Mario Gas's infallible 'El elisir de amore' returns to the Liceu

BarcelonaWhat's the secret to a show that premiered in 1983 continuing to be a success four decades later? Stage director Mario Gas doesn't have the magic formula, but he believes it has something to do with "creating a slice-of-life comedy that offers a lot of stagecraft, but isn't just pure entertainment." He's the mastermind behind the production of The elisir of loveDonizetti's opera, which the Gran Teatre del Liceu is hosting again this season, after years of captivating audiences time and again. With Venezuelan maestro Diego Matheuz conducting, the production will feature a cast of top-tier performers, headlined by sopranos Pretty Yende, Serena Sáenz, and Marina Monzó, and tenors Javier Camarena, Michael Spyres, and Filipe Manu. The elisir of love It premieres this Saturday—in an evening that will coincide with the lighting of the Liceu's Christmas lights—and will run until December 15.

Mario Gas first lifted The elisir of love In 1983, at the Grec Festival, it was immediately clear that it had a long life ahead of it. In 1993, the Peralada Festival bought the production, and in 1998, the Liceu acquired it. "Then we created a new set, and I decided to set the story in Mussolini's Italy to give it a more immediate feel," Gas recalls. The last time the production was seen was in 2018. Now, Leo Castaldi has overseen a revival that "maintains the same structure" but incorporates some minor changes in the scene construction. "I've tried to give the singers creative space, not impose a cage on them," Castaldi states.

A circle closes

For tenor Javier Camarena and soprano Serena Sáenz, starring in this opera goes beyond a professional project. The first coincidence is that Sáenz debuted in 2021 with Lucia di Lammermoor alongside Camarena. Now she feels a circle has closed. "That was my first experience in such a significant role," emphasizes the soprano, who is thrilled to now have a new show in the works. bel canto at the Liceu. The second is that Camarena debuted at the Liceu 13 years ago with the same show and also in the role of Nemorino.

"At that time I had in mind a version of Nemorino that is no longer the same. He is a naive man and deeply in love, but over the years I have come to appreciate his commitment and sacrifice. He has the willpower to enlist in the army, even though he knows he will be cannon fodder, and earn money to get the ' Camarena, who adds that "singing A furtive tear It's a joy for any tenor."

For her part, Sáenz has created an Adina who is "very self-assured, who likes to play with men because she knows that, whatever she does, they will fall at her feet." However, the soprano has worked to take the character further. "In the end, she realizes that she's not interested in a one-night stand or anything like that. She sees that, because of all the sacrifices she's making, Nemorino's love is worth its weight in gold. She has a very beautiful narrative arc that ends in a much more sincere way than it begins," says Sáenz.

All of this is enveloped in a "very well-written" score, Matheuz emphasizes. The maestro made his Liceu debut in 2015 with another work by Donizetti. Don PasqualeAnd now he highlights above all the evolution that both the Symphony Orchestra and the Heart have undergone: "It's very gratifying to arrive and find such a well-prepared orchestra. Instead of focusing on putting the notes in their place, we have been able to explore the score, look for colors and approach it from simplicity. It's very light music."