Daughter of the Regiment

Of all the operas by Donizetti, The Daughter of the Regiment (La Fille du Régiment) is possibly the finest, with its combination of great comedy and musical verve.

It tells the story of a foundling, Marie, who is adopted by a regiment; she entertains the soldiers as their vivandière/servant and enjoys their company. She falls in love with Tonio, a country boy who saves Marie from falling over a precipice, who enlists as a soldier for her sake, but there are complex plans afoot for marrying her to a Duke.