Tenor Pene Pati (heart) sings the position of Nemorino, a poor younger waiter dumbstruck in love with Adina, within the often-bright and breezy staging of Donizetti’s “Elixir of Love,” by means of Dec. 9 at San Francisco Opera. (Photo by Kristen Loken/San Francisco Opera)

Wholeheartedly welcome, Samoan tenor Pene Pati, in a voice by turns sharply earnest and meltingly lyrical, aced “Una furtiva lagrima” (A furtive tear) aria in Act 2 of the San Francisco Opera staging of Donizetti’s comedian opera “The Elixir of Love.”

Familiar to Solano County opera followers who might have seen him at a “Three Tenors” recital a number of years in the past at Vallejo’s Empress Theatre, he obtained a sustained and well-deserved ovation for his rendition, comparatively uncommon as of late on the War Memorial Opera House — even in a fall season notable for one hit manufacturing after one other.

But simply earlier than he sang it, coming towards the top of an often-breezy-and-bright manufacturing directed by Daniel Slater, some form of electrical glitch, a buzzing and rattle-like sound seeped out from someplace, audio audio system maybe. It brought on conductor Ramon Tebar to halt the music and switch round on the rostrum, then solid his eyes upward to accommodate sound technicians. The annoying sound finally stopped and Pati launched into the two-hour comedian opera’s memorable hit tune. The glitch was quickly forgotten.

Singing the position of Nemorino, a poor younger waiter, Pati additionally struck lyrical gold early in Act 1 on the cavatina “Quanto e bella, quanto e cara” (How lovely she is, how pricey she is) when he first spies Adina, the younger, flirtatious lodge proprietor in designer Robert Innes Hopkins’ Fifties setting in a small, sun-soaked Italian village on the tourism map.

And so the vocal magic was within the auditorium’s air almost instantly, buoyed by Tebar’s fervent studying of Donizetti’s 1832 rating, the libretto by Felice Romani. The manufacturing of this bel canto, Romantic period opera — all the time an viewers favourite the world over for music that matches a lighthearted, boy-eventually-gets-girl story — continues to Dec. 9.

Equally exceptional for her coloratura vocals, notable all through the opera, Slovak soprano Slavka Zamecnikova, because the aloof Adina, impressed straight away within the Act 1 duet with Pati, “Chiedi all’aura lusingghiera” (Ask the flattering aura why it flies with out relaxation). As Adina, noting she’s fickle because the wind, she will get fed up along with his sighing and longing and urges him to seek out one other girl.

Moving proper alongside, Italian baritone Renato Girolami, within the position of quack physician Dulcamara, arrives through scorching air balloon, simply in time to persuade Pati’s Nemorino that he has simply the potion (it’s low cost pink wind however Nemorino doesn’t know) to assist him in his love pursuit. He guzzles the doubtful elixir and will get tipsy.

But the womanizing Sgt. Belcore, portrayed by Serbian baritone David Bizic, singing robustly from starting to finish, swaggers onto the stage and (keep in mind, it’s opera) proposes to Adina. She agrees to tie the knot, and, confused by Nemorino’s obvious indifference, decides to marry Belcore the subsequent day, singing, in her gentle, vivid and always-agile voice, “Esulti pur la barbara” (Rejoice merciless one, tomorrow my ache will finish). Belcore makes certain the notary can be available to seal the deal, whereas Pati’s Nemorino tries to trace down the charlatan Dulcamara, the vendor of bogus medicines.

Act 2 begins with a stageful of marriage ceremony revelers, Zamecnikova and Girolami sing a well-liked Venetian tune a few lady who chooses to marry a poor gondolier, and Nemorino wants liquid braveness and chooses to enlist within the army to achieve sufficient cash to purchase the questionable elixir. Then a village lady, soprano Arianna Rodriguez singing the position of Adina’s buddy Gianetta, declares that Nemorino’s uncle has died and left him a bundle of cash.

Zamecnikova’s Adina step by step realizes that Nemorino actually loves her and she or he, likewise, confesses her love for the poor waiter, singing “Quanto amore” (How a lot love you convey into my life), and buys again his enlistment. Nemorino notices the key tear in his love’s eye and sings the showstopper (which he recorded, by the best way, for his 2022 debut album for Warner Classics).

Meanwhile, in one other comedian flip within the story, Dulcamara factors to Nemorino’s inherited wealth that his potion brings riches in addition to love.

And thus the closure of the San Francisco firm’s fall season started to finish with a lighthearted and interesting manufacturing that adopted 4 way more severe operas with cogent messages and themes.

Can the corporate’s pending 2024 summer time season be even higher?

IF YOU GO
San Francisco Opera
What: “The Elixir of Love”
When: Friday to Dec. 9
Where: War Memorial Opera House,
301 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco
Tickets: $10 to $426,
$27.50 for Nov. 26 livestream
Telephone: (415) 864-3330
Online: www.sfopera.com