--- product_id: 3896439 title: "Donizetti - L'Elisir d'Amore / Eschwe, Netrebko, Villazon, Wiener Staatsoper" price: "VT5560" currency: VUV in_stock: true reviews_count: 8 url: https://www.desertcart.vu/products/3896439-donizetti-lelisir-damore-eschwe-netrebko-villazon-wiener-staatsoper store_origin: VU region: Vanuatu --- # Donizetti - L'Elisir d'Amore / Eschwe, Netrebko, Villazon, Wiener Staatsoper **Price:** VT5560 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Donizetti - L'Elisir d'Amore / Eschwe, Netrebko, Villazon, Wiener Staatsoper - **How much does it cost?** VT5560 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.vu](https://www.desertcart.vu/products/3896439-donizetti-lelisir-damore-eschwe-netrebko-villazon-wiener-staatsoper) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Product Description Rolando Villazon, Anna Netrebko, and Leo Nucci star in this 2005 Vienna State Opera production directed by Otto Schenk, with Alfred Eschwe conducting. desertcart.com Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore is one of the staples of the comic opera repertory. The plot hinges on whether earnest but dim-witted Nemorino will snag Adina, the flirtatious heroine. She's a tease who takes up with Belcore, an army sergeant, to make Nemorino jealous. After numerous (and humorous) plot twists that include a phony love potion, it all ends happily. Adina and Nemorino declare their love for each other, Belcore is dumped, and the fraudulent Dulcamara does a landslide business in love potions. It's all a fast-moving bundle of fun, especially with the star-filled cast of this 2005 Vienna State Opera performance. The leads are magnificent. Rolando Villazón as Nemorino exhibits a real gift for comic acting, manipulating his rubber face into dozens of hilarious poses, flawlessly turning stock comic gestures into laugh-out-loud moments, and even juggling apples with the panache of a circus performer. More important, he uses his lyric tenor to sing the part with impressive subtlety, suggesting Nemorino's desperation while singing of his love for Adina. His big show-stopper, "Una furtuva lagrima," features melting pianissimos and a breathtaking decrescendo in its final phrase. It literally stops the show, the audience forcing a welcome encore. Netrebko's Adina is every bit as good, with deft acting and a lovely lyric soprano voice that makes you understand why she's the only girl for Nemorino. Dulcamara is Ildebrando D'Arcangelo, whose ample bass joins a stage presence that puts him at the center of his scenes. His famous duet, "Venti scudi," with Villazón, is the highlight it should be. Veteran baritone Leo Nucci is Sergeant Belcore and while his singing tends to the dry and effortful, he's convincingly sleazy, adding to the laughs. Smaller parts and the chorus are fine and conductor Alfred Eschwé efficiently keeps the music bubbling along. Otto Schenk's production, with sets and costumes by Jürgen Rose, dates from 1980 but still looks fresh with a village square dominating the picture-postcard view of a provincial Italian village. The costumes are realistic, with predominantly pastel colors for the villagers, bright colors for Belcore and his soldiers, and relatively nondescript outfits for the others, though Netrebko can't help exuding glamour no matter what she wears. The video direction smoothly focuses on singers and the stage action, but the sound recording is overly resonant, with inconsistent dynamics and the chorus' words obscured. Still, this is the preferred L'Elisir d'Amore. --Dan Davis Review: The Best Medicine! - "L'Elisir d'Amore" is a much-loved favourite of mine, and it was a true joy to watch this outstanding live production from the Vienna State Opera, which surpassed my high expectations. Rolando Villazón and Anna Netrebko are ideally matched and perfectly suited to the roles of Nemorino and Adina. Vocally they shine, dramatically they sparkle, and their shared sense of fun is very evident. The stage action is anything but static, with plenty of expended energy in response to a sparkling tempo from the orchestra. Nemorino is one of my favourite opera characters. To dismiss him as "the village idiot" does him a great injustice. He may be uneducated, but he is loyal and instinctively wise, and one has only to listen to his first duet with Adina ("Una Parola, Adina") to know that he has the soul of a poet. From the moment Rolando Villazón