“Donizetti: L’Elisir d’amore”

The plot is simple but effective: a shy, naive young peasant buys a love philtre from a quack – all he gets, in fact, is a flask of wine – in order to win the heart of the girl he is in love with; in the end, and with no help from the philtre, she will realise that she loves him too. Add to this a sparkling musical language and marvellously inspired melodies – including the legendary “Una Furtiva Lagrima” – and you have the authentic masterpiece Donizetti turned out in just two weeks.