La Fille du Régiment

by Gaetano Donizetti

Opera Las Palmas http://www.operalaspalmas.org/

Las Palmas
Subtitles available in Spanish
  • April 2017
    20
    Thursday
    20:30 > 22:50
    2 hours and 20 minutes
  • April 2017
    22
    Saturday
    20:30 > 22:50
    2 hours and 20 minutes
  • April 2017
    24
    Monday
    20:30 > 22:50
    2 hours and 20 minutes

La fille du régiment (The Daughter of the Regiment) is an opéra comique in two acts by Gaetano Donizetti, set to a French libretto by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and Jean-François Bayard. It was first performed on 11 February 1840 by the Paris Opéra-Comique at the Salle de la Bourse.

Find out more about the Cast , the Composition , the Composer or what the Reviews say

La Fille du Régiment

Cast

Press & Reviews

Opera Actual
Cayetano Sánchez
Historical triumph of Pratt and Camaerna
As exceptional as Camarena's Tonio, Marie's masterful interpretation from soprano Jessica Pratt, debuting the role, of unbeatable coloratura and timbre, and with overwhelming theatrical grace.
Andrea Merli
Las Palmas of Gran Canaria: LA FILLE DU REGIMENT
Not available in English
Felicissima presa di ruolo quella di Marie da parte della “nostra” Jessica Pratt, che consideriamo italianissima nonostante la sua nascita australiana. Un ruolo che le sta a meraviglia perchè il soprano riesce a trasferire nel bizzarro personnaggio della trovatella militarizzata il suo humor genuino, spontaneo e contagioso. Cosa combini nei panni di un meccanico alle prese col motore di una jeep, è difficile da descrivere. Viceversa, l’impiccionata – il secondo atto da un palco di prosecnio invaso dai commilitoni del 21esimo reggimento durante il sopranile “saluto alla Francia! – rende appieno non solo le prodezze tenorili, ma anche le squisitezze del soprano che possiede il dono, riservato a poche, di lanciare acuti radiosi, timbratissimi che scendono al cuore come un balsamo. Prezioso il suo “Convien partir” (in francese ovviamente) ma anche tutto il resto: la sortita con Sulpice, la scena della lezione con la Marchesa ed il nostalgico canto del secondo atto. Pure per lei un trionfo: segnatamente dopo ogni numero chiuso e soprattutto alla ribalta finale.
La Provincia
G. García-Alcalde
Apotheosis of the sons of the regiment
...on the same level, British soprano Jessica Pratt. Her sound is young, charmingly projected, caressing in the middle register, extremely flexible in the virtuosity of the coloratura belcantista and without apparent limit in heights, that reach the E natural without the slightest effort. Admirable and adorable in the vocal and stage play, she debuted here her reading of Marie with another acclamatory success. Both, tenor and soprano, established from beginning to end a warm empathic bond with the audience.
PLATEA MAGAZINE
Gonzalo Lahoz
TRIUMPH OF JESSICA PRATT AND JAVIER CAMARENA IN LAS PALMAS WITH "LA FILLE DU RÉGIMENT"
Marie was a fabulous Jessica Pratt, who debuted the role with an exquisite, neat vision of the protagonist. To her Marie, who has to sing lying on her back with her head under a car, a thousand tricks are created on the stage that may have complicated the night for anyone, but not her. Pratt seems to be able to do everything and with a most convincing comic visage, she depicted an active woman, decisive in the drama and really unblemished in her vocal interpretation. Of a very homogenous register, the performance of Pratt is pure delicacy, pure sweetness with a instrument of many carats that travels with ease. Crystalline projection and great timbre in an iridescent line finished in an impeccable handling of the coloratura and the extreme high notes, wonderful in Chacun le sait or attacking Salut à la France for example without hesitation, without slowing the rhythm and where she solved the descents to the lowest notes with success. Much applauded, hopefully her Marie will travel around the whole world so that everyone can enjoy it.

