The Santa Fe Opera, for only the third time in the company’s 67 year history presented Donizetti’s romantic comedy “L’Elisir d”Amore [The Elixir of Love]”.
Jonah Hoskins’ Nemorino
The production chosen was an update of Stephen Lawless’ production of 15 years prior, in which the lead male role, the lovesick Nemorino, is an autmobile garage mechanic.
Lyric tenor Jonah Hawkins was an impressive Nemorino, beautifully performing the opera’s first aria Quanto è bello, quanto è caro. Throughout the first act, Hoskins’ Nemorino pursues the coy Adina, drinking what he believes is a love elixir that will make her return his love the next morning. Adina, rather than waiting until morning, agrees to marry Nemorino’s rival Belcore that evening. Hoskins’ shocked Nemorino affectingly performs the aria Adina, credemi, which begins a quartet (with Adina, Belcore and Giannetta,) and successive choral numbers that comprise the opera’s first act finale. That finale is one of Donizetti’s greatest achievements.
[Photo: Jonah Hoskins as the mechanic Nemorino; edited image, based on a Curtis Brown photograph, courtesy of the Santa Fe Opera.]
In the second act, Hoskins splendidly sung performance of Una furtiva lagrima, one of the greatest arias of the early nineteenth century, will surprise many in the audience. Hoskins (and the opera’s production team) pay homage to a bel canto tradition of artists deviating from the published score by substituing their own cadenzas or alternative melodic lines for a portion of an aria. As Hoskins approached the second verse of the Nemorino’s plaintive aria, he sang an unfamiliar, but appealing, melody that Donizetti had composed for a star tenor of his day.
[Photo: the new soldier recruit, Nemorino (Jonah Hoskins) dons his new uniform to sing “Una furtiva lagrima”; edited image, based on a Curtis Brown photograph, courtesy of the Santa Fe Opera.]
In 2019, Hoskins was the sole first place winner in the 18-24 age category for the National Opera Association. Hoskins participated in Houston Grand Opera’s Butler Vocal Academy for undergraduate music students,
In 2021, Hoskins was one of three second place winners for Placido Domingo’s Operalia Contest held at Moscow’s Bolshoi Theater (the other two winners, Mane Galoyan and Bekhzod Dravonov, also perform starring roles in Santa Fe Opera’s 2024 season, respectively, as Violetta and Alfredo in “La Traviata”.)
In 2022, Hoskins was a Santa Fe Opera Apprentice, singing the small role of the Sailor in the first act of Wagner’s “Tristan und Isolde”. Since then, he has joined the opera ensemble of Switzerland’s Theater Saint Gallen. He has begun a promising operatic career.
Yaritza Véliz’ Adina
Chilean soprano Yaritza Véliz displayed an attractive, creamy-sounding voice for Adina’s two solo arias. In the first act aria Della crudele Isotta, recounting the love elixir that awakened Queen Isolde’s love for the knight Tristan, the motivation for all that happens in the opera is set. In the endearing second act aria Prendi, per per me sei libero,. Adina reveals (what we all suspected) that she always loved Nemorino.
[Photo: Yaritza Véliz as Adina; edited image, based on a Curtis Brown photograph, courtesy of the Santa Fe Opera.]
The opera’s librettist, Italian poet Felice Romani, pens poetic duets to chronicle the romantic ups and downs of Nemorino’s pursuit of Adina, such as the first act cantabile in which both characters express their thoughts on their love prospects.
Donizetti has written spirited music for each of these duets, suggesting the emotions each character is feeling. Especially revealing is the second duet of Act I in which Nemorino’s outburst E sulla pur lo barbara translates as “She’s laughting at my love for her” and, repeating Donizetti’s melodic line, Adina’s revealing response: “The fool tries in vain to tear the bonds that hold him captive.”
[Photo: Adina (Yaritza Vélliz, left) and Nemorino (Jonah Hoskins, right) reveal a range of emotions in their duets; edited image, based on a Curtis Brown photograph, courtesy of the Santa Fe Opera.]
Véliz was the first person from Latin America to become a member of the young artists’ program of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.
This was my second time revewing a Véliz performance,. She sang the role of Carina, guardian of souls in the underworld, in a new opera about Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera [Review: Daniela Mack, San Francisco Opera Chorus Shine in “El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego”, San Francisco Opera, June 17, 2023]. That performance also included two colleagues from the current “Elixir” production – bass-baritone Alfredo Daza, the Dulcamara, and Maestro Roberto Kalb, who conducts this performance.
At the end of the San Francisco Opera’s 2022-2023 season, Véliz received a cash prize as the winner of the company’s “Emergng Artists” initiative.
Luke Sutliff’s Sergeant Belcore and Sadie J. Bryan’s Giannetta
Arriving in a Jeep to military fanfare was Sergeant Belcore, sung by Colorado baritone Luke Sutliff. Once onstage, Sutliff gave a muscular performance of Belcore’s main aria, Come Paride vezzoso. He was solid throughout the evening in the many ensembles in which his character participates. His stage movements included a very funny dance routine (with four fellow soldiers) as he offers Nemorino “venti scudi” for enlisting in his regiment.
