L'elisir d'amore

The most famous aria is 'Una furtiva lagrima' ('A furtive tear'), sung by the character Nemorino in Act 2. It is one of the most beloved tenor arias in the operatic repertoire and has been recorded by virtually every major tenor, from Enrico Caruso to Luciano Pavarotti.

The opera premiered on May 12, 1832, at the Teatro della Canobbiana in Milan. Donizetti reportedly composed the entire opera in approximately two weeks under a tight deadline.

The story follows Nemorino, a poor peasant hopelessly in love with the wealthy and beautiful Adina. When the traveling quack Dulcamara arrives selling a bogus 'love potion' (actually just cheap wine), Nemorino buys it and believes it will make Adina fall in love with him, leading to a series of comic misunderstandings before the lovers finally unite.

Dulcamara is a traveling charlatan and snake-oil salesman who arrives in the village hawking his miraculous 'elixir,' which is in reality just inexpensive Bordeaux wine. He is a comic bass-baritone role rooted in the stock characters of commedia dell'arte and provides much of the opera's humor.