was rushing to his side, he fell into a terrible illness. His beloved Iseult arrived just in time to hold him in her arms as he died, whereupon she, too, fell lifeless to the ground. A 14-th century wooden depiction of Tristan and Iseult in Talinn Town Hall, Estonia 11

13 GUIDED LISTENING The Guided Listening Activities are designed to introduce students to a selection of memorable moments from the opera. They include information on what is happening dramatically, a description of the musical style, and a roadmap of musical features to listen for. Guided Listening Activities can be used by students and teachers of varying levels of musical experience. IN PREPARATION For this activity, teachers will need access to a recording of L Elisir d Amore and the libretto. UDITE, UDITE, O RUSTICI A wonderful carriage pulls into the town square and out steps an eccentric man dressed in wild clothes. He is Doctor Dulcamara, purveyor of potions and medicines. As a curious crowd gathers around the wagon, Dulcamara describes the many miraculous things his potions can do. In opera, a solo song is called an aria. Arias may be used for many different dramatic purposes. Here, Dulcamara s solo performance is meant to impress both the audience and his potential customers like a fast, funny, and very virtuosic infomercial! What to listen for: How the varying tempo and dynamics of the scene augment the humor and drama of the words The quick, repetitive style of singing, called patter (00:00) Hear me, O countrymen! Dulcamara announces, stepping out of his wagon. This is a big, bold opening statement: Dulcamara sings slowly, which makes every single syllable sound important, and the orchestra adds little flourishes between each of his words. (00:21 ) Dulcamara begins to introduce himself in the most extravagantly flamboyant terms. Listen carefully, and you will hear that Dulcamara sings the same melody over and over. You might notice, however, that the melody is sung twice starting on one pitch, twice starting on a slightly higher pitch, and then twice on a third pitch, even higher than the second. You will also hear a big crescendo throughout this section. What is the combined effect of the rising pitch and increasing volume? How does this section make you feel? (00:48) The orchestra has been tip-toeing upward alongside Dulcamara, its melody a steady pattern of short notes. Now Dulcamara reaches the most hyperbolic moment of his introduction (it s not every day you meet someone known throughout the universe and elsewhere!), and the orchestra plays a series of big chords to punctuate his words. In contrast to a melody, which is a succession of individual pitches, a chord is many pitches played at the same time. (01:00) Dulcamara has already introduced himself, so now it is time to introduce the product he is selling. A new rhythm begins: the previous melody featured notes which were all of equal length, but the new melody alternates long and short notes to create a jaunty mood. (01:28) Donizetti often uses instrumental flourishes to emphasize certain words or ideas. Listen, for instance, to the sparkly melody played by the flutes and piccolos on the phrase Buy it! You can have it for nothing! (01:19) This aria is famous for its use of patter, a style of singing in which the goal is to sing as many words as possible in the shortest amount of time. Patter songs have humorous texts, and are typically associated with low-class characters (such as servants) or exceptionally immoral characters (such as the traveling charlatan Dulcamara). (01:29) Listen carefully and you ll notice that Dulcamara s melody doesn t move up and down a lot, and he often sings one note over and over again. Patter singing uses very few pitches in a narrow melodic range. But that doesn t mean the music is boring! In addition to Dulcamara s nimble delivery of the funny text, you ll notice that the orchestra plays lots of lighthearted melodies in the background. (02:06) The music changes again: now Dulcamara sings more quietly and slowly, and the orchestral accompaniment is minimized. Look at the text. Why do you think Dulcamara would sing these lines in such a conspiratorial tone? (02:44) Patter it is like a musical tongue-twister. Invite your students to read this portion of the text as quickly as they can: is it hard? Do they understand all the words? If not, does that ruin the effect, or is it funny nevertheless? 12

