Opera
L’Elisir d’Amore
Manoel Theatre

Cliff Zammit Stevens falls for Shoushik Barsoumian in this revival of L’Elisir d’Amore. Photo: Photocity

I am a traditionalist at heart and steer warily of extravagantly distracting reinterpretations of much-loved opera.

However, when done so well and so slickly as Denise Mulholland has with L’Elisir d’Amore, then hats off to her.

Transferring the action from some rural ambience in the 1830s to a hotel somewhere on the Costa Amalfitana in the 1950s, grew on one from the start. The only kind of discrepancy since the original text was followed is that, once soldiers become sailors, there are no sergeants and the lira had crumbled greatly.

I liked the clever way the chorus was made to react as if miffed when as a very mixed crowd they were addressed as ‘rustici’ by the scheming Dulcamara. Indeed it worked and it was a romp from beginning to end.

There was a bit of everything, comedy but not exactly downright farce. The arrogant boasting of the type I-am-God’s-gift-to-women showed him up as a rather ridiculous bore, the quack Dulcamara’s scheming, however, had some villainous charm to it, and the finest of pathos emerged in Nemorino’s desperate and clumsy wooing of Adina and the latter’s final realisation that it was Nemorino whom she loved.

The opera was presented over four consecutive evenings with alternating different casts. Geatano Donizetti’s music and Felice Romani’s libretto have assured L’Elisir’s perennial success. It is one which could not be maintained without the proper tempi and wielding of the orchestra, which Philip Walsh’s direction proved he has.

The teamwork paid dividends and even in the most boisterous of moments the orchestra just never overpowered the singers. Of the latter the chorus has the first word. Juliette Bisazza and Geoff Thomas wielded the chorus into a highly effective entity. They were always on cue, balanced and they handled the well-directed crowd scenes very smoothly. They acted in a very natural manner, so Mulholland must be very pleased with them. Another thing: that assistant to Dulcamara, a silent breeches role here performed by Antonella Mifsud, spoke very amusing volumes.

The principal singers were mainly young or youngish. All, without exception lived their role to the full. Soprano Shoushik Barsoumian’s Adina was the right balance between the flirtatious, cynical and capricious rich, young woman who is eventually transformed and certain that after all she loves Nemorino.

She has a clear, flexible and wide-ranging voice which unfortunately tended to have a pronounced shrill edge to it.

On the other hand, Cliff Zammit Stevens was on top form and a most convincing Nemorino throughout the opera. He has always been a good actor and grows in stature as a singer. This was his first main opera role in his home country. He was justly very warmly applauded at the end having not so long before excelled more than ever in the showstopping Una furtiva lagrima. Both the two deeper voices in the solo cast were excellent. The Belcore of Valdis Jansons handled the situation in an all-round manner, dashing, cynical, arrogant and false, suffering not at all when Adina opts for Nemorino. Equally in good voice was the basso buffo role of Dulcamara taken by Luciano Miotto who ends up admitting that his elixir works even if he admits that love like Adina’s is more powerful.

Soprano Rosabelle Bianchi made a reliable Giannetta in every way dealing well all-round with her role.

Pierre Portelli’s set design, Isabel Warrington’s very authentic costumes and artwork design plus Chris Gatt’s lights were highly important elements contributing to the production’s success.

Some years ago the Manoel successfully took abroad its production of Donizetti’s other great comic opera Don Pasquale. This Elisir should too.