Donizetti - L'elisir d'amore / Sutherland · Pavarotti · Cossa · Malas · Casula · ECO · Bonynge

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com essential recording
This appealing opera about Nemorino (Pavarotti), a poor young Italian peasant, hopelessly in love with Adina (Sutherland), daughter of a wealthy landowner, has a wealth of comic incidents, mostly based on the character of Dr. Dulcamara, a traveling huckster of patent medicines who sells Nemorino a bottle of wine on the pretext that it is a love potion. It also has some of the most gorgeous melodies of all time, including the tenor favorite "Una furtiva lagrima," and a sentimental happy ending that brings out the best in Sutherland's temperament. The singing is gorgeous (this may go into history as Pavarotti's finest recording), and Sutherland elaborates the vocal line and even uses unfamiliar variations in the text that date back to Donizetti's lifetime. The comedy is handled reasonably if not exceptionally well. --Joe McLellan

Donizetti - L'elisir d'amore / Sutherland · Pavarotti · Cossa · Malas · Casula · ECO · Bonynge, Music, Gaetano Donizetti, Richard Bonynge, Joan Sutherland, Luciano Pavarotti, English Chamber Orchestra, Ambrosian Opera Chorus, Dominic Cossa, Maria Casula, Classical, Classical Music, Italian Romantic Opera, Opera, Opera / Operetta / Oratorio, Opera/Operetta

Donizetti - L'elisir d'amore / Sutherland · Pavarotti · Cossa · Malas · Casula · ECO · Bonynge
Average customer rating:

2.5 star recording, 5 star Pavarotti

Pav has it - Sutherland not quite at par.

Best L'Elisir

perfect elixir

Actually the best and most exciting version out there

Donizetti - L'elisir d'amore / Sutherland · Pavarotti · Cossa · Malas · Casula · ECO · Bonynge
Gaetano Donizetti , Richard Bonynge , Joan Sutherland , Luciano Pavarotti , English Chamber Orchestra , Ambrosian Opera Chorus , Dominic Cossa , and Maria Casula
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

All Works by Donizetti | Donizetti, Gaetano | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works Featuring Luciano Pavarotti | Pavarotti, Luciano | ( P ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Sutherland, Joan | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Donizetti - La Fille du Régiment / Sutherland, Pavarotti, Malas, Sinclair, ROH Covent Garden, Bonynge

Bellini - La Sonnambula / Sutherland · Pavarotti · Ghiaurov · NPO · Bonynge

Verdi - Simon Boccanegra / Freni, Cappuccilli, Carreras, Ghiaurov, van Dam, Foiani, Teatro alla Scala, Abbado

Donizetti - Lucia di Lammermoor / Sutherland · Pavarotti · Milnes · Ghiaurov · ROH Covent Garden · Bonynge

Verdi: Un Ballo in Maschera

ASIN: B0000041QD
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

L'Elisir d'Amore: Act I: Prelude
L'Elisir d'Amore: Act I: 'Bel conforto al mietitore'
L'Elisir d'Amore: Act I: 'Quanto e bella, quanto e cara!' (Nemorino)
L'Elisir d'Amore: Act I: 'Benedette queste carte!' (Adina, Nemorino)
L'Elisir d'Amore: Act I: Marcia; 'Come Paride vezzoso' (Adino, Nemorino)
L'Elisir d'Amore: Act I: 'Or se m'ami, come io t'amo' (Adina. Nemorino)
L'Elisir d'Amore: Act I: 'Una parola, o Adina' (Adina. Nemorino)
L'Elisir d'Amore: Act I: 'Che vuol dire cotesta suonata?'
L'Elisir d'Amore: Act I: 'Udite, udite, o rustici'
L'Elisir d'Amore: Act I: 'Ardir! Ha forse il cielo mandato' (Nemorino)
L'Elisir d'Amore: Act I: 'Voglio dire, lo stupendo elisir' (Nemorino)
L'Elisir d'Amore: Act I: 'Caro elisir! sei mio!' (Nemorino)
L'Elisir d'Amore: Act I: 'Chi e mai quel matto?' (Adina. Nemorino)
L'Elisir d'Amore: Act I: 'Esulti pur la barbara' (Adina. Nemorino)
L'Elisir d'Amore: Act I: 'Tran tran tran tran...In guerra ed in amor' (Adina. Nemorino)
L'Elisir d'Amore: Act I: 'Signor sargente' (Nemorino, Adina)

