The Daughter of the Regiment
Livermore Valley Opera's Comic Charmer
By: Victor Cordell - Sep 30, 2024
Like his contemporary Gioachino Rossini, the prolific Gaetano Donizetti proved an elite champion of the bel canto singing style; composed with equal skill in opera buffa and opera seria; and wrote for the French as well as his native Italian opera. Nestled between his other comic masterpieces, L’elisir d’amore and Don Pasquale, The Daughter of the Regiment is a frothy gem from the repertory that Livermore Valley Opera aces with its lighthearted and skilled production.
The other two of Donizetti’s comedies are warhorses. For instance, I saw four different productions of Don Pasquale in a little over 12 months, yet I’ve seen The Daughter of the Regiment only once, a production by a small company over 30 years ago. Happily, LVO has a love affair with Donizetti’s comedies, offering Don Pasquale in 2017, L’elisir d’amore in 2022, and now Daughter… I say happily because each production has sparkled.
Like his other comedies, Daughter… is full of truly beautiful orchestral music with melodic arias and a number of ensembles, mostly duets graced with elegant counterpoint. With a story centering on a young girl adopted by a French army regiment, now stationed in the Tyrol after a conflict, there is also ample horn-heavy, military-themed music accented by the rataplan (the librettist’s characterization) of the snare drum.
If Daughter… is not taken too seriously, it is probably because it lacks the underlying gravitas of serious comic operas like Don Giovanni or Falstaff even though it presents moments of conflict, compassion, and pathos. But the irrepressible and sometimes complex music delights throughout, providing numerous highlights.
All in the regiment are “fathers” to the orphan Marie. The men’s chorus of eight had already performed as local peasants, but for the remainder will be soldiers of the regiment. They acquit themselves exceptionally well with a harmonious and substantial sound that belies their small number.
Marie had promised to marry only a member of the regiment, but when falling during a mountain climb, her life is saved by a young Tyrolean, Tonio, and she is smitten. Among the many comic interludes, this event is played out by small marionettes on a staged mountain. The Father of Fathers is Sergeant Sulpice. The special relationship between Marie and Sulpice is soon revealed in their charming duet when he questions the girl’s intentions concerning Tonio with “Mais qui vient?” (“But who is this?”).
Véronique Filloux portrays Marie, and the part fits her like a glove. Although her voice seemed unready at the beginning, by the time of the first duet, she showed her upper range by hitting the high notes. Then her agility in the playful opening rollercoaster of vocalization as well as her bright tone, clarity, and coloratura came through in her tribute to the regiment “Chacun le sait” (“Everybody knows it.”) with its repeated rousing refrain “Il est là. Il est là. Il est là.” (“There it is”). Eugene Brancoveanu is Sulpice, and his always warm and smooth yet powerful baritone filled the house as usual.
Another sensitive duet follows, “Depuis l’instant” (“Since that moment”), but this time between Marie and Tonio, whose love is flowering. Chris Mosz is Tonio, and he brings a beautifully tremoloed youthful voice. What Daughter… is perhaps most famous for is the Mount Everest for tenors, “Ah! Mes amis, quel jour de fête” (“My friends, what an exciting day”), one of Luciano Pavarotti’s signatures. Mosz navigated its daunting eight high-Cs with great aplomb, and the audience showed its knowledge and appreciation with extended applause.
Of course, what is a comic opera without tension, discord, and sadness leading to a happy resolution, no matter how implausible the plot line. Marie finds that she is the child of a marquise lost during war. She is swept away to lead a posh but vacuous life and enter into an arranged marriage to a duke, but not before singing her lovely cavatina “Il faut partir” (“I must leave”). Ultimately love prevails, and Filloux and the chorus get to demonstrate their skills one last time in the patriotic “Salut à la France.”
Daughter of the Regiment has had an up-and-down history of being in and out of the repertory, but it deserves the positive recognition it receives. Although the story lacks depth and realism, it’s certainly not the only opera guilty of that. Meanwhile the music, situations, and characterizations make for great entertainment.
Livermore Valley Opera gets whatever can be expected from this great comedy. The cast is superb, and under the direction of Marc Jacobs, their comic acting extracts all of the humor available in the libretto. In addition to those already mentioned, mezzo Lisa Chavez as the Marquise of Berkenfield deserves a nod as well. Fine conducting by Alexander Katsman and performance by the orchestra, along with simple but effective staging all result in a fine production.
Daughter of the Regiment composed by Gaetano Donizetti with libretto by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and Jean Françoise-Alfred Bayard is produced by Livermore Valley Opera and plays at Bankhead Theater, 2400 1st Street, Livermore, CA through October 6, 2024.