Modern Interpretation Of Donizetti’s Opera ‘L’elisir D’amore’ Premiers In Ankara – Review
The opera ‘L’elisir D’amore’ (The Elixir of Love), prepared in modern interpretation, opened to an Ankara premier on Saturday, February 3, 2018. In this presentation, the 18th Century opera originally based on a farm moved to the open office of a large company in a business center of a big city on a modern stage.
The opera starts with the staff coming in the morning to the accompaniment of the overture music. Men are in dark business suits with tie, women are in good business attires. Everyone has their IDs on their necks, laptop computers on the tables. It is obvious that this is an export-import trading company. There is a poor office-boy Nemorino (wonderful tenor Emre Akkuş), he distributes the letters of the incoming documents and cargo packages. There is an automatic coffee machine on the left corner.
Then the director of the office Adina (beautiful soprano Görkem Ezgi Yildirim) enters to the environment, climbs to her prestigious office of the left staircase with her administrative assistant. She’s reading her emails on the laptop. The cute executive secretary, Giannetta (Ezgi Karakaya), supervises her employees and distributes new tasks. Everyone works with laptop desktop computers on their desk.
Then big boss CEO Belcore (Beran Sertkaya) enters, behind him there are three bodyguards in their black suits with black ties. I read it as a reference to Hollywood “Men in Black, Blues Brothers, Matrix” movies. The ego tops the roof. Later the life coach, or managerial consultant Dr Dulcamara (Özgür Savaş Gençtürk) makes a power-point presentation on the screen, adding white board explanations. We understand that he has traveled around the world. He has photographs in front of Egyptian pyramids, New York skyscrapers, even with Angelina Jolly. He has an Hollywood star on the street. He sells and distributes his coaching books. Office boy wants help from him for love, Dr Dulcamara gives him the wine from his pocket and then all happens.
It was an incredibly beautiful staging. The most beautiful opera piece I’ve seen in recent years. This opera should not be missed.
The Italian opera L’elisir d’amore is a two-act opera in the form of melodrama giocassa (melodramatic play) composed by Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti. The premiere of the opera was first performed at the “Teatro della Canobbiana” theater on May 12, 1832 in Milan. The first time it was staged in Turkey was at the Ankara Opera. In later years, stage director Mrs Yekta Kara performed another excellent modern staging in Istanbul Süreyya opera house. Your writer has already watched and wrote about it earlier.
The modern interpretation of Ankara is completely different. Mrs Figen Ayhan Karakelle, the young director, performs a wonderful work. This opera is an extraordinary masterpiece.
Music by: Gaetano Donizetti
Libretto by: Felice Romani
Premiere: May 12, 1832 in Teatro della Canobbiana, Milano
Players in ankara on 3rd February 2018
Nemorino: Simple office-boy, in love with Adina, tenor Emre Akkuş
Adina, Company Manager, soprano, Görkem Ezgi Yıldırım
Belcore: CEO rich boss, baritone, Beran Sertkaya
Dulcamara: Life coach, bas, Savaş Gençtürk
Giannetti: Executive secretary, soprano, Ezgi Karakaya
Company Employees (chorus), Belcore’s body guards / assistants
Conductor: Alessandro Cedrone
Director: Mrs Figen Ayhan Karakelle
Decor: Ozgur Usta
Costume: Gazal Erten
Choir Chief: Giampaolo Vessala
Lighting: Fuat Gök
Original Place:
A small village in the Basque country in the north of Spain, in 18th century
The modern staging takes place in a company office in a business center, time is today.
This opera has the famous aria “Una furtiva lagrima,” which is very famous and presented separately in musical concerts.
I suggest you watch and listen to the opera beforehand in CDs, YouTube, mezzo records. Get the music in your ear, memorize in your mind. However, do not trust digital representations over the stage, it is not read very lightly.
The work will take place on the Ankara Opera Ballet scene between 07-19 February 2018, 07-12-19-26 March 2018 and 9-April 2018.
Tickets are on sale online at 10:00 a.m. a month earlier.
If you go to Opera-Ballet in the morning, you can buy your ticket in cash or by credit card directly at 09-10 hours.
After the box office sales, there are not many seats left for internet tickets.
