Opera Scotland

Daughter of the Regiment 1875Italian Opera Company

Read more about the opera Fille du Régiment

 

An Edinburgh Review

The Scotsman: Wednesday, 15 December 1875

The Queen's Theatre - Opera - La Figlia del Reggimento

'Considering that La Figlia del Reggimento is hardly a work of interest enough to attract musicians, and that the cast of last night excluded the best known members of the company, we ought not perhaps to be surprised that the house was far from well filled; yet the performance was a fairly good one. This short, lively, sparkling opera was written for the Opera Comique on Donizetti’s visit to Paris in 1839, and its thoroughly French character is a wonderful proof of the versatility of the composer’s talents. It was introduced into England in the usual Italian disguise in 1847, with Mdlle Jenny Lind for the heroine, and forthwith became an immense favourite, though it has been latterly thrown into the shade.

'Mdlle Bianchi, who took the part of Maria last night, has a good pure voice, excellent in the upper register, and considerable fluency and flexibility. Generally speaking, she impressed us as a painstaking, conscientious artiste, and if she has not all the sprightliness which we have been accustomed to expect from the hoydenish pet of the regiment, her acting was at times characterised by considerable vivacity and spirit. She made a good impression in the catching “Apparvi alla luce” threw much entrain into the regimental song, was equally successful in the duet with Tonio containing their mutual confession of love, and was quite touching when taking leave of her regiment and her lover in “Convien partir.” She also entered thoroughly into the humour of the second act, where the quondam vivandière, true to her regimental instinct, is ever and anon setting the proprieties of fashionable life at defiance; and she particularly delighted the audience in the music lesson scene, in which, prompted by her old comrade Sulpizio, she shocks the Marchesa by introducing the dreadful “Rataplan” into the stately bravura which she is teaching her. In the trio with Sulpizio and Tonio she had an amount of applause that might have been taken for an encore. 

'In Signor Pavani we had a successful representative of the peasant lover of Maria, who for her sake enlists in the regiment, and eventually becomes captain. He has a good pure tenor voice, and if not such a thorough artist as Signor Naudin, sang his music well and correctly, and sometimes with a good deal of expression. Signor Scolari threw a good deal of character into the part of Sulpizio, and was particularly good in the scene where he hustles the indignant Marchioness out of the room. The Marchesa and Ortensio were satisfactorily represented by Mdlle Ghiotti and Signor Fallar. The band and chorus were creditable, and the scenery well got up. To-night Fra Diavolo is promised, the part of Zerlina to be taken by Mdlle Thalberg, whose début on the Edinburgh stage will doubtless attract a full house.'