Old yet gold
When I initially think about operas, I tend to stay away because of how old-timey they seem. Learning about stock characters and the conventional romantic comedy structure reinforced the idea in my mind that operas are less than enjoyable and had no way of pulling my heartstrings. Much to my surprise, L’Elisir d’Amore managed to pull me in through the romance between Adrina and Nemorino. Despite the two being stock characters within a structure, there were plenty of heartfelt moments and funny gestures that thickened the plot. L’Elisir d’Amore showed me how timeless comedic opera can be. Between the two, Adrina stands out more because of how much more common her character type is within operas and real life.
Adrina fits into the Virgo stock character type as she portrays “the girl next door” which is a common trope even today. She acts as a magnet that attracts the male characters. Though she may seem like just a woman put in the play as a love interest, She has her own heroine characteristics which are traditional yet modern. Despite being constricted within her corset, She seems to be the center of the play and displays her freedom through the choices she makes. While it would be nice if she was completely independent, L’Elisir d’Amore shows us the reality in which Adrina has the freedom to choose, but only if she is given the choices. Adrina does not pursue men, they come to her and she decides who She wants. This bittersweet reality that has existed in comic operas for many years is what stirs up the conflict and romantic resolution.
Belcore is set as the Miles Gloriosus or bragging soldier stock character. He advances toward Adrina and She seems to reciprocate his feelings. At the same time Nemorino, the adulescens or hero, approaches her on several occasions with his request for love. Instead of leading him on, Adrina encourages him to take care of his sickly uncle. Though the two are fated to be together, Belcore stands between them, and Adrina’s decision to accept him over Nemorino forces Nemorino to resort to unrealistic methods to win her love. Adrina expands on her stock character and adds depth to it with her ability to choose what she desires. The audience already knows how the story will end because of how romantic comedies tend to end with a happy marriage between the fated characters and because of the story Adrina reads to the townspeople in the song “Della crudele Isotta.” During this song, she explains the story of a man who drinks a love potion to win the heart of the woman he desires. This is the exact story that sparks Nemorino’s foolish hopes that such a thing would actually exist. Nemorino’s desperate yet comedic stares and gulps at Adrina draw the parallels between the story and his relationship with Adrina.
Even while knowing this, I became invested in the story because of how serious the consequences of Adrina’s decisions had on the rest of the characters. In “Una furtiva lagrima” sung by Nemorino, we can see how deeply in love he is with her. He passionately “For just one moment to feel the trembling of her dear heart. Just briefly, to mingle my sighs with hers!” Here was when I saw just how much power Adrina has over Nemorino. In a way, I was happy because she was not a meek character who had to settle. Nemorino, the main character, had to work and resort to a love potion to even get the chance to catch her eye. He makes himself a fool by drinking up Bordeaux, which the doctor tells him is a love potion, just to be with her. When she finally decides to choose between Belcore and Nemorino, she goes for Nemorino. The characters think it is because of the love potion, in reality, Adrina makes the decision for herself to marry Nemorino.
At the end of the day, no matter how much power the girl next door has over the other characters and the course of the story, she is still confined within a structure she cannot control. Adrina can make her own decisions but only because it will allow the opera to follow its natural structure through conflict and a happy ending. The love potion doesn’t exist in the play, it is the play itself. If only Nemorino knew he was in a romantic comedy, he would not have gone through the trouble of finding a love potion. He and Adrina would simply have to exist and no matter the circumstances, they would be wed. To me, such a reality is disappointing. I was fooled to think Adrina had a choice. These traditional structures used in L’Elisir d’Amore made it feel like the characters were real people even though they only exist on the stage, as a romantic comedy is meant to do.
