[Donizetti, Gaetano. (1797–1848)] Romani, Felice. (1788–1865)

"L'Elisir d'Amore" - Libretto

Cuneo: Tipografia Sociale. 1862. L'Elisir d'amore, melodramma giocoso in duet atti. Poesia del cavaliere Felice Romani; musica del maestro Gaetano Donizetti. Early edition libretto of Donizetti's best-known comedic opera. 32 pp. 12mo. Original front wrapper; heavy edge wear, toning and soiling, with one ink stain at the lower right. Overall very good. 4.5 x 7 inches (11.8 x 17.8 cm). WorldCat records no copies, although we have located two copies in the Museo del Disco d'Epoca in Emilia-Romagna and at the Università di Bologna.

Written in haste in a six-week period, L'elisir d'amore was the most often performed opera in Italy between 1838 and 1848 and it has remained continually in the international opera repertory. Felice Romani wrote the Italian libretto, after Eugène Scribe's libretto for Daniel Auber's Le philtre (1831). Donizetti insisted on a number of changes from the original Scribe libretto. The best known of these was the insertion of "Una furtiva lagrima" and the duet between Adina and Nemorino in the first act, "Chiedi all'aura lusinghiera". (16391)

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