[Photo: Sergeant Belcore (Luke Sutliff) has arrived; edited image, based on a Curtis Brown photographm courtesy of the Santa Fe Opera.]
In 2022 Sutliff was a Santa Fe Opera Apprentice, performing the role of Duncaire in “Carmen”.. 2023 was a memorable year for the artist, first substituting for another artist in the opening performance of a baroque era work [Review: Luke Sutliff, Replacing Injured Rolando Villazón, Triumphs in Opening Night of Monteverdi’s “Orfeo” – Santa Fe Opera, July 29, 2023], then a few months later placing second in Placido Domingo’s 2023 Operalia contest in Cape Town, South Africa.
[Photo: Belcore (Luke Sutliff, left) graciously accepts the decision of Adina (Yaritza Véliz, center) to marry his rival, Nemorino (Jonah Hoskins, right); edited image, based on a Curtis Brown photograph, courtesy of the Santa Fe Opera.]
Th one comprimario role in the five-member “Elixir” cast is that of the Giannetta. The role was sung by Louisiana soprano Cadie J. Bryan, a 2024 Santa Fe Opera Apprentice, who made a strong impression in the Quartet at the end of Act I.
[Photo: Giannetta (Cadie J. Bryant , left), prepares for the hastily scheduled wedding of Adina (Yaritza Véliz, center) to Sergeant Belcore (Luke Sutliff, right); edited image, based on a Curtis Brown photograph, courtesy of the Santa Fe Opera.]
Alfredo Daza’s Doctor Dulcamara
The last character to appear onstage is the charlatan Doctor Dulcamara, played by Mexican bass-baritone Alfredo Daza. He showed ability to handle the role’s patter singing in Dulcamara’s Udite, udite o rustici, hawking the supposed medicinal powers of his worthless product.
[Photo: Alfredo Daza as Doctor Dulcamara; edited image, based on a Curtis Brown photograph, courtesy of the Santa Fe Opera.]
I have seen Daza perform two other parts – Diego Rivera in the “Frida y Diego” opera cited above, and Germont in Santa Fe Opera’s current “Traviata” producction [Review: Season Opening “Traviata” Displays Soprano Mane Galoyan’s Glorious Violetta – Santa Fe Opera, June 28, 2024]
As Dulcamara, whether through direction or a lack of long experience performing opera buffo roles, I missed the connection with the audience, such as “breaking the fourth wall” I have observed in great buffo Dulcamaras.
[Photo: Dulcamara (Alfredo Daza, right) examines the sedan on which the mechanic Nemorino (Jonah Hoskins, left), as Nemorino seeks to purchase a love elixir; edited image, based on a Curtis Brown photograph, courtesy of the Santa Fe Opera.]
Maestro Roberto Kalb and the Santa Fe Opera ORchestra and Chorus
The evening proved a felicitous Santa Fe Opera debut for Maestro Roberto Kalb, whose ebullient conducting of the Santa Fe Opera Orchestra, set the right tone for one of the classiest of comic operas. The chorus, comprised of Santa Fe Opera Apprentices under the leadership of Utah Chorus Master Susanne Sheston, was, as always, first rate.
[Photo Maestro Roberto Kalb; edited image, based on a Curtis Brown photograph, courtesy of the Santa Fe Opera..]
Director Stephen Lawless’ Production and Designer Ashley Martin-Davis’ Sets and Costumes
I was present at the opening night of English director Stephen Lawless’ 2009 production of Donizetti’s timeless comedy, “The Elixir of Love”. [Review: Dimitri Pittas a Sparkler in Lawless’ Deft “L’Elisir d’Amore” – Santa Fe Opera, July 4, 2009]. The 2024 revival updated many of the scenes but the basic premise of Nemorino’s involvement with motor vehicles remains the starting point for some very funny scenes.
Other Donizetti productions by Lawless include performances in several opera houses of the three operas of what has come to be called the “Tudor Trilogy” – Anna Bolena [Review: Radvanovsky’s Astonishing Anna Bolena Adorns An Admirable Cast – Washington National Opera, October 6, 2012 ], “Maria Stuarda” [Review: The Donizetti Revival, Second Stage – Stephen Lawless’ “Maria Stuarda” in Toronto – Canadian Opera Company, May 4, 2010] and “Roberto Devereux” [A Second Look Review: San Francisco Opera’s Superb “Roberto Devereux” – September 23, 2018.]
Other Santa Fe Opera productions directed by Lawless include “Faust” [Review: Santa Fe Opera Gets Gounod At Last – Hymel, Pérez Soar in Spectacular New Production of “Faust” – July 1, 2011] and “Carmen” [Review: Stephen Lawless’ Creative New “Carmen” Production Opens 2014 Santa Fe Opera Season – June 27, 2014.]
THe sets and costumes were those of English designer Ashley Martin-Davis.
Recommendation
I enthusiastically recommend the Santa Fe Opera’s 2024 production of Donizetti’s “L’Elisir d’Amore” both to the veteran opera goer and to persons new to opera.