La Fille de Regiment at the Royal Opera House

Last time, in fact the only time, I saw this opera the two leading parts of Tonio and Marie were taken by a young, slim Luciano Pavarotti and Joan Sutherland.   It was put on at the Royal Opera House as a show  off vehicle for these two superstars of that time. Both of them had 'a voice', what they lacked in spades was any acting skills whatsoever and I remember their static stand and sing performances which would never be accepted today.  Joan Sutherland's voice was unbelievable, not a note wrong, superb coloratura, rock solid you knew she would never hit a bum note, glorious sound. Pavarotti, in this Donizetti opera was singing with a clear, ringing, pinging tone knocking off the famous high C's in Tonio's act one aria with shattering ease that brought the house down.  No sign then, not just of his future obesity, but of the laziness that characterised his voice as he became more and more the opera superstar, no scooping up to a top note instead of hitting it spot on, no blurring over runs and no endless performance of Nessun Dorma etc etc.  If you think I am being unfair to Luciano, then get hold of an early CD of his and listen to his technique and then listen to a later recording and spot the difference.

Sorry for this long preamble, but this is just to make the point that though I saw these two superstars sing in this opera, in my opinion Juan Diego Florez and Nathalie Dessay knock spots off them. This is an occasion when I do not do what long term opera lovers tend to do and say 'Ah but you should have heard Callas/Tebaldi/Price etc etc' as though the best opera singers are the dead ones or those who sang many years ago.

As Marie, Nathalie Dessay in her dungarees with her pigtail a la Pippi Longstocking is a stroppy delight (one critic likened her performance to half Eliza Doolittle, half Olive Oyl and he is right), tossing off coloratura while running around, lying on