FIRST the good stuff. Scottish Opera's new production of Donizetti's

L'Elisir d'amore, which opened last night, is a sheer delight to watch.

Exquisitely staged, a pastoral scene in a picture frame, the characters

in period dress, it is gentle on the eyes.

The production -- the first for Scottish Opera by the Citizens' Giles

Havergal -- is utterly charming. But it is more than that. It is a

subtle, detailed, and intricate portrait of the relationship between the

principals Adina and Nemorino. That relationship, and its myriad strands

that lead to the eventual coupling of the two, run like a thread through

the whole production. Nothing else is allowed to sideline it -- not the

confident machismo of the soldier Belcore, not the colourful quackery of

Doctor Dulcamara. It is crafted with warmth and humanity. Beautiful.

And generally it is well cast too, with Paul Charles Clarke a

sympathetic Nemorino, Cheryl Barker a vivacious Adina, and the soldier

Belcore (Simon Keenlyside) and medicine man Dulcamara (Claude Corbeil)

not too sharply caricatured.

The singing, a wee bit uptight on first night, will be fine. Loads of

choruses, robustly handled by the Scottish Opera chorus.

But. Musical direction, alas, left a lot to be desired. How d'you like

your Donizetti? With conductor Marco Guidarini it's strictly al dente.

Hard as nails, more like. He charges through numbers, ruthlessly driving

the orchestra, heavyweight style, no lift or lilt to the rhythm, little

sensitivity to dynamics, coarsely-shaped lines, relentless pacing.

What happened to the Donizetti caress? The music here is

straitjacketed. Grrrr.