La Fille du Régiment Is the March 2, 2019, Met Opera Saturday Matinee Broadcast

Summary: La Fille du Régiment is the March 2, 2019, Met Opera Saturday matinee broadcast, numbering 14th of 24 in the 2018-2019 season’s schedule.

The 2018-2019 Met Opera season revives French opera and theatre director Laurent Pelly’s staging, which debuted April 21, 2008, and which updates the setting to the First World War: The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera via Facebook Feb. 19, 2018

Donizetti’s La Fille du Régiment is the March 2, 2019, Met Opera Saturday matinee broadcast, airing as the 14th of 24 scheduled Saturday matinee radio broadcasts during the 2018-2019 Met Opera season.

Nineteenth century Italian bel canto opera composer Gaetano Donizetti (Nov. 29, 1797-April 8, 1848) set his musical score for La Fille du Régiment to a French libretto by French playwrights Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges (Nov. 7, 1799-Dec. 23, 1875) and Jean-François Alfred Bayard (March 17, 1796-Feb. 20, 1853). La Fille du Régiment was the first opera that Donizetti specifically composed for a French libretto.

Opéra-Comique premiered La Fille du Régiment Feb. 11, 1840, at Salle de la Bourse in Paris, France. Sited at the intersection of Rue Vivienne and Rue des Filles-St. Thomas in the second arrondissement (2e arrondissement de Paris), Salle de la Bourse derived its name from its location across from the Paris Stock Exchange (la Bourse de Paris).

La Fille du Régiment’s Metropolitan Opera premiere happened Jan. 6, 1902. Donizetti’s opera shared opening night the opera house’s 68th performance of Cavalleria Rusticana by Italian composer Pietro Mascagni (Dec. 7, 1863-Aug. 2, 1945). Including its premiere, La Fille du Régiment received five performances during the 1901-1902 Met Opera season.

The 2018-2019 Met Opera season offers seven performances of La Fille du Régiment. Opening night took place Thursday, Feb. 7, at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. The month’s five additional performances happened Monday, Feb. 11, at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, Feb. 15, at 8 p.m.; Monday, Feb. 18, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Feb. 23, at 8 p.m.; and Tuesday, Feb. 26, at 8 p.m.

Closing night is slated for Saturday, March 2, at 1 p.m. March’s only performance of La Fille du Régiment airs as the 2018-2019 Met Opera season’s 14th Saturday matinee radio broadcast.

The 2018-2019 Met Opera season’s Rigoletto has an estimated run time of 2 hours 35 minutes. Act I spans 77 minutes. An intermission of 28 minutes follows. Act II is estimated at 50 minutes.

Enrique Mazzola conducts all performances. The Spanish-born Italian conductor’s Metropolitan Opera debut happened March 10, 2016, in the opera house’s 285th performance of Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore.

Pretty Yende appears in all performances as Marie, who finds love and answers to her mysterious past via her encounters as a canteen girl for the regiment that adopted her as an abandoned baby. The South African operatic soprano’s Metropolitan Opera debut happened Jan. 17, 2013, as Countess Adèle in the Metropolitan Opera’s ninth performance of Le Comte Ory by Italian composer Gioachino Rossini (Feb. 29, 1792-Nov. 13, 1868). In the 2018-2019 Met Opera season, Pretty Yende also appears as Leïla in Les Pêcheurs de Perles by French Romantic Era composer Georges Bizet (Oct. 25, 1838-June 3, 1875).

Stephanie Blythe appears in all performances as Marquise of Berkenfeld, who comforts Marie by acknowledging her as her daughter and by consenting to Marie’s marriage to Tonio. The American mezzo-soprano’s Metropolitan Opera debut occurred April 14, 1995, as the Voice in the opera house’s 273rd performance of Parsifal by 19th century German composer and librettist Richard Wagner (May 22, 1813-Feb. 13, 1883). During the 2018-2019 Met Opera season, Stephanie Blythe also appears as Frugola in Il Tabarro segment of Il Trittico by Italian opera composer Giacomo Puccini (Dec. 22, 1858-Nov. 29, 1924); as la Principessa in Suor Angelica segment of Puccini’s Il Trittico; and as Zita in Gianni Schicchi segment of Puccini’s Il Trittico.

Javier Camarena appears in all performances as Tonio, who loves Marie as the regiment’s canteen girl and marries her as the Marquise’s daughter. The Mexican operatic tenor’s Metropolitan Opera debut happened Oct. 1, 2011, as Count Almaviva in the opera house’s 587th performance of Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia. In the 2018-2019 Met Opera season, Javier Camarena also appears as Nadir in Bizet’s Les Pêcheurs de Perles.

Alessandro Corbelli appeared in the first three performances (Feb. 7, 11, 15) as Sulpice, the regiment’s sergeant who recognizes the Marquise’s last name of Birkenfeld from a letter left with Marie as an abandoned baby and who cares about Marie’s happiness. The Italian baritone’s Metropolitan Opera debut happened Oct. 16, 1997, as Dandini in the Metropolitan Opera premiere of Rossini’s La Cenerentola.

