L'elisir d'amore (1991 TV Movie) is a live recording of the great Donizetti comic opera. The Metropolitan Opera pulled out all the stops for this production (directed by Brian Large). James Levine conducted, Luciano Pavarotti appeared as Nemorino, and Kathleen Battle sang Adina.
You don't need me to tell you how great Levine and Pavarotti were. Kathleen Battle was their equal. She had a glorious stage presence, and her bell-like voice was incomparable. In 1985, Time Magazine pronounced her "the best lyric coloratura soprano in the world".
Juan Pons as Belcore and Enzo Dara as Dr. Dulcamara were both highly talented and successful artists. The staging was enjoyable and the chorus was fine.
This may have been the best production of The Elixir of Love in the late 20th century. If you love opera, you'll love this movie. If you don't love opera, you'll love this movie. The film has an amazing 8.7 IMDb rating. I thought it was even better than that, and rated it 10.