walks on stage with the delicious "Quanto E Bella", he is in his element, vocally and dramatically. He employs just enough comedy and pathos without overdoing it, and he takes me all the way from laughter to tears and back again. After a touchingly beautiful "Una Furtiva Lagrima", the Viennese audience demands (and receives) a moving encore. Anna Netrebko's Adina is playful and capricious, but right from the start she allows little glimpses of a deeper side, which finally emerges as she responds to the voice of her heart and the irresistible Nemorino. Vocally she is brilliant, and her on-stage chemistry with Mr Villazón is electric. Another highlight is Leo Nucci's Belcore - a real comic gem. For me, this opera works best when Belcore is played as a caricature, as he is here - the swaggering, self-confident sergeant - and the perfect contrast to Nemorino. Likewise, Ildebrando d'Arcangelo's younger, smooth talking salesman seems just right for Dr Dulcamara in this setting. He too, makes good use of his comic talents. Not to be overlooked is the irrepressible Inna Los, revelling in the cameo role of Giannetta. My only negative comment concerns the sound quality on the DVD - it is not as clear and sharp as it could be, and I found I had to tweak my audio settings and graphic equaliser quite a bit to get it right. However, that is a minor technical flaw, and no reflection on the performance itself. If laughter is the best medicine, then my advice is ... do yourself a favour, and purchase this efficacious and sweet-tasting dose of "The Elixir of Love"! Review: Perfect!!! - This may be the most enjoyable operatic performance I have ever experienced, and I have enjoyed many of them, both onstage and on DVD. I do not include LP or CD versions, since the visual aspect of opera is absent there. Comedy, in any setting, is among the most difficult of endeavors to pull off. Timing is everything, and for an early (1832) 19th Century opera to still be comedic seems even more difficult, especially since most operaphiles know the work, thus surprise is unlikely. I think that the fact that this disc has generated over 50 reviews, some both detailed and scholarly, reflects on the success of the performance. I for one, do not subscribe to the cult of former great sopranos, but I do not mean this in any way to be critical of those who do. I have seen Sutherland, Caballe, Sills and others in performances, and have and enjoy recordings of these legendary singers. But living where live opera ain't, to indulge my operaphilia ( OK, addiction!), I must rely on the DVD, of which I now have about 90. That means experiencing and evaluating and enjoying relative newcomers (for me) to the stage. My first experience with Ms Netrebko was in the two German galas, one from Berlin and the other from Baden Baden (both available here on DVD). Metaphorically, she blew my socks off! She has a smooth, rich voice, and her technique, especially vowel placement and pronunciation is fantastic. Admittedly, she lacks the extended range of the true coloratura, and the vocal flexibility associated with that voice, but her Norina is credible as a character and vocally stunning, IMHO. Her acting skills are remarkable, too, and it is clear that she really enjoys what she does. Similarly with Villazon: he has a big, bright tenor voice with a brilliant legato line and an evenness through the registers. He really hams up the role of Nemorino, especially in the first part of Act I. His is simply a first rate performance. I have always thought of Leo Nucci as a Verdian, and have enjoyed several of his performances as such. But he really shines in this comedy. So does Ildebrando D'Arcangelo as Dulcamara. This is my first experience with him, but I note that he does a phenomenal job as Escamillo in the new Carmen on Decca (Covent Garden) His is a rich but bright tone with a huge top. But as exceptional as the singers are, it is the totality of the performance that makes this a five star review. It all just works! Disc quality is what I have come to expect of Decca. Clear, crisp focused video is combined with the sonic detail of the DTS surround to make the recording the "next best thing to being there". And I can reprise the event any time I wish. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | ASIN | B000F3T3CS | | Actors | Alfred Eschwe, Anna Netrebko, Ildebrando d'Arcangelo, Leo Nucci, Rolando Villazon | | Aspect Ratio | 1.33:1 | | Best Sellers Rank | #58,459 in Movies & TV ( See Top 100 in Movies & TV ) #1,050 in Opera & Vocal (CDs & Vinyl) #1,198 in Music Videos & Concerts (Movies & TV) #3,459 in Classical (CDs & Vinyl) | | Customer Reviews | 4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars (451) | | Director | Otto Schenk | | Dubbed: | English, Italian | | Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No | | Item model number | 2235037 | | Language | English (DTS 5.0), English (Dolby Digital 5.0), Italian (Dolby Digital 5.0), Italian (PCM Stereo), Unqualified (DTS ES 6.1) | | MPAA rating | Unrated (Not Rated) | | Media Format | Classical, Color, Multiple Formats, NTSC | | Number of discs | 1 | | Product Dimensions | 11.81 x 0.39 x 11.81 inches; 2.96 ounces | | Release date | January 16, 2007 | | Run time | 2 hours and 10 minutes | | Studio | Warner Classics | | Subtitles: | English, French, German, Italian, Spanish | ## Product Details - **Contributor:** Alfred Eschwe, Anna Netrebko, Ildebrando d'Arcangelo, Leo Nucci, Otto Schenk, Rolando Villazon - **Format:** Classical, Color, Multiple Formats, NTSC - **Genre:** Classical / Opera & Vocal, Music Video & Concerts - **Language:** Italian - **Runtime:** 2 hours and 10 minutes ## Images ![Donizetti - L'Elisir d'Amore / Eschwe, Netrebko, Villazon, Wiener Staatsoper - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91J+DcpCAuL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Best Medicine! *by S***Y on October 27, 2011* "L'Elisir d'Amore" is a much-loved favourite of mine, and it was a true joy to watch this outstanding live production from the Vienna State Opera, which surpassed my high expectations. Rolando Villazón and Anna Netrebko are ideally matched and perfectly suited to the roles of Nemorino and Adina. Vocally they shine, dramatically they sparkle, and their shared sense of fun is very evident. The stage action is anything but static, with plenty of expended energy in response to a sparkling tempo from the orchestra. Nemorino is one of my favourite opera characters. To dismiss him as "the village idiot" does him a great injustice. He may be uneducated, but he is loyal and instinctively wise, and one has only to listen to his first duet with Adina ("Una Parola, Adina") to know that he has the soul of a poet. From the moment Rolando Villazón walks on stage with the delicious "Quanto E Bella", he is in his element, vocally and dramatically. He employs just enough comedy and pathos without overdoing it, and he takes me all the way from laughter to tears and back again. After a touchingly beautiful "Una Furtiva Lagrima", the Viennese audience demands (and receives) a moving encore. Anna Netrebko's Adina is playful and capricious, but right from the start she allows little glimpses of a deeper side, which finally emerges as she responds to the voice of her heart and the irresistible Nemorino. Vocally she is brilliant, and her on-stage chemistry with Mr Villazón is electric. Another highlight is Leo Nucci's Belcore - a real comic gem. For me, this opera works best when Belcore is played as a caricature, as he is here - the swaggering, self-confident sergeant - and the perfect contrast to Nemorino. Likewise, Ildebrando d'Arcangelo's younger, smooth talking salesman seems just right for Dr Dulcamara in this setting. He too, makes good use of his comic talents. Not to be overlooked is the irrepressible Inna Los, revelling in the cameo role of Giannetta. My only negative comment concerns the sound quality on the DVD - it is not as clear and sharp as it could be, and I found I had to tweak my audio settings and graphic equaliser quite a bit to get it right. However, that is a minor technical flaw, and no reflection on the performance itself. If laughter is the best medicine, then my advice is ... do yourself a favour, and purchase this efficacious and sweet-tasting dose of "The Elixir of Love"! ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Perfect!!! *by J***. on May 29, 2011* This may be the most enjoyable operatic performance I have ever experienced, and I have enjoyed many of them, both onstage and on DVD. I do not include LP or CD versions, since the visual aspect of opera is absent there. Comedy, in any setting, is among the most difficult of endeavors to pull off. Timing is everything, and for an early (1832) 19th Century opera to still be comedic seems even more difficult, especially since most operaphiles know the work, thus surprise is unlikely. I think that the fact that this disc has generated over 50 reviews, some both detailed and scholarly, reflects on the success of the performance. I for one, do not subscribe to the cult of former great sopranos, but I do not mean this in any way to be critical of those who do. I have seen Sutherland, Caballe, Sills and others in performances, and have and enjoy recordings of these legendary singers. But living where live opera ain't, to indulge my operaphilia ( OK, addiction!), I must rely on the DVD, of which I now have about 90. That means experiencing and evaluating and enjoying relative newcomers (for me) to the stage. My first experience with Ms Netrebko was in the two German galas, one from Berlin and the other from Baden Baden (both available here on DVD). Metaphorically, she blew my socks off! She has a smooth, rich voice, and her technique, especially vowel placement and pronunciation is fantastic. Admittedly, she lacks the extended range of the true coloratura, and the vocal flexibility associated with that voice, but her Norina is credible as a character and vocally stunning, IMHO. Her acting skills are remarkable, too, and it is clear that she really enjoys what she does. Similarly with Villazon: he has a big, bright tenor voice with a brilliant legato line and an evenness through the registers. He really hams up the role of Nemorino, especially in the first part of Act I. His is simply a first rate performance. I have always thought of Leo Nucci as a Verdian, and have enjoyed several of his performances as such. But he really shines in this comedy. So does Ildebrando D'Arcangelo as Dulcamara. This is my first experience with him, but I note that he does a phenomenal job as Escamillo in the new Carmen on Decca (Covent Garden) His is a rich but bright tone with a huge top. But as exceptional as the singers are, it is the totality of the performance that makes this a five star review. It all just works! Disc quality is what I have come to expect of Decca. Clear, crisp focused video is combined with the sonic detail of the DTS surround to make the recording the "next best thing to being there". And I can reprise the event any time I wish. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Less Is Usually More" *by S***H on January 19, 2007* As has been rightly pointed out, the singing of all the principals in this production is first-rate, while as opera performers Villazon and Netrebko are also that great rarity, a stunning couple to look at. Along with just about everyone else on stage or in the audience at this performance, they too appear to be having a whale of a time. Such widespread delight pretty quickly becomes impossible to resist. If there is a flaw in the performance, however, I'd say it's in the tendency of Villazon once again to overact, a characteristic less seriously distracting here, though, than in his earlier Don Carlo or Alfredo. Amusingly dressed as an ebony mop-haired Raggedy Andy, his Nemorino certainly has enormous charm and largely employs successful comedic stage movement and business, including some unexpected, but marvelous, juggling with real pieces of fruit, but I'd say Villazon finally falls victim to playing the "cute" card to excess, even "mugging" shamelessly. His perpetually raised, then lowered, bushy eyebrows and his repeatedly furled lower lip decline into mannerisms; he, in turn, threatens to become less a comic actor here than an act. Now since many opera performers still provide little in the way of acting, I suppose we should be grateful for what he does provide, even if he finally crosses the line into excess. And in any event the flaw is a small one when taken in conjunction with his glorious singing and mostly persuasive acting throughout this role. At the same time, just because he is potentially such a talented actor as well as an already wonderful singer, a shrewder stage director might have reminded him of Hamlet's famous speech to overly ambitious comic players advising them that in great acting less is usually more. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.vu/products/3896439-donizetti-lelisir-damore-eschwe-netrebko-villazon-wiener-staatsoper](https://www.desertcart.vu/products/3896439-donizetti-lelisir-damore-eschwe-netrebko-villazon-wiener-staatsoper) --- *Product available on Desertcart Vanuatu* *Store origin: VU* *Last updated: 2026-05-06*