The Elixir of Love

A spectacular production of Gaetano Donizetti's delightful L’elisir d’amore (The Elixir of Love) from the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden. This production marks Rolando Villazón’s debut in a unique dual-role as stage director and singing star. Inspired by the cartoon character Lucky Luke and the Spaghetti Western tradition, Elisir’s comic action is set in a Hollywood studio in a B movie Western. Miah Persson plays starlet Adina opposite Roman Trekel’s Belcore, with Villazón as the film diva’s lovelorn admirer, Nemorino, and Ildebrando D’Arcangelo as Dulcamara, the director. Dynamic, young Pablo Heras-Casado conducts. This acclaimed performance, filmed at the Pfingsten Festival in Baden-Baden, was one of the most memorable operatic events of 2012.