Tracks:

L'Elisir d: Act I: Conclusion: 'Adina credimi' (Adina. Nemorino)
L'Elisir d: Act II: 'Cantiamo, cantiam, cantiam' (Adina)
L'Elisir d: Act II: 'Barcaruola a due voci' (Adina)
L'Elisir d: Act II: 'Silenzio! E qua il notaro' (Adina. Nemorino)
L'Elisir d: Act II: 'La donna e un animale' (Nemorino)
L'Elisir d: Act II: 'Ai perigli della guerra' (Nemorino)
L'Elisir d: Act II: 'Saria possibile?'
L'Elisir d: Act II: 'Dell 'elisir mirabile' (Adina. Nemorino)
L'Elisir d: Act II: 'Io gia m'immagino' (Adina. Nemorino)
L'Elisir d: Act II: 'Quanto amore! Ed io spietata!' (Adina)
L'Elisir d: Act II: 'Una furtiva lagrima' (Adina. Nemorino)
L'Elisir d: Act II: 'Prendi; per me sei libero' (Adina. Nemorino)
L'Elisir d: Act II: 'Alto! Fronte!' (Adina. Nemorino)
L'Elisir d: Act II: 'Ei corregge ogni difetto' (Adina. Nemorino)

Amazon.com essential recording

This appealing opera about Nemorino (Pavarotti), a poor young Italian peasant, hopelessly in love with Adina (Sutherland), daughter of a wealthy landowner, has a wealth of comic incidents, mostly based on the character of Dr. Dulcamara, a traveling huckster of patent medicines who sells Nemorino a bottle of wine on the pretext that it is a love potion. It also has some of the most gorgeous melodies of all time, including the tenor favorite "Una furtiva lagrima," and a sentimental happy ending that brings out the best in Sutherland's temperament. The singing is gorgeous (this may go into history as Pavarotti's finest recording), and Sutherland elaborates the vocal line and even uses unfamiliar variations in the text that date back to Donizetti's lifetime. The comedy is handled reasonably if not exceptionally well. --Joe McLellan

Customer Reviews:

2.5 star recording, 5 star Pavarotti.......2007-04-14

Although this recording should have much to offer, it is, apart from Pavarotti's lovely Nemorino, a disappointment. The problems begin with Richard Bonynge's stodgy conducting. While there is no doubt that Bonynge was a major figure in the mid twentieth century revival of bel canto operas, I have always found him rather unimaginative. His conducting in this recording varies between mechanical and sluggish. At best the singers seem to be constricted by Bonynge's metronomic pacing, at worst they seem to be offering a competing reading of the score.

The singers, as mentioned in many of the other reviews, with the exception of Pavarotti, are far from adequate. While Sutherland is a legendary singer, and is generally quite at home with Donizetti, both her mediocre diction, and her rather heavy, if not matronly approach to Adina's music obscures the youthful charm, and buoyancy natural to the role. Cossa as Belcore offers little more than a serviceable performance. Malas offers a sub-par Dulcamara. Though this sort of buffo role does not require a beautiful voice per se, Malas' performance lacks the linguistic creativity which makes the text come alive, and is plagued by rhythmic inconsistency that detracts from Donizetti's bubbling music.

Pavarotti, on the other hand, offers a brilliant performance that makes this recording worthwhile. Fine phrasing, clarity of tone, and dramatic engagement (if at times given over to bathos) all make this an excellent performance. Nemorino would become one of Pavarotti's most important roles, though in this early performance, I think we only get hints of just how good he could be in it. While his later recording on DG lacks the pure beauty offered here, it captures the playfulness of a Pavarotti Nemorino more fully. At times it seems that Pavarotti is hampered by Bonynge, whose tempi, as mentioned above, do not allow for the energetic and carefree approach to the music that, in my opinion, commends Pavarotti's later recording. (side note: it seems that almost three decades after this recording, in 1997, Pavarotti and Bonynge broke off their professional relationship after altercations over tempi during rehearsals for Elisir in Naples).

