Ah ! Mes Amis / Gaetano Donizetti / Hervé Niquet / Henri Chalet by Donizetti, From (2023/2023), Conductor Hervé Niquet, Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Paris, France

The extraordinarily prolific composer Donizetti ended up writing his first original work, La Fille du régiment, in French, in Paris, and almost by accident. He had travelled there to oversee the French version of his Lucia di Lammermoor, and was persuaded to write a work in parallel for the Opéra-Comique, a commission which he in fact polished off very swiftly. The story features rather mundane characters in a historical military setting, but the events are expressed in a sparkling score with a pleasing blend of military rhythms and tender romances. This is bel canto repertoire at its finest and this Fille is one of the most joyful gems of the French repertoire