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Donizetti's Daughter of the Regiment
(La Fille du régiment)

Swansea City Opera touring until April 7, 2007.

 Swansea City Opera are currently touring their production of Donizetti's Daughter of the Regiment (La Fille du régiment), sung in English with a translation by Bridgett Gill.  Dates and locations can be found at  www.swanseacityopera.com.  The photographs were kindly provided by Swansea City Opera.

The cast is:-

Marie - Christina Haldane  (Micheala Bloom is sharing the role)

Sulpice - Brendan Wheatley

Tonio - Brendan MacBride (James Scarlett sings November 11 & 23 and December 1 & 2)

Marquise de Birkenfeld - Jeanette Ager (Stephanie Crooks, December 1 & 2)

Hortensio - Aris Nadirian

Duchesse de Krakenthorp - Stephanie Collins

The conductor is Philip Sunderland, the director Andrew Gallacher and design, costumes and lighting by Gary McCann, Gabriella Ingram and Mark Satchell.

Bill Kenny reviewing their opening night commented “The simple sets and matching costumes in this production suit the silly story perfectly and the orchestra and cast serve up ninety minutes of good-hearted fun. Even double-dyed operaphobes could warm to this easily”.   ...   “The score is handled deftly by Philip Sunderland's twenty five piece orchestra, the direction is pacey and unfussy and there's some very fine singing indeed. Despite a cold Brendan MacBride managed Tonio's high Cs effortlessly, Jeanette Ager's rich and powerful mezzo made her an excellent Marquise and Brendan Wheatley (the company's Artistic Director) did buffo-ing like he was born to it”.    ...   “Christina Haldane played the heroine ... with great warmth and humour”.  He summed up the performance with  “All in all this was a very enjoyable evening, worthy of a second visit.”   For his full review see http://www.musicweb-international.com/SandH/2006/Jul-Dec06/donizetti0311.htm

Marie

Tonio, Marie, Sulpice, soldiers, the Marquise de Birkenfeld and Hortensio.

Sulpice, Marie, Tonio and soldiers

Marie and Tonio

Adelina Patti and Daughter of the Regiment

Swansea City Opera and its sister company Opera School Wales have an interesting historical link to the British premiere of  the opera at Covent Garden in 1863, in which the famous 19th century opera diva, Adelina Patti, took the title role of Marie. The newspapers at the time hailed Patti's performance as “an incomparably perfect representation of Donizetti’s charming and vivacious heroine”. She also gave the inaugural concert at the Grand Theatre, Swansea in 1897.

Patti, who was so sought after world wide that she was earning £5000 a show in the 1880’s(!), lived in the impressive Craig-y-Nos Castle in the Swansea Valley for 42 years and built herself a theatre there, where Opera School Wales (OSW) have given several of their productions. Photographs of OSW's production of  Donizetti's Anna Bolena and of the Patti theatre can be found here.  Swansea City Opera and Opera School Wales are also starting a project to explore her impact on the valley in more detail.

Patti as Marie

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