A fake love potion, real feelings, and one tenor who'll make you ugly-cry in Italian.
Donizetti’s bubbly romantic comedy about a spunky landowner, a hapless peasant, and the dubious love potion that may or may not bring them together never fails to delight audiences. In this performance from the Met’s Live in HD series, South African soprano Pretty Yende stars as Adina, imbuing her character with lovable warmth while tossing off effortless coloratura passages from beginning to end. Tenor Matthew Polenzani is Nemorino, Adina’s love-struck admirer, who pours out his heart in the moving aria “Una furtiva lagrima.” The cast also includes baritone Davide Luciano as the swaggering Sergeant Belcore and Ildebrando D’Arcangelo as the wily Dr. Dulcamara, and Domingo Hindoyan conducts Bartlett’s Sher’s charming and colorful production.
Acting
Polenzani's Nemorino: pure-hearted desperation you can't fake.
Production
Sher's staging balances rustic charm with theatrical wit.
Acting
Yende's coloratura sparkles; her comic timing sharper still.
Director
Bartlett Sher
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Pretty Yende made her Met debut as Adina in 2013; this 2018 performance captures her at peak vocal and dramatic confidence.
Polenzani's 'Una furtiva lagrima' in this production became a viral moment in opera circles for its sustained pianissimo high notes.
No ratings yet
Sign in to join the discussion — comments are spoiler-gated to your watch progress.
Discussion starters
IT