One last minor complaint. Though technical reasons no doubt made it necessary, I find that a very odd break between disc one and disc two detracts from the beautiful Act I finale.

Pav has it - Sutherland not quite at par........2007-02-21

Without a doubt, Joan Sutherland is a 'real' expert of coloratura singing. If only those so-called coloratura sopranos nowadays have but 60% of her prowess and skill, our ears will certainly fare much better.
Having said that, in this recording, La Stupenda has started her long and slow downhill trend. Her brilliant timbre began to lose somewhat its bright and light quality that marked her the cream of the cream in coloratura singing. Of course, one must not mistakenly say that by having a slightly less radiant tone here, those so-called coloratura singers with dark and dull voices (Anna Netrebko, just to name one) could call herself 'comparable' with La Stupenda - no way!
Pavarotti is absolutely brilliant in this performance. All the dynamics, all the different shades of tone, all the rhythmic nuances...I would only want to hear his 9 High Cs in Donizetti's other opera recording with Joan. The others are nothing but NOISE.

Best L'Elisir.......2006-06-04

This is a wonderful recording of "L'Elisir D'Amore" by Donizetti. Luciano Pavarotti and Joan Sutherland are excellent as always and this recording has more life than others. Spiro Malas first Dulcamara very well, sounding very arrogant and coniving. The person who said he was the worst Dulcamara is an idiot. There couldn't be a better one. Moreover, L'Elisir D'Amore is an interesting opera, because, unlike most operas, it isn't a tragedy. It's a comedy, which is something you rarely see in operas. I suggest buying this L'Elisir recording.

perfect elixir.......2003-08-24

Solid singing by all! Pavarotti in top form. Sutherland , a marvel. Fine singing/acting by Cossa and Malas.

Actually the best and most exciting version out there.......2002-04-26

There may be flaws in this recording. Maybe Sutherland's diction isn't as perfect as some would have it. However, I have listened to a huge amount of versions of this opera, and this is by far the best. Most of them leave me BORED. Comic opera is at times anything but comic. It is often, at least for me, tedious. This comic opera, though admittedly written by a genius, is like that in many ways. What gets me through it is fine singing, and this set has some of the best. For those who think that the "Una Furtiva" aria is not sung tragically enough, well, I would say, READ THE WORDS. It is a silly tradition to sing it like a lament, one that actually started with Caruso. The song is anything but tragic. This country bumpkin finally learns (through the tears he thinks he sees coming from the eyes of the woman he loves, who until she finds out she could lose him to any other girl in town, didn't treat him well, and thus discovers what her real feelings are; and that is not even considering losing him to the army) that the woman of his dreams LOVES HIM. NOT A VERY TRAGIC THING, I would say. It is a mock-tragic aria where a really good artist would use parady to actually share with the audience his excitement at learning he has won the heart of the girl he loves. Pavarotti sings wonderfully, though he is actually even too tragic for what the song can with stand. As an addition, there is an aria added that was written for Malibran by her husband for when she sang the part of Adina. Sutherland sings it. In the old LP release of this opera they let you know where it occurred. It is not mentioned in the booklet at all. It occurs near the end of the opera, but not at the end. It is a wonderful bit of singing from Sutherland, and it truly adds sparkle to this opera.

Music Review:

Music Review

music review

Music Review

Does She Walk On Water

Debussy: La Mer/Chausson: Poeme De L'Amour Et De La Mer/Ravel: Scheherazade

Florent Schmitt: Orchestral Works

70's & 80's Country: Vol.5 [Karaoke]

Earth Dance 2000 [Enhanced]

Enchanted [CD-single]

Djezair

Don't Play With Matches

Freefall [Import]

Brahms: Violin Concerto; Mozart: Sinfonia

Collaborations [Import]

Cinco de Mayo Celebration

Duende Mix Sonidero, Vol. 4

The Golden Age of English Lute Music

Perceptual