Met: La Fille du Regiment

[Dave2002]

The Met’s cinema production of Donizetti’s opera tonight was the best thing I’ve seen for ages. Bonkers, but very funny nevertheless. Pretty Yende was superb as Marie, while the tenor Javier Camarena was pretty good too, as well as some of the other supporting cast. Stephanie Blythe (of whom I had not previously heard) in the role of the “wicked” mother was also superb.

If you can catch it as an Encore showing in the next week or two, go for it!

https://www.metopera.org/season/2018-19-season/la-fille-du-regiment/

http://prettyyende.com/biography/

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Javier_Camarena

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephanie_Blythe

[richardfinegold]

I heard most of it today while driving in the car. I enjoyed it but it did seem that it must have had a lot of visual humor that I was missing.

[Dave2002]

I heard most of it today while driving in the car. I enjoyed it but it did seem that it must have had a lot of visual humor that I was missing.

Indeed. Some of the singing was spectacular, but the acting - if you can call it that, plus the action/incidents gave an extra level - making it very funny indeed. Think comedy sketches. If you can get to see it - as I wrote before - go for it. There were anachronisms - use of an iron, mention of using a car (Bentley) - I think some of the words (libretto) were amended to fit the new action. If you can’t get to see it this time round, maybe wait for it to come out on DVD/Blu Ray, or perhaps it’ll be available as a rental stream in years to come.

High art (no deliberate pun intended ... ??) - probably not - but as entertainment - excellent. Don’t bother if you think opera is too serious to be enjoyable! I have enjoyed all the opera cinema presentations I’ve seen over the last year, but for .... joie de vivre - this must surely come top,

[kernelbogey]

I heard most of it on R3 last night - in fact I've never heard it before. There was a lot of audience laughter which was (of course) unexplained, but clearly the production had worked up good visual jokes.

The two leads were superb. I have never heard an encore in a Met broadast, but the audience simply wouldn't let Javier Camarena get away after his big number without a reprise (and apparently that happened every night!).

I'm so enthused that I'm going to see the Met Encore at the cinema in Southampton tomorrow (Monday) afternoon.

Dave, thank you for flagging this up - and confirming my decision as good!

[DracoM]

IMO those encores tell you more about the Met audience than the tenor / music?

[Dave2002]

The two leads were superb. I have never heard an encore in a Met broadast, but the audience simply wouldn't let Javier Camarena get away after his big number without a reprise (and apparently that happened every night!).
....
Dave, thank you for flagging this up - and confirming my decision as good!

Apparently La Scala banned encores for around 75 years, until Mr Flores broke the tradition with this piece in 2007.

I hoipe you enjoy the repeat in the cinema.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_fille_du_r%C3%A9giment

There has been a flurry of activity on this wiki site over the last day or two. There was a glaring date error relating to early performances in the US - and I found this - https://www.ancestry.com/boards/surn...alve/1/mb.ashx - and I think there's more if one follows that up.

I wasn't the person who made any of the changes to the wiki page, though.

[kernelbogey]

Apparently La Scala banned encores for around 75 years, until Mr Flores broke the tradition with this piece in 2007.

Banned at Covent Garden ASFAIK. However long the applause, the singers stay in position, no bow, no nothing, until the conductor starts it off again.

[Barbirollians]

Banned at Covent Garden ASFAIK. However long the applause, the singers stay in position, no bow, no nothing, until the conductor starts it off again.

Mention of ironing makes me ask is this the Laurent Pelly production as a joint venture with the ROH - Natalie Dessay did some splendid ironing in that with Florez.

Very funny production .

[Cockney Sparrow]

The MET website confirms it is the same co-production as ROH.

And yes, witty, amusing - very funny - and none the worse for that. I saw Florez perform in it, it was thrilling and - I am trying to remember clearly - I think he encored "the" aria. (There is a DVD on Virgin - Natalie Dessay, Florez, Felicity Palmer and Dawn French (latter - a well known UK comedienne). All good).

[Constantbee]

I enjoyed it but it did seem that it must have had a lot of visual humor that I was missing.

[kernelbogey]

The ironing scene was described for radio listeners by Mry-Jo Heath, as there was lots of audience laughter during the word-free music.

[underthecountertenor]

IMO those encores tell you more about the Met audience than the tenor / music?

This article would suggest that this is very much a tenor and aria specific thing, even at the Met, and that Flórez started the 'tradition' there, as he had at La Scala. Confirmation also that the ROH was having none of it.

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2008/apr/24/classicalmusicandopera.world

[duncan]

The ROH first run of this production in 2007 was one of the most memorable (and fun) nights I've had at Covent Garden. Juan Diego Florez got lots of well-deserved applause but definitely no encore. It's hard to imagine Natalie Dessay being improved upon. I've not seen the DVD but the reviews suggest the producers managed to not get in the way of what appeared on stage.

[Barbirollians]

The ROH first run of this production in 2007 was one of the most memorable (and fun) nights I've had at Covent Garden. Juan Diego Florez got lots of well-deserved applause but definitely no encore. It's hard to imagine Natalie Dessay being improved upon. I've not seen the DVD but the reviews suggest the producers managed to not get in the way of what appeared on stage.

The DVD was brilliant I went to the re-run a few years later in Dessay’s last go at the part with Kiri Te Kanawa as the Duchess.

[LHC]

As others have commented, the same production by Laurent Pelly was seen first at Covent Garden with Natalie Dessay and Juan Diego Florez, and is already available on a very good DVD.

For those who might be interested in seeing it in the flesh, it is returning to Covent Garden this summer (8 - 20 July). Javier Camarena, who featured in the Met broadcast, will be singing Tonio (although one assumes, without an encore this time), and the wonderful French soprano, Sabine Devieilhe, who has performed the same role in Vienna, will be singing Marie. Covent Garden has yet to announce who will be playing the Duchess of Crackenthorp.