Last Updated on May 30, 2025
Love, Laughter, and a Touch of Magic at Garsington
4.7 out of 5.0 starsDonizetti’s L’elisir d’amore is a perennial crowd-pleaser, and the opening night of both the season and the production at Garsington Opera was no exception. Set against the magnificent backdrop of the Wormsley Estate, the performance delivered a sparkling, high-spirited staging that set the tone for a promising summer season.
L’elisir d’amore is a work which lends itself well to contemporisation, and here, in Christopher Luscombe’s production, we were transported to Southern Italy in the 1940s. Charming multilevel sets from Simon Higlett, with chorus and soloists making good use of the upper windows of the village houses, provided a simple but effective way to perform this two act favourite with no set changes other than the addition of a long table for the engagement party and some wonderful lighting effects from Mark Jonathan for Nemorino’s big number ‘Una furtiva lagrima’.
The story is of a young, pretty and intelligent village girl, Adina (Madison Leonard), who at the start of the opera spurns love and in particular the affection of her village suitor Nemorino (Oleksiy Palchykov), believing life to be more fun lived without ties. In ‘Della crudele Isotta’, she tells the villagers the story of Tristan and Isolde and how he only won her favour by using a love elixir. A wonderful, rounded, lyrical soprano, Leonard offered flawless vocals and impeccable articulation, soaring effortlessly above the chorus and orchestra.
The entrance of Belcore (Spanish baritone, Carles Pachon) was, as it should be, spectacular. Arriving in the sidecar of an American World War II motorbike, the Sergeant is an immediate hit with the women of the village. When he spots Adina, he turns his affection to her, with the intention of marrying her as quickly as possible. But he treats romance as a battlefield, proposing to Adina within minutes of meeting her and seeing his ultimate goal of marriage as a trophy. Carles Pachon has a rich and beautiful timbre to his voice and produced just the right amount of swagger to pull off the role in style. Needless to say, Nemorino is dismayed.
The entrance of the next ‘newcomer’ to the village brings some respite. Dulcamara (Richard Burkhard), a quack doctor, manages to sell multiple bottles of his ‘cure-all’ potion to the villagers before Nemorino approaches him asking for Isolde’s Love Potion, which Dulcamara claims to make! Handing Nemorino a bottle of Bordeaux from his own picnic basket, Dulcamara gives strict instructions on how to use the potion and warns that it will take 24 hours to work (enough time for him to leave town). A spivvy character driving an open-top red car with an eye-candy woman on his arm, Burkhard’s rogueish Dulcamara was quick-witted and endearing. A fine baritone voice, he effortlessly worked through the faster numbers with a light and stylish articulation.
The turning point in L’elisir d’amore is the moment when Adina discovers that, in desperation, Nemorino has enlisted in the army. She buys back his freedom, and although he doesn’t realise the significance, it’s clear to the audience that her attitude to him is changing.
Meanwhile, Nemorino’s uncle has passed away, leaving him a fortune. Giannetta, one of Adina’s friends, reveals his new status to the other women of the village, although at this point neither Nemorino nor Adina know. The role was beautifully sung and characterised by Charlotte Jane Kennedy, a young British soprano who is part of the Garsington Emerging Artists programme. The women of the chorus quickly united in their adoration of the newly minted local billionaire.
While at times in the first act, Nemorino (Oleksiy Palchykov) seemed a little overpowered, his voice opened up beautifully for the second act, and he delivered a stunning Una Furtiva Lagrima, resulting in rapturous applause from the audience. Beautiful characterisation from Palchykov made him a lovable rather than absurd Nemorino, with standout moments in this L’elisir d’amore including a clamber up the drainpipe of Adina’s house to protest his affections.
The chorus for this production of L’elisir d’amore was outstanding throughout, impeccably directed with wonderful attention to detail. Singers rather than dancers, they nevertheless produced a performance that my companion noted was not far off some contemporary dance productions we’ve seen. At times walking and running in step to the music to amplify the strong beats, at times performing some delightful hand movements or ‘freezing’ on stage so that the soloists could be the focal point, they provided an impeccable homogeneity.
The Philharmonia, under the baton of an able and enthusiastic Chloe Rook, were on point throughout. With this fast-moving opera buffa, pulling off a first night so well coordinated is no mean feat.
Set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Wormsley Estate, Garsington Opera remains one of the most enchanting fixtures of the English summer festival season. Few moments compare to stepping out of the opera house as night falls, the grounds aglow with flaming torches and crackling firepits illuminating the quirky dining tents there to protect picnics from the red kites hovering above. It’s an experience that always lifts the spirit, made all the more wonderful after such an excellent performance of Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore, a buoyant, heartwarming opera that ends on just the right note
L’elisir d’amore runs from 28th May to 21 July 2025
Garsington Opera
Wormsley Estate,
Stokenchurch,
Buckinghamshire,
HP14 3YG
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