Elisir in Rome


Yesterday's 'Elisir' was too awful to be funny. The entire cast, chorus and innumerable extras, doppelgangers etc jigged up and down to every rhythm throughout the opera with the exception of 'Una furtiva lagrima.' In that we had a female acrobat entwining herself in some mauve sheeting that had appeared from above. The Nemorino, John Osborn was encored (something I've never seen before in opera*). The acrobat thought it was her encore too. Unbelievable. Aleksandra Kurzak was great though and made the E.115 we paid per seat almost worth it.

 * In fact I suspect 'Una furtiva lagrima' is often encored. I saw an interview with the great Ferruccio Tagliavini in which he said he once had to sing it three times. 

 






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