NEW YORK - There is a popular misconception that opera always involves heavy-duty stories and emotions, that it’s always serious, that someone — or several someones — must always perish by the end.

Not so.

As Exhibit A, consider Donizetti’s sweet, tuneful, humorous trifle “L’Elisir d’Amore (The Elixir of Love).” Nobody dies, everybody sings beautifully, and the worst thing that happens is that the tenor almost ends up joining the army.

John Copley’s cleverly staged pastel confection of a production for the Met, seen at the Saturday matinee on April 4, is bigger than it really needs to be; this is an opera that can work in even the smallest of houses. Still, it was fun seeing it on steroids, with a relatively large chorus and fancy props.

Soprano Angela Gheorgiu sang well and looked good, and her slightly hard-edged persona worked well enough in the role of Adina, the brightest bulb in her Italian village.

As her dim but sincere swain Nemorino, tenor Massimo Giordano was an Italian Li’l Abner: good-looking, muscular, not too quick on the uptake, and with a heart as big as all outdoors. His tone was a bit dry at first, but he found the right plaintive note in his famous aria “Una furtiva lagrima.” In their second act duet there was some vocal rivalry going on that made both leads work harder; the audience benefited.

Bass-baritone Simone Alaimo’s Doctor Dulcamara was well-judged and hilarious. Baritone Franco Vassallo gave in to the temptation to let bluster substitute for character development as the puffed-up Sergeant Belcore.

Donald Palumbo’s chorus is sounding better than in recent years, but they weren’t helped by conductor Maurizio Benini, who had persistent trouble in keeping his forces together. Still, “Elixir” made for an enjoyable, not-too-taxing afternoon of theater. Sometimes, that’s all you really need.