Paphos opera to feature Lâ€™Elisir dâ€™Amore romantic comedy

This year's Paphos Aphrodite Festival, to be held on September 6, 7 and 8 in front of the medieval castle in the Paphos harbour, will feature the romantic comic opera L’Elisir d’Amore by Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti performed by the Opera Futura Verona and the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra.

The Director and Artistic Director of the project is Paolo Panizza and the conductor is Matteo Salvemini. Among the performers are acclaimed soloists such as tenors Alessandro Luciano and Paolo Fanale, sopranos Stefania Bonfadelli and Paola Santucci, bass Marco Bussi and baritone Alessio Potestio. Also taking part are local artists Alex Moskofian (baritone) and Stella Georgiou (soprano)

Panizza said when he heard the "The Elixir of love" for the first time he was astonished by the purity of its music and its characters. "Having in mind this first impression and affected by feelings, I envisioned an ideal scenery, dramatic of course, built however on bright tones than a rural and exotic countryside," he added.

Referring to the fact that the play will be performed at a castle, Pannizza said space has an important role as an additional unique and impressive character in the opera.

"Hence I tried to blend in the space as much as possible the castle, using it not only as a background but as a living entity," he said.

The plot takes place at a small village in Italy and it narrates the love of a poor villager, Nemorino, for the beautiful, rich and coquettish Adina who is flirting with captain Belcore. Nemorino believes that if he drinks a magic elixir she will fall in love with him. The traveling doctor Dulcamara takes advantage of Nemorino’s naivety and sells him a bottle of Bordeaux wine claiming that it is a love potion. Nemorino in order to find the money to buy the so called elixir joins the army. When Adina hears about it, she feels convinced of the intensity of his emotions, confesses her love for him as well and their love story comes to a happy end.