Daughter of the Regiment Donizetti
French Comic Opera, La Fille du Régiment, an introduction
La Fille du Régiment (The Daughter of the Regiment) comic opera by Donizetti. Daughter of the Regiment opera plot summary and Daughter of the Regiment character list.
Gaetano Donizetti’s La Fille du Régiment (The Daughter of the Regiment)
Composed: 1839
First Performance:February 14, 1840 Opéra-Comique, Paris (France)
Language:French (with dialog) later adapted in Italian with recitative
Libretto:JFA Bayard and JH Vernoy de Saint-Georges
Setting:Tyrol (1815)
Opéra-Comique (French comic opera) in 2 acts.
The Main Characters in The Daughter of the Regiment
- Marie, orphan girl who has been adopted by a French regiment (soprano)
- Tonio, a Tyrolian peasant who is in-love with Marie (tenor)
- Sergeant Sulpice, Marie’s guardian and Sergeant of the regiment (bass)
- Marquise de Birkenfeld, (mezzo-soprano)
- Hortensius, Steward of the Marquise (bass)
Basic Plot Summary of The Daughter of the Regiment
Act I
Marie, an orphan, has been brought-up by a French army regiment and her guardian Sergeant Sulpice. The regiment is currently in Tyrol. Tonio, a peasant who once saved Marie’s life, has been following the regiment. They are in-love with each other, but they cannot marry, because she must marry a member of the regiment. Soldiers enter with a Tyrolean peasant who they suspect of spying on the regiment. Marie identifies the peasant as Tonio. Tonio declares his love for Marie and enlists in the regiment so that they may wed. The Marquise de Birkenfeld arrives. Sulpice remembers her name as being on a slip of paper that accompanied Marie when they found her as a baby. He discovers that the Marquise is Marie’s aunt. The Marquise states that a soldier is not fit as a mate for a young lady. The Marquise then insists that Marie must return with her at once to the château.
Act II
At the château, the Marquise is attempting to turn Marie into “a lady” by forcing her into singing, dancing and etiquette lessons. Marie is unhappy with her situation, but is cheered up by Sulpice, who is also at the château recovering. The Marquise insists that Marie should now marry a rich Duke. Sulpice tries to convince the Marquise that Marie should marry someone that she loves rather than be unhappy. The regiment visits the château. Tonio, who has now been promoted, confronts the Marquise and demands that he and Marie be married. The Marquise moves forward with Marie’s wedding to the Duke. The Marquise then reveals that she is not Marie’s aunt, but rather her mother. Marie, as she is about to be married, recounts her gratitude to the regiment for her upbringing. The Marquise has a change of heart and allows Marie and Tonio to marry. The opera ends with a salute to France.
Other Operas written by Gaetano Donizetti:
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