The Composition

La fille du régiment

Libretto written in french by Jean-François-Alfred Bayard e Jules-Henri, was first premiered on a Tuesday on February 11 of 1840
La fille du régiment (The Daughter of the Regiment) is an opéra comique in two acts by Gaetano Donizetti, set to a French libretto by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and Jean-François Bayard. It was first performed on 11 February 1840 by the Paris Opéra-Comique at the Salle de la Bourse. The opera was written by Donizetti while he was living in Paris between 1838 and 1840 preparing a revised version of his then-unperformed Italian opera, Poliuto as Les martyrs for the Paris Opéra. Since Martyrs was delayed, the composer had time to write the music for La fille, his first opera set to a French text, as well as to stage the French version of Lucia di Lammermoor as Lucie de Lammermoor As La fille, it quickly became a popular success, partly because of the famous aria "Ah! mes amis, quel jour de fête!", which requires of the tenor no fewer than nine high Cs. La figlia del reggimento, a slightly different Italian-language version (in translation by Calisto Bassi), was adapted to the tastes of the Italian public.
Synopsis
Time: The Napoleonic Wars, early 19th century Place: The Swiss Tyrol Act 1 Fighting is raging in the Tyrols and the Marquise of Berkenfield, who is traveling in the area, is alarmed to the point of needing smelling salts to be administered by her faithful steward, Hortensius. While a chorus of villagers express their fear, the Marquise does the same: Pour une femme de mon nom / "For a lady of my family, what a time, alas, is war-time". As the French can be seen to be moving away, all express their relief. Suddenly, and provoking the fear of the remaining women who scatter, Sergeant Sulpice of the Twenty-First Regiment of the French army [in the Italian version it is the Eleventh] arrives and assures everyone that the regiment will restore order. Marie, the vivandière (canteen girl) of the Regiment, enters, and Sulpice is happy to see her: (Duet: Sulpice and Marie: Mais, qui vient? Tiens, Marie, notre fil / "But who is this? Well, well, if it isn't our daughter Marie".) Then, as he questions her about a young man she has been seen with, she identifies him as Tonio, a Tyrolean [in the Italian version: Swiss]. At that moment, Tonio is brought in as a prisoner, because he has been seen prowling around the camp. Marie saves him from the soldiers, who demand that he must die, by explaining that he had saved her life when she nearly fell while mountain-climbing. All toast Tonio, who pledges allegiance to France, and Marie is encouraged to sing the regimental song: (Aria: Chacun le sait, chacun le dit / "Everyone knows it, everyone says it".) Sulpice leads the soldiers off, taking Tonio with them, but he runs back to join her. She quickly tells him that he must gain the approval of her "fathers": the soldiers of the Regiment, who found her on the battlefield as an abandoned baby, and adopted her. Skeptical as to why Tonio has returned, he proclaims his love for her (Aria, then love duet with Marie: Depuis l'instant ou, dans mes bras / "Ever since that moment when you fell and / I caught you, all trembling in my arms...") and then the couple express their love for each other. At that point, Sulpice returns, surprising the young couple who leave. The Marquise arrives with Hortensius, initially afraid of the soldier, but is calmed by him. The Marquise explains that they are trying to return to her castle and asks for an escort. When hearing the name Birkenfeld, Sulpice immediately recognizes it from a letter found with Marie as an infant. It is discovered that the Marquise's long-lost niece is actually Marie, who returns and is surprised to be introduced to her aunt. The Marquise commands that Marie accompany her and that she will be taught to be a proper lady. Marie bids farewell to her beloved regiment just as Tonio enters proclaiming that he has enlisted in their ranks: (Aria: Ah! mes amis, quel jour de fête / "Ah, my friends, what an exciting day".) In proclaiming his love for Marie, the soldiers are horrified, but agree to his pleading for her hand. However, they tell him that she is about to leave with her aunt: (Marie, aria: Il faut partir / "I must leave you!"). In a choral finale in which all join, she leaves with the Marquise and Tonio is enraged. Act 2 Marie has been living in the Marquise's castle for several months. In a conversation with Sulpice, the Marquise describes how she has sought to modify most of her military manners and make her into a lady of fashion, suitable for her to be married to her nephew, the Duke of Crakentorp. Although reluctant, Marie has agreed and Sulpice is asked to encourage her. Marie enters and is asked to play the piano, but appears to prefer more martial music when encouraged by Sulpice and sings the regimental song. The Marquise sits down at the piano and attempts to work through the piece with Marie who becomes more and more distracted and, along with Sulpice, takes up the regimental song. Marie is left alone: (Aria: Par le rang et par l'opulence / "They have tried in vain to dazzle me"). As she is almost reconciled to her fate, she hears martial music, and is joyously happy: (Cabaletta: Oh! transport! oh! douce ivresse / "Oh bliss! oh ectasy!") and the Regiment arrives. With it is Tonio, now an officer. The soldiers express their joy at seeing Marie, and Marie, Tonio and Sulpice are joyfully reunited, although he tries to tell her something she does not know but is ignored: (Trio, Marie, Sulpice, Tonio: Tous les trois réunis / "We three are reunited"). The Marquise enters, horrified to see soldiers. Tonio asks for Marie's hand, explaining that he risked his life for her: (Aria, Tonio: Pour me rapprocher de Marie, je me enrôlai, pauvre soldat / "In order to woo Marie, I enlisted in the ranks") but she dismisses him scornfully. Tonio and Marie leave separately, and the Marquise confesses the truth to Sulpice: Marie is her own illegitimate daughter. In the circumstances, Sulpice promises that Marie will agree to her mother's wishes. The Duchess and her nephew arrive and Marie enters with Sulpice, who has given her the news that the Marquise is her mother. Marie embraces her and decides she must obey. But at the last minute the soldiers of the Regiment storm in (Chorus: soldiers, then Tonio: Au secours de notre fille / "Our daughter needs our help") and it is revealed that Marie was a canteen girl. Indignantly, the Duchess leaves, but the other guests are impressed when Marie sings of her debt to the soldiers: (Aria, Marie: Quand le destin, au milieu de la guerre / "When fate , in the confusion of war, threw me, a baby, into their arms"). The Marquise is deeply moved, admits she is Marie's mother, and gives her consent to Marie and Tonio, amid universal rejoicing. (Final chorus: Salut a la France! / "Hurrah for France! For Happy times!"

