UP stages a Filipinized opera classic
MANILA, Philippines - A fresh and youthful take on L’ Elisir d’ Amore (The Elixir of Love) was staged recently at the Solair auditorium in University of the Philippines, Diliman.
The opera was performed as the graduation recital of UP Conservatory of Music voice major Anna Migallos who took on the role of the heroine, Adina, with Ervin Lumauag as Nemorino, her leading man.
L’ Elisir d’ Amore, an opera by Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti, is about the peasant Nemorino who resorted to a love potion to win the love of the rich Adina who was also in love with him to begin with. It is the most frequently performed among Donizetti’s operas and has numerous recordings over the years.
“It has been excerpted by a lot of the voice majors in UP but, to my knowledge, it has been previously staged in its entirety only thrice,” said Migallos.
The opera also featured Eudenice Palaruan as Dulcamara, Aizel Izza Prietos as Gianetta, Greg de Leon as Belcore, and Migallos’ friends and classmates from the Philippine High School for the Arts (PHSA).
This year’s production of Donizetti’s opera was presented in the 1950s Filipino komiks style — with sketchy archetypal characters having two-dimensional images and poses.
“The intention to Filipinize the staging of the opera is aimed at making the audience appreciate the beauty of Donizetti’s text, the characters, their respective arias and the opera in general,” explained director JK Anicoche.