Maurizio Muraro appears as Sulpice in the last four performances (Feb. 18, 23, 26; March 2). During the 2018-2019 Met Opera season, The Italian operatic bass-baritone’s Metropolitan Opera debut happened 2005, as Dr. Bartolo in the opera house’s 419th performance of Le Nozze di Figaro by Classical Era composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Jan. 27, 1756-Dec. 5, 1791). Maurizio Muraro also appears as Talpa in Il Tabarro segment of Puccini’s Il Trittico; as Simone in Gianni Schicchi segment of Puccini’s Il Trittico; and as Prince of Bouillon in Adriana Lecouvreur.

Donizetti set La Fille du Régiment in the Swiss Tyrol during the early 19th century’s Napoleonic Wars. The 2018-2019 Met Opera season’s production updates the setting to the First World War.

The 2018-2019 Met Opera season’s performances of Donizetti’s La Fille du Régiment revive Laurent Pelly’s staging. The French opera and theatre director’s staging debuted April 21, 2008, in the opera house’s 89th performance of La Fille du Régiment.

Laurent Pelly is credited as both director and costume designer. His production team comprises Chantal Thomas, set designer; Joël Adam, lighting director; and Laura Scozzi, choreographer. Agathe Mélinand is the Associate Director/Dialogue. Christian Rath is the production’s revival stage director.

The takeaway for Donizetti’s La Fille du Régiment as the March 2, 2019, Met Opera Saturday matinee broadcast is that the happy, loving opera airs as the 14th of the 2018-2019 Met Opera season’s 24 scheduled Saturday matinee radio broadcasts.

Spanish-born Italian conductor Enrique Mazzola makes his Metropolitan Opera debut in the 2018-2019 Met Opera season’s production of Donizetti’s La Fille du Régiment: Enrique Mazzola ‏@EnriqueMazzola. via Twitter Feb. 15, 2018

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

The 2018-2019 Met Opera season revives French opera and theatre director Laurent Pelly’s staging, which debuted April 21, 2008, and which updates the setting to the First World War: The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera via Facebook Feb. 19, 2018, @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/a.134969600532/10160146382215533/

Spanish-born Italian conductor Enrique Mazzola makes his Metropolitan Opera debut in the 2018-2019 Met Opera season’s production of Donizetti’s La Fille du Régiment: Enrique Mazzola ‏@EnriqueMazzola. via Twitter Feb. 15, 2018, @ https://twitter.com/EnriqueMazzola/status/964185617071558656

For further information:

“Debut: Javier Camarena.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 354056 Il Barbiere di Siviglia {587} Metropolitan Opera House: 10/01/2011.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=354056

“Debuts: Alessandro Corbelli, Cesare Lievi, Maurizio Baln, Gigi Saccomandi, Daniela Schiavone.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 330072 Metropolitan Opera Premiere La Cenerentola {1} Metropolitan Opera House: 10/16/1997.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=330072

“Debuts: Mark Wigglesworth, Maurizio Muraro . . .” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 351338 Le Nozze di Figaro {419} Metropolitan Opera House: 11/02/2005.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=351338

“Debuts: Pretty Yende, Nicola Ulivieri.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 354792 Le Comte Ory {9} Metropolitan Opera House: 01/17/2013.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=354792

“Debuts: Stephanie Blythe, Anthony Dean Griffey.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 320010 Parsifal {273} Metropolitan Opera House: 04/14/1995.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=320010

Enrique Mazzola ‏@EnriqueMazzola. “So happy to be back at the @MetOpera for Donizetti’s La Fille du Régiment in February 2019 in Laurent Pelly’s beautiful staging!!! wowowoowow!!!!” Twitter. Feb. 15, 2018.
Available @ https://twitter.com/EnriqueMazzola/status/964185617071558656

Enrique Mazzola’s friends ‏@enriquemazzolafanpage. “So happy to be back at The Metropolitan Opera for Donizetti’s La Fille du Régiment in February 2019 in Laurent Pelly’s beautiful staging!!! wowowoowow!!!!” Facebook. Feb. 15, 2018.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/enriquemazzolafanpage/photos/a.269655033091563/1695790437144675/

Marriner, Derdriu. “2018-2019 Metropolitan Opera Season Stages 29 Operas.” Earth and Space News. Monday, June 18, 2018.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2018/06/2018-2019-metropolitan-opera-season.html

The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. “Live in HD March 2, 2019 Tenor Javier Camarena and soprano Pretty Yende team up for a feast of bel canto vocal fireworks—including the show-stopping tenor aria “Ah! Mes amis,” with its nine high Cs. Enrique Mazzola conducts. Learn more: http://bit.ly/2oc5iuD Photo by Marty Sohl / Met Opera.” Facebook. Feb. 19, 2018.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/a.134969600532/10160146382215533/

“Metropolitan Opera Premiere: La Fille du Régiment.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 28510 Metropolitan Opera Premiere (La Fille du Régiment) La Fille du Régiment {1} Cavalleria Rusticana {68} Metropolitan Opera House: 01/6/1902
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=28510

“New Production: La Fille du Régiment.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 352500 New Production La Fille du Régiment {89} Metropolitan Opera House: 04/21/2008.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=352500