Gaetano Donizetti

Short biography of the composer
Domenico Gaetano Maria Donizetti (29 November 1797 – 8 April 1848) along with Gioachino Rossini and Vincenzo Bellini, was a leading composer of the bel canto opera style during the first half of the nineteenth century. Born in Bergamo in Lombardy, was taken, at an early age, under the wing of composer Simon Mayr who had enrolled him by means of a full scholarship. Mayr was also instrumental in obtaining a place for the young man at the Bologna Academy, where, at the age of 19, he wrote his first one-act opera, the comedy Il Pigmalione. Over the course of his career, Donizetti wrote almost 70 operas. An offer in 1822 from Domenico Barbaja, the impresario of the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples, which followed the composer's ninth opera, led to his move to that city and his residency there which lasted until the production of Caterina Cornaro in January 1844. In all, Naples presented 51 of Donizetti's operas. Before 1830, success came primarily with his comic operas, the serious ones failing to attract significant audiences. However, his first notable success came with an opera seria, Zoraida di Granata, which was presented in 1822 in Rome. In 1830, when Anna Bolena was premiered, Donizetti made a major impact on the Italian and international opera scene and this shifted the balance of success away from primarily comedic operas, although even after that date, his best-known works included comedies such as L'elisir d'amore (1832) and Don Pasquale (1843). Significant historical dramas did appear and became successful; they included Lucia di Lammermoor (the first to have a libretto written by Salvatore Cammarano) given in Naples in 1835, and one of the most successful Neapolitan operas, Roberto Devereux in 1837. Up to that point, all of his operas had been set to Italian libretti. Donizetti found himself increasingly chafing against the censorial limitations which existed in Italy (and especially in Naples). From about 1836, he became interested in working in Paris, where he saw much greater freedom to choose subject matter, in addition to receiving larger fees and greater prestige. From 1838 onward, with an offer from the Paris Opéra for two new works, he spent a considerable period of the following ten years in that city, and set several operas to French texts as well as overseeing staging of his Italian works. The first opera was a French version of the then-unperformed Poliuto which, in April 1840, was revised to become Les martyrs. Two new operas were also given in Paris at that time. As the 1840s progressed, Donizetti moved regularly between Naples, Rome, Paris, and Vienna continuing to compose and stage his own operas as well as those of other composers. But from around 1843, severe illness began to take hold and to limit his activities. Eventually, by early 1846 he was obliged to be confined to an institution for the mentally ill and, by late 1847, friends had him moved back to Bergamo, where he died in April 1848.
Jessica has also performed in the following operas from the same composer:

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