“Una furtiva lagrima“ from L’elisir d’amore - Mezzo TV 25th Anniversary - Anthony León, Tenor

It was extraordinary for me to be invited to Paris, France, to sing for the 25th Anniversary of Mezzo TV–one of Europe’s leading broadcast channels for culture and the arts. I was also special to be accompanied on my trip by Nino Sanikidze, who traveled with me from LA Opera. I was fortunate to sing some of my favorite music in the most beautiful city in the world in a unique venue! What can be better? In this classic aria for the tenor voice from Donizetti’s opera L’elisir d’amore, the love-struck Nemorino recollects the scene he just saw. Adina, the girl he loves, was crying after seeing all the attention he was getting from the other ladies in the town. This leads him to put the piece together and reach a euphoric moment. “She really loves me!“ Upon reading the title and hearing the music, many people think this is a sad aria, but when in the context of the piece, it is the most sincere, heartfelt, and joyous moment in the opera. Composer: Gaetano Donizetti