L'elisir d'amore

elisir d'amore, L' (Donizetti). Libretto by Felice Romani; 2 acts; first performance Milan 1832.

An Italian village, 19th cent.: The wealthy farm-owner Adina is loved by the poor Nemorino who is too shy to tell her so. Sergeant Belcore asks her to marry him and she agrees. Desolate, Nemorino buys from the quack Dulcamara a love-potion to help him win Adina and he also enlists. At the wedding-feast, Adina delays signing the contract until Nemorino arrives. But Nemorino has inherited money and this makes him very attractive to all the girls. When Adina sees them surrounding him, she realizes where her heart really belongs, buys him out of the army, and confesses that she loves him.