Recommended for Grades 6-12
In this resource, you will:
- Learn the opera’s background and synopsis
- Meet the opera’s composer
The Daughter of the Regiment
by Gaetano Donizetti
The Daughter of the Regiment
by Gaetano Donizetti
A quick overview of Donizetti’s 1840 comic opera.
Premiered
1840
Music by
Gaetano Donizetti
Libretto by
Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges
and Jean-François Bayardi
Language
French
Background
Marie is no ordinary canteen girl—she was orphaned on a battlefield and adopted by a squadron of French soldiers she affectionately calls her fathers. All grown up, this spunky young woman is in love with strapping Tonio, a peasant who once saved her life but is still woefully forbidden to ask for her hand. Adding to this troublesome snafu, a mysterious Marquise from Marie’s past has come to whisk her away and raise her as a proper lady. Facing a future of high-society fashions, classical ballet lessons, and a dreaded arranged marriage, what’s a tomboy like Marie to do?
Though Donizetti was Italian, this opera is sung in French and includes some spoken French dialogue. When the opera was written, Donizetti had recently moved to Paris and chose to work within a traditional French style that broke up the songs with some good old-fashioned speaking. The Daughter of the Regiment (or La Fille du Régiment if you’re feeling extra French), therefore has one speaking role that’s purely for non-musical laughs.
Synopsis
Heard of the over-protective dad? Lots of young girls have been there. But an army of over-protective dads? That’s what Marie has to deal with on a daily basis. And we’re not kidding. All right…maybe not a whole army, but definitely a whole regiment. Same difference.
Young and beautiful Marie was found as a baby near a French regiment camp. You’d think the soldiers would have left her at the nearest orphanage…but no, they decided to bring her up as a group instead. It’s all good, though: She loved it. The pounding of drums? Yup. The heat of battle? You bet. She was hooked at an early age. And today she lives her life as the regiment’s resident mascot, singing songs and boosting morale wherever she goes.
This arrangement—several doting dads for one spunky young daughter—seems to make everyone happy until the regiment marches into the Tyrolean region near the Alps (it’s 1815…the French were big on invasions back then). While there, Marie almost trips and takes a terrible fall, but is luckily rescued by a local villager named Tonio. Cue the romantic music. The two fall instantly in love and start spending a lot of time together, which makes her many “fathers” extra jealous.
True love knows no bounds, however, and Tonio is determined to see as much of Marie as he can. So determined that he infiltrates the regiment camp and eventually ends up denouncing his own country and signing up for the French army so he can stay by Marie’s side.
But not so fast, Romeo. A local Marquise (a rich lady with a royal title) happens by the regiment’s camp and gets to talking with the sergeant, Sulpice. She mentions she’s from Berkenfield Castle, and Sulpice recognizes the name, claiming a French captain once mentioned it in passing. The Marquise announces that her, um, sister (sure, we’ll go with “sister” for now) knew that same captain and actually gave birth to his child. A child that was lost. See where this is going? That’s right…Sulpice connects the dots, realizes that the child was Marie, and reluctantly tells the girl she has to go take her rightful place with her “aunt.” There’s barely enough time for a tearful goodbye before Tonio, army papers in hand, has to let Marie go off to her newfound life of luxury.
Surprise, surprise, though: Marie’s not that into her new setup. Months go by and she’s pretty miserable. Instead of taking proper singing and etiquette lessons to become a sophisticated member of society, she’d rather be out in the field with her dads. Things take an even worse turn when her aunt conspires to marry her off to the nephew of the snooty Duchess of Krakenthorp. Can Tonio save her from such a boring fate? More importantly, will her helicopter regimental dads let her marry anyone at all?
Meet the Artists
Read the Student Guide
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Listen to the Story
Eugène Delacroix (1798–1863), Liberty Leading the People, 1830, oil on canvas [].
Presented by Washington National Opera, host Saul Lilienstein takes you through the musical world of Donizetti’s 1840 comic opera, The Daughter of the Regiment.
Watch an Excerpt
Lawrence Brownlee sings “Ah mes amis!” from La Fille du Régiment
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Written by
Eleni Hagen
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Edited by
Lisa Resnick
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Produced by
Kennedy Center Education
Digital Learning
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