La fille du regiment

Composer: Donizetti, Gaetano

Librettist/Text Author: Vernoy de St-Georges, Jules-Henri

Librettist/Text Author: Bayard, Jean-Francois-Alfred

Conductor: Abel, Yves

Orchestra: Vienna State Opera Orchestra

Chorus: Vienna State Opera Chorus

Chorus Master: Lang, Thomas

Duchesse de Crakentorp: Caballe, Montserrat

Hortensius: Unterreiner, Clemens

Marie: Dessay, Natalie

Marquise de Berkenfield: Baechle, Janina

Sulpice: Alvarez, Carlos

Tonio: Florez, Juan Diego

Set Designer: Thomas, Chantal

Costume Designer: Pelly, Laurent

Lighting Designer: Adam, Joel

Choreographer: Scozzi, Laura

Stage Director: Pelly, Laurent

Television Director: Large, Brian

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Date of Production: 2007

Venue: Vienna State Opera

Playing Time: 02:17:11

Catalogue Number: A04001502

Synopsis

La fille du regiment

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Gaetano Donizetti may have achieved immortality with his comic operas Don Pasquale and L'Elisir d'amore, and won a lasting place in the hearts of coloratura sopranos everywhere with Maria Stuarda and Lucia di Lammermoor, but for sheer entertainment, his La Fille du Régiment can't be beat. Especially when it's served in such a saucy, light-footed way by director Laurent Pelly in this coproduction of the Vienna State Opera, London's Covent Garden and New York's Metropolitan Opera. The plot revolves around Marie, the "daughter of the regiment", who was found on the battlefield as a baby and raised by the soldiers as their daughter. She falls in love with the young Tyrolean Tonio, who joins the regiment in order to be near her. When the Marquise de Birkenfeld hears about Marie, she claims that she is her long-lost niece, whom she will turn into a lady... Her plans backfire, of course, as Marie will never abandon her Tonio and most certainly never become a lady! French soprano Natalie Dessay, not only a dazzling singer but also a gifted actress, effortlessly sweeps her castmates along in this turbulent buffo delight of an opera.

Her partner is Juan Diego Florez, one of the leading young tenors of our time. Clad in lederhosen, he cheerfully seduces Marie – and the audience – with his voice and his looks. And he effectively brings down the house with his jauntily tossed-off aria Pour mon ame and its nine high Cs. Baritone Carlos Alvarez gives an unforgettably comical account of Sergeant Sulpice, who watches over Marie and would much rather have her marry a Duke than a Tyrolean peasant. But perhaps the most uproarious moment in the performance is the scene-stealing appearance of the grandiose Montserrat Caballe as the Duchess of Krakenthorp, a non-singing cameo role that she speaks multilingually, partly improvised, and with irresistible charm. And, to the delight of all, she sings the Swiss yodeling song S'Schatzeli, one of her favorite recital encores. Yves Abel leads the Vienna State Opera Orchestra in this rousing interpretation of a work that holds its own with Donizetti's beloved warhorses!