14 CARO ELISIR! SEI MIO ESULTI PUR LA BARBARA Nemorino thinks he has found a fool-proof way to make Adina fall in love with him: a potion that, Dulcamara promises, will make the drinker utterly irresistible. Nemorino buys a bottle and drinks the entire thing. But the potion is nothing but wine, and soon Nemorino is drunk as a skunk. Mistaking his lack of inhibition for the magical effect of the potion, Nemorino staggers into the town square, where he encounters Adina. When Nemorino sees her, he decides to play hard-to-get. Adina is very put off by his aloofness and uncharacteristically poor manners. What to listen for: The use of nonsense syllables to make Nemorino sound drunk The different rhythms employed by Donizetti How the two lines of the duet interact (02:28) Lallaralla la la la la la la, sings Nemorino. In Italian, this is a series of nonsense syllables, just like it is in English. Nemorino is drunk and confident, and his silly melody perfectly represents his happy-go-lucky mood. Pay close attention to the rhythm: it is easy to count one two one two as you listen to Nemorino s la la la la. You might even want to stomp your feet in time with the music. (02:36) Adina has never seen Nemorino like this. Is his happiness real, or just an act? she wonders aloud. Although she likes this new, confident Nemorino, she is very annoyed that he is dancing and flirting with other women right in front of her nose. (03:16) Adina is confused by Nemorino s behavior and asks her friend, Giannetta, what is going on. Nemorino, frustrated that Adina isn t showing more interest in him, decides to keep up his swaggering act until he can attract her attention. (03:32) As Nemorino begins singing a soaring melody, the rhythm changes. Listen to the orchestra, where one heavy chord is followed by two lighter chords. In other words, the chords fall into little groups of three, called triplets. This triplet pattern makes the music sound light and jovial, reflecting Nemorino s unbounded optimism: even though the barbaric Adina is laughing at him now, he is sure that she will fall madly in love with him tomorrow, when his potion takes effect. (04:03) Adina joins the duet, singing the same melody that Nemorino just sang. And although the words are different, the sentiment of her text is the same as his: try as he might to ignore her, she knows she will win him eventually. (04:32) Nemorino and Adina sing their respective texts again. Their melodies overlap, but they don t start at exactly the same time. Instead, Nemorino sings a few words, then Adina joins in. Nemorino sings to the end of his phrase, pauses briefly, and then begins again and so does Adina. This slight misalignment of music could be confusing, but Donizetti helps us keep track of what is going on: each time either Nemorino or Adina begins singing a new line of text, their melody has a big leap upward. This helps us hear when each character s new line begins! (04:49) Now Nemorino and Adina are singing the same melody at the same time. But they are not singing to each other. Rather, they are singing to themselves (and to the audience), wondering what is going on. Listen to the places where a single syllable of text is sung to a whole series of pitches; this is called a melisma, and it a kind of ornamentation that makes singers sound very virtuosic. (05:30) As the duet draws to a close, Nemorino and Adina sing a huge melisma together but whenever his melody goes down, hers goes up, and vice versa. They may not be singing exactly the same thing yet, but the music suggests that, ultimately, they have the same goal in mind. 13

15 TRAN, TRAN, TRAN. IN GUERRA ED IN AMOR Belcore arrives in the town square, where Adina, Nemorino, and the townspeople are gathered. Belcore is also in love with Adina and won t leave her alone. Trying to make Nemorino jealous, Adina agrees to marry Belcore in six days time. Nemorino bursts out laughing, since he believes that Adina will be in love with him within twenty-four hours and thus Belcore s proposal poses no real threat. Neither Adina nor Belcore understand his laughter, however, and both are outraged by Nemorino s apparent impertinence. What to listen for: The ensemble structure, one of the most important features of opera buffa How Donizetti weaves together the many melodies sung by the different characters and played by the orchestra How each character s music expresses both their personality and what they are feeling (00:00) From offstage, Belcore is heard singing a song that compares the trials of love to the art of war. When you go to see L Elisir d Amore s Final Dress Rehearsal, you will actually hear this song twice: it is a fragment of the aria Belcore sang to introduce himself when he first appeared onstage! (00:38) Belcore arrives in the piazza, and Adina addresses him directly. She asks him how he likes the piazza, and he responds that it is so skillfully defended, it would be useless to attack. But Belcore isn t actually thinking about attacking the little town. Rather, he is using the piazza as a metaphor to talk about Adina herself: if love is like waging war (as he himself proclaimed), then getting Adina to succumb to his advances is just like getting an enemy to capitulate. (00:54) Adina suggests that the piazza (which is to say, herself) will soon surrender, and a new melody