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After more that 150 years the theatre of Canobbina in Milan has opened its doors to stage the first performance of this individual piece of work. In 1832 the public success of this piece of work turned it into a reference point. In many of the scenes the composer is as sentimental as Bellini and as ingenious as Rossini, in others, there are dramatic results, like those of his successor Verdi.
The story is set in a small hamlet town in Tuscany. The enchanting Adina has two suitors; the simple peasant Nemorino, who is too timid to confess his love for her, and the sergeant Belcore, who has been posted by the army to Adina's house, where he begins to court her with great persistence, while Adina mocks poor Nemorino who loves her faithfully.
One day a strange vehicle arrives in the village. It's Dulcamara, a healer who offers strange remedies for a multitude of ailments. Nemorino asks if there is a tonic for love. Of course Dulcamara has one, but it costs Nemorino all of his savings and will only come into effect after 24 hours (of course this means the healer will have left the village and be far away). Nevertheless the first effects are immediate; the effects of common red wine, thus making Nemorino very happy as he begins to dance and sing like he has never done before.
Suddenly he loses interest in Adina and so to spite Nemorino she pretends she is going to marry Belcore.
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