L’elisir d’amore, or ‘The Elixir of Love’, has remained popular for almost two centuries because of a touching tale and a galaxy of comic characters adapted from the traditional commedia dell’arte. More importantly, Donizetti poured into the score all the warmth and tenderness of the Italian temperament. His melodic invention never ceases to charm, whether in the jolly rustic choruses, the exhilarating ‘patter’ numbers, or the sweet sadness of the beautiful arias, of which ‘Una furtiva lagrima’, the great showpiece, is the best known.

This series introduces, in words and music, the plot and background of major operas. Using the principal themes and arias, taken from the Naxos recording of the complete work, Thomson Smillie is informative yet entertaining, enabling the listener to get more from this remarkable art form.