Baltimore Opera Company

Study Guide

L'lser d'amore
The Elixir of Love

The Story

Shy, gentle Nemorino is head-over-heels in love with the beautiful Adina. One day during the harvest, Adina is busy telling the workers the story of Tristan and Isolde's love potion when Sergeant Belcore enters with his platoon. Belcore is attracted by Adina's beauty and flirts with her. When Nemorino jealously bemoans this fact, Adina informs Nemorino that she will never love him, even though he claims to be willing to die for her.

The workers are distracted by the arrival of Dr. Dulcamara, an itinerant quack. Remembering Adina's story of Tristan and Isolde, Nemorino buys from him a bottle of love potion (actually a Bordeaux), which Dulcamara guarantees will work within 24 hours. Shortly after drinking the potion, though, his drunken sprits are crushed when he overhears Adina agree to marry Belcore.

The next day, before the wedding, the penniless Nemorino is desperate to buy more of the magical elixir. He impulsively enlists in Belcore's platoon in order to receive the bounty given to new recruits. Meanwhile, word has reached the villagers that Nemorino's rich uncle has died, leaving him a rich man.

When Nemorino arrives at the wedding, the village girls fawn on him, leading him to believe the potion is working. Adina, confused by this, consults with Dulcamara, who tells her the story of the potion. Nemorino sees that Adina has been affected by seeing him with the other girls. He proclaims once more that he would rather die than live without her. Adina admits that she loves him and repays Belcore the enlistment bounty so that Nemorino can marry her. Dulcamara leaves the happy couple, having convinced himself that his Bordeaux really is a love potion after all.

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