Elixir: spotlight on the tenor

Who saw Pavarotti in Elixir? ME!!.

(photo by Pirlouiilit)

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Quite a number of operas feature wonderful, star-making roles for the lead soprano. Many sopranos dream of being cast as Lucia, Aida, Violetta and countless others. It makes sense: many sopranos are glamorous. Their private love-lives (see "Callas, Maria") can be the stuff of tabloids. They wear gorgeous gowns. In opera, their entrances are often delayed well into the first act to create intense anticipation of their appearance.

But no soprano who ever phonated has EVER said this:
"It is my dream to someday sing the role of Adina in The Elixir of Love".
Look - Adina is a fine role; Donizetti gives her graceful, attractive music to sing. She even has an interesting arc of character development, starting as a capricious girl who takes nothing seriously and evolving into a mature woman ready for lifelong commitment.

But the opera isn't about her. It's about the lead tenor, Nemorino. And I believe that each and every tenor, upon being born, has one thought in mind about his future:

In other words, Nemorino is a GLORIOUS role that all tenors DO want to sing and it CAN be a star-making vehicle. Nemorino must have good comedic instincts; he must move well; he must exude charm and charisma; he must have the acting chops to make us fall in love with the character; and he must sing tirelessly and passionately with honeyed tone and elegant phrasing.

In the 1970's when I was an undergraduate music major (or in other words, about 80 pounds ago...), I managed to score a ticket to the Lyric Opera of Chicago's production of Elixir. The cast? Joan Sutherland and Luciano Pavarotti.

Yeah, pretty nice.

My memories of the evening, all these years later, are interesting in this regard: I don't really recall much about Dame Joan's singing. I'm sure she sang like the goddess she was. Really, my memory of her is a single visual image, like a GIF. She was a large-framed woman. Up in my balcony seat I couldn't really see her shoes from under her gown. So when she walked, or rather "proceeded" across the stage, she looked like a ship slowly sailing into port.

But Pavarotti? With him, my memories are vivid and visceral.

He too was a big, big dude. Late in his career, of course, his mobility was hampered by crumbling knees. But in the early 70's, though large in body size, he was incredibly light on his feet. As he cavorted around the stage in Nemorino's he was like those enormous linemen in pro football who may be big, but are also agile, spry and quick. His tipsy scene was one of balletic grace.

Another tip that Nemorino has a big night with tons of singing ahead of him: Donizetti gives him a warm-up number to open with. The cavatina "Quanto è bella, quanto è cara" is, for an operatic tenor, like batting practice before a major-league baseball game. The slugger gets a few easy pitches he can whack to get his juices flowing. Likewise, Nemorino's solo has no high C's or even B flats; the orchestral accompaniment is muted; there is no chorus to have to project over. 

You find these warm-up solos from time to time. Verdi gave the Duke of Mantua "Questa o quella" in Rigoletto. Puccini favored Des Grieux with "Tra voi, belle" in Manon Lescaut. Of course, Verdi pooped out on the concept by the time he got to Aida, in which the poor tenor essaying Radames has to crank out the excruciatingly difficult and exposed "Celeste Aida" at the top of the show. It's Verdi saying: Hey, you're a professional. Warm up at home, dammit".

Spoil-sport...

Adina? Nothing jaw-dropping like any of Lucia Ashton's big numbers in Lucia di Lammermoor that bring down the house even when sung only adequately. Nothing mesmerizing like any of Carmen's solos. Pleasant music that is eminently forgettable for the average opera-lover.

In fact, her final solo, "Prendi, per me sei libero" tends to come off as an anti-climax since it follows close on the heels of Nemorino's iconic moment of tenorial splendor "Una furtive lagrima". 

Yep - the success of any Elixir rests on the shoulders of the artist cast as Nemorino. As he goes, so goes the show. It's a big responsibility! It's a challenge. It's difficult. 

Tenors: you'd better bring your "A" game.