The opera “Daughter of the Regiment” by the Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti (1797–1848), which is being staged for the first time in Lithuania, has been reigning on the world's most famous stages for almost two centuries. Having earned fame in his homeland and beyond with his comic operas and historical dramas Ana Bolena and Lucia di Lamermur, Donizetti, like his contemporaries, bel canto creators Gioachino Rossini and Vincenzo Bellini, sought to establish himself in one of the greatest Europeans of the time. opera centers in Paris. And he did well: during the two years of his life here (1838-1840), he was able to obtain orders and present his work in all four opera houses in the French capital.
1840 The premiere of the composer's first opera with a French text at the Opéra Comique in February was initially sharply criticized for its failure. However, "Regiment Daughter" soon became a "cash" performance and remained in the theatre's repertoire for a long time. The aria "Salut à la France" in the final of the opera became the unofficial anthem of France. He has been performing for many decades in performances throughout the French Opera House on the occasion of the 14th of July, a national holiday. Opera soon earned public sympathy in other countries as well. It is interesting that in the 19th century. In the middle of the 18th century, the opera was performed not only in the theaters of New Orleans, New York and London, but also in the Klaipėda City Theater, which then belonged to the Kingdom of Prussia, under the direction of Franz Eduard Morohn (1841–1859).
It is believed that the "Regiment Daughter" was created in just a few weeks. “I never interfered with the job I do best; it took me the most time and effort to create exactly the impression of frivolity for which I was most often reprimanded, ”the composer once admitted. This is also evidenced by the music of this opera, which bursts with carefree fun, but requires vocal mastery and acting skills almost reminiscent of pyrotechnic effects. The performer of the main role of a woman - Mari, a marquee in the regiment - must not only perfectly control the voice in order to overcome all the stages of the score reminiscent of a vocal polynomial, but at the same time create an incredibly colorful character. And her beloved Tony's party becomes a test for even the best singers in the world:
The original libretto for the opera was composed by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and Jean-François-Alfred Bayard. It retains all the elements of a romantic comedy: an absurd prehistory (a girl found on the battlefield is raised by an entire regiment of soldiers), loved ones from opposing camps who have to overcome the hostility of those around them to be together, and a happy ending. Unlike the Italian opera buffa , the recitative recites are sung in the French opéra comiquerepresented by spoken inserts. The opera tells the story of the orphan Mari. Found on the battlefield and raised in the regiment of French Army Sergeant Sulpicius, the girl becomes his markitante - a supplier of food, clothing and supplies traveling with the regiment - and a happy mascot of the regiment. Mari falls in love with a local young man, Tony, to whom she is indifferent. To be closer to her beloved, Tony joins the French army. However, the sudden emergence of the noble aunt Marquis de Berkenfyld (who later turns out to be Mari's real mother) takes Mari out and tries to secure a position in society that suits her class. She tries to wean Mari from the orthodox manners she has acquired in the regiment, teaches beautiful singing, and fucks her with her groom. Mari grieves, longing for the flock of friends and a loved one, but not daring to resist the will of her dead father and mother. But Tony doesn’t give up: he and his regiment invade the wedding party and convince everyone of their love for Mari. The awning arrives and allows Mari to choose the man to whom her heart belongs.
Presenting this opera to the Lithuanian public, director Jūratė Sodytė decided to move the place and time of the action from the Napoleonic Army war in Austria (1805–1815) to the Algerian War of Independence (1954–1962). "The central theme of the Regiment's story, which has become a starting point for me, is freedom of choice. Not only the freedom of the nation but also the freedom of choice of every person was important to the Algerian resistance movement against the French colonists. Another manifestation of freedom of choice is important in opera: no political force or moral obligation can prevent love. In the second action, the main character of the opera, Mari, moves from the wartime in Algeria to a palace in Paris, where it becomes more fragile and vulnerable, although the environment here is safer and more beautiful. As if to highlight the well-known truth that a person feels good in his / her own environment, no matter how incomprehensible or uncomfortable it may seem to those around them, ”said the director about her ideas. Set designer Sigita Šimkūnaitė has created a contrasting scene for the opera: the first action is full of tropical heat, and the second is full of refined cold life of the French nobility. Almost 100 costumes created by Agnė Kuzmickaitė for this performance emphasize this contrast: the military wear stylized uniforms, the Algerians wear traditional hijabs, and the French ladies wear dresses inspired by the fashion greats Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior and Coco Chanel. .
The best theater soloists and invited singers, choir and ballet artists embody the peripetics of romantic feelings on the stage of Klaipėda State Musical Theater. Following the latest trends in the world's musical theaters and in order to facilitate the understanding of the content, the opera's singing numbers are performed in French and the conversational dialogues in Lithuanian.