begins in the orchestra. Light and quick, it is like the flutter of a heart in love. (01:15) Nemorino is confident that the potion will work its magic and Adina will soon fall in love with him. Nevertheless, he expresses anxiety about the way Adina is flirting with Belcore. You will hear both Belcore and Nemorino singing throughout the rest of this excerpt. Although it can be difficult to tell the two male voices apart, it will be helpful to note that Belcore is a baritone (and thus has a lower voice) while Nemorino is a tenor (and thus has a higher voice). (01:32) I will marry you in six days! Adina tells Belcore. He is thrilled. So is Nemorino, who knows that this will give the potion more than enough time to take effect. You can hear Nemorino laughing loudly as Belcore expresses his excitement. (The only actual words that 7 Nemorino says are That s fine with me! ) At (01:47), listen to Belcore s huge, very pompous melisma! (02:02) Belcore is outraged that Nemorino is laughing at him, and Nemorino thinks Belcore s fury is hilarious. As Belcore threatens Nemorino and Nemorino laughs in Belcore s face, listen especially to the melody in the orchestra, which slowly speeds up (an effect known as accelerando, from an Italian word meaning to accelerate ). (02:15) Nemorino and Belcore keep trading barbs as Adina, standing to the side, asks herself why Nemorino is so happy to hear she is getting married. All three characters are singing different music at the same time. It is not easy to keep careful track of what each character is saying in an ensemble scene like this, so here s a hint: when the music gets very complex, composers tend to repeat the same line of text over and over. During this exercise, glance at the provided libretto to get a general idea of what each character is talking about, then pay attention to what the music itself may be telling you. How would you describe this music? Is it funny? Exciting? Relaxing? Impressive? Why? How does it make you feel about the plot or the characters? (02:46) The tempo gets faster and faster, careening forward like a train without brakes! The confusion will come to a halt only when Adina s friend Giannetta comes running in to say that Belcore s troops have been called away an announcement that will spell disaster for Nemorino. 14

16 UNA FURTIVA LAGRIMA When the villagers learn about Nemorino s inheritance, all the girls of the town crowd around him. Seeing her beloved surrounded by so many young women, Adina lets a single tear fall from her eye. Later, when he is alone, Nemorino recalls her furtive tear, and reflects on what it might mean. This is one of the most famous arias ever written, and is an excellent example of how a composer uses both words and music to express a character s most heartfelt emotions. What to listen for: The graceful legato melodies The juxtaposition of major and minor harmonies (explained below) The interaction between the orchestral accompaniment and the solo melody (00:00) The aria begins with a gorgeous orchestral introduction. The harp plays a gently rolling accompaniment, while the main melody is played by a bassoon. The effect is one of both calmness and motion, like ripples on the surface of a pond. (This and the following descriptions include the names of different instruments, but when you go to the opera, it is not important to identify all the instruments you ll hear. Rather, pay attention to the different instrumental timbres Donizetti uses, and notice which feelings these timbres evoke.) (00:44) Nemorino sings the same melody that the bassoon just played. Both the melody and harmonies are in a minor tonality, which is typically described as sounding sad. (00:50) The clarinet echoes Nemorino s melody, playing just a few short notes. (01:17) Now it is the bassoon that echoes Nemorino s melody. At (01:26), you will hear the echo played by an oboe. (01:41) As it finally dawns on Nemorino what Adina s tear means, a rich chord blossoms in the orchestra, introducing the new major section (in contrast to the preceding minor ). Which emotions does this moment evoke? How does this melody compare to the music that came before? Why might Donizetti use major at this particular moment in the text? (Hint: Major melodies are usually described as sounding happy. ) (02:06) With a beautiful melody in the flutes, the aria transitions back to minor, and Nemorino s first melody returns. (02:21) The echo is played by the flute and clarinet together. (03:13) The aria once again shifts to major, but now the melody is different. You may wish to ask your students if this section feels different than what immediately preceded it; in other words, does it inspire different emotions? How do these emotions relate to (or perhaps differ from) the emotions expressed by the text? (04:00) As the aria draws to a close, a giant melisma expresses all of Nemorino s complex feelings: excitement, relief, joy. It also gives the singer one final chance to sound very virtuosic before the aria ends. 15

17 STUDENT CRITIQUE IN PREPARATION For this activity, students will need the My Highs & Lows reproducible handout found in the back of this guide. COMMON CORE STANDARDS AND L ELISIR D AMORE CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9 12 topics, texts, and issues, building on others ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL d Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives; synthesize comments, claims, and evidence made on all sides of an issue; resolve contradictions when possible; and determine what additional information or research is required to deepen the investigation or complete the task. ENCOURAGING STUDENT RESPONSE IN ATTENDING THE FINAL DRESS REHEARSAL Watching and listening to a performance is a unique experience that takes students beyond the printed page to an immersion in images, sound, interpretation, technology, drama, skill, and craft. Performance activities help students analyze different aspects of the experience and engage critically with the performance. They will consider the creative choices that have been made for the particular production they are watching and examine different aspects of the performance. The Student Critique activity incorporates a reproducible sheet. Students should bring this activity sheet to the final dress rehearsal and fill it out during intermission and/or after the final curtain. The activity directs attention to details of the production that might otherwise go unnoticed. The activity sheet is called My Highs & Lows. It serves to guide students toward a consistent set of objective observations, as well as to help them articulate their own opinions. It is designed to enrich the students understanding of the art form as a whole. The ratings system encourages students to express their critique: use these ratings to spark discussions that require careful, critical thinking. The My Highs & Lows handout can be found at the back of this guide. 16

18 FOLLOW-UP DISCUSSION Start the class with an open discussion of the Met performance. What did they like and not like? Did anything surprise them? What would they like to see or hear again? What would they have done differently? The discussion offers an opportunity to apply the notes on students My Highs & Lows sheet, as well as their thoughts about the visual design of the Met production in short, to see themselves as L Elisir d Amore experts. L Elisir d Amore takes place in Italy in the early 19th century, but that doesn t mean that the characters, their feelings, and their actions are antiquated. In fact, filmmakers and theater directors alike have often re-imagined very old love stories in quite modern settings. Invite your students to imagine that they are directing a new movie that sets L Elisir d Amore in their own school. What would the movie be like? The following questions will help guide your discussion: Do you sympathize with any of the characters in L Elisir d Amore? For instance, have you ever had an unrequited crush (like Nemorino), or received unwanted attention (like Adina)? How might you update the characters? Do the characters in L Elisir d Amore remind you of anyone in the modern world either celebrities or your friends? Real magic potions don t exist, and (of course!) you should never use alcohol or other substances to get people to do things they don t want to do. Without a potion, how might a high-schooler today get the attention of someone they like? A clever Facebook post, for instance? Organizing an event with friends? Would you change the story in any way? Add or adapt characters, names, or other details? To conclude the discussion, ask your students what other kinds of stories they like that are told with or through music and song. How do pop songs compare to the opera they have just seen; can your students think of any similarities? How about movie music? If your students were in charge of the music for their movie of L Elisir d Amore, would they write new music (and if so, what would it sound like)? Would they use pre-existing music (and if so, what)? Would the characters sing the music, or would it just be in the background? And has their experience at the opera changed the way they think about telling stories in general? Finally, remember that opera is a multi-media art form: any and all aspects of the performance your students have just seen are important factors contributing to the overall experience. Ask them for any final thoughts and impressions. What did they find most memorable? 17

19 FURTHER RESOURCES IN PRINT Ashbrook, William. Donizetti and His Operas. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, An in-depth monograph on Gaetano Donizetti, intended both for the expert and the general reader. It examines Donizetti s career, style, and explores each of his 65 operas. Kimbell, David. Italian Opera. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, A comprehensive account of Italian opera from the birth of the genre through the early twentieth century. It includes a detailed discussion of the Italian bel canto tradition. Osborn, Charles. Bel Canto Operas of Rossini, Donizetti, and Bellini. Portland: Timber Press, Also available as a Kindle e-book. An engagingly written survey for lay audiences of the bel canto opera composers, including a summary of the sample operas plot, circumstances of the first performance, and a brief analysis of the music. ONLINE The Metropolitan Opera. L'Elisir d'amore: Una furtiva lagrima Matthew Polenzani sings the famous aria Una furtiva lagrima from L Elisir d Amore. The Metropolitan Opera. L'Elisir d'amore: Act II Duet Anna Netrebko and Matthew Polenzani sing an excerpt form Act II of L Elisir d Amore The Metropolitan Opera. Act I Excerpt -- Netrebko, Polenzani, Kwiecien Anna Netrebko, Matthew Polenzani, and Mariusz Kwiecien sing an excerpt from Act I of L Elisir d Amore. 18

20 GLOSSARY act/scene Acts and scenes are ways of categorizing sections of operas. An act is a large-scale division of an opera, and each opera will typically include from two to five acts. Acts can be subdivided into scenes, which are often differentiated by a change in setting or characters. adagio Literally at ease, adagio is a tempo marking that indicates a slow speed. An adagio tempo marking indicates that the performer should play in a slow and leisurely style. allegro Italian for cheerful or joyful, Allegro is the most common tempo marking in Western music, indicating a moderately fast to quick speed. aria A song for solo voice accompanied by orchestra. In opera, arias mostly appear during a pause in dramatic action when a character is reflecting musically on his or her emotions. Most arias are lyrical, with a tune that can be hummed, and many arias include musical repetition. For example, the earliest arias in opera consist of music sung with different stanzas of text (strophic arias). Another type of aria, da capo arias, became common by the eighteenth century and feature the return of the opening music and text after a contrasting middle section. Nineteenth-century Italian arias often feature a two-part form that showcases an intensification of emotion from the first section (the cantabile) to the second section (the cabaletta). articulation The smoothness or hardness with which a note is begun and ended. Articulation is a way of indicating the degree to which each note connects to the next, and can be seen while watching the bow of a stringed instrument player. A note can be attacked sharply and made short, or it can flow smoothly into the next note. baritone Literally deep sounding, a baritone is what a typical male voice sounds like the term refers to a male singer with a low but not extremely low vocal range. A baritone will sing notes that are higher than those sung by a bass and lower than those sung by a tenor. Uncommon until the nineteenth century, baritone roles have grown in popularity in opera since the works of Verdi, who often reserved the voice type for villains. baroque A period of music history lasting from approximately 1600 to The beginning of the Baroque period coincides with the invention of opera as a genre, and its end coincides with the death of the composer Johann Sebastian Bach. The Baroque period saw the rise of modern tonality, an expansion of performing forces, and increased ornamentation. The term baroque means bizarre or exaggerated, and was used by critics in the Eighteenth century critics who preferred a simpler and less-ornamented style. 19

21 bass The lowest sounding line in music. Bass also refers to the lowest singing range for the male voice. Opera composers often choose a bass voice to sing one of two opposite types of roles: comic characters or dramatic and serious characters. For example, Mozart and Rossini wrote comic parts for bass voice, using musical repetition and low register for comic effect. Wagner and Mozart wrote serious parts for bass voice, focusing on the gravity that a low register can contribute to the overall musical texture. bel canto Referring to the Italian vocal style of the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, bel canto singing emphasizes lyricism and ornamentation in order to showcase the beauty of the singer s voice. Its focus on lyrical embellishment directly contrasts with a contemporary Germanic focus on a weighty, dramatic style. Bel canto singing is most closely associated with the music of Gioachino Rossini, Vincenzo Bellini, and Gaetano Donizetti. cadenza An ornamented musical elaboration played in a free style by a soloist to display his or her virtuosity. Cadenzas are typically improvised that is, created by a performer on the spot though they can also be written out in advance. They most frequently occur near the end of a piece, at a point of harmonic tension when the piece is about to conclude. chorus A section of an opera in which a large group of singers performs together, typically with orchestral accompaniment. Most choruses include at least four different vocal lines, in registers from low to high, with multiple singers per part. The singers are typically from a particular group of people who play a certain role on stage soldiers, peasants, prisoners, and so on. Choruses may offer a moral or commentary on the plot, or participate in the dramatic action. Classical A period of music history lasting from approximately 1750 to 1830, bordered by the earlier Baroque period and the later Romantic period. Contrasting with the ornamentation common to the preceding Baroque period, Classical music is characterized by simple and elegant melodies, regular harmonic accompaniment, and contrasts between melodic themes. The composers most closely associated with the Classical period include Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Ludwig van Beethoven. coloratura A rapid and elaborate ornamentation by a solo singer, particularly common in operas of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Requiring vocal agility and a wide and high range, coloratura showcases the virtuosity of a singer by featuring repeating melodic figures, rapid scales, trills, and other embellishments. 20 conductor The person who directs the orchestra, setting the tempo, giving interpretive directions to the musicians, and generally holding all the musical elements of a performance together. In orchestra performance, the conductor typically stands on a podium in front of the players and uses a baton to communicate the meter and tempo, and his or her non-baton hand to indicate dynamics, phrasing, and articulation to the musicians. The gestures of a conductor can be likened to a non-verbal language that the musicians understand.

22 contralto A deep female voice, with a vocal range that extends lower than that of a mezzo-soprano. Contraltos are known for having a very wide range and for the power and depth of sound with which they can sing. As is the case for roles for basses, many of the earliest roles in opera for contraltos are comic roles, though nineteenthcentury composers also wrote dramatic roles for female singers with a lower range. crescendo A gradual raising of volume in music achieved by increasing the dynamic level. When music crescendos, the performers begin at a softer dynamic level and become incrementally louder. One of the most famous types of crescendos in opera, the Rossini crescendo, includes an increase in volume together with repeating melodic and rhythmic phrases, higher instrumental registers, and the gradual addition of instruments in order to create a particularly dramatic effect. diminuendo A gradual lowering of volume in music achieved by decreasing the dynamic level. During a diminuendo, the performers begin at a louder dynamic level and become incrementally softer. dynamics A musical trait pertaining to loudness and softness. During the eighteenth century, composers began indicating their desired intensity of volume in music by writing words such as piano (soft) and forte (loud) into the musical score. Dynamics encompass a spectrum from pianissimo (very soft) to piano (soft) to mezzo piano (moderately soft), all the way up to fortissimo (very loud). Music can shift to another dynamic level either suddenly or gradually, through a crescendo or diminuendo. ensemble A musical piece for two or more soloists, accompanied by orchestra. Types of ensembles include duets (for two soloists), trios (for three soloists), and quartets (for four soloists). Sometimes singers will respond directly to one another during an ensemble. At other times, singers will each sing to themselves as if the other singers were not on stage. In ensembles, multiple characters may simultaneously express very different emotions from one another. finale The last portion of an act, a finale consists of several musical sections that accompany an escalating dramatic tension. Finales frequently consist of multiple ensembles with different numbers of characters. When it occurs at the end of an early act in the opera, a finale may create a messy situation and the resolution of this situation will only happen in subsequent acts. One type of finale common in comic operas, a chain finale, features characters entering or exiting from the stage to create unexpected combinations of characters, in turn increasing the opera s dramatic tension. forte Meaning loud or strong in Italian, forte is a dynamic level in music that indicates a loud volume. Adding the suffix -issimo to a word serves as an intensifier since forte means loud, fortissimo means very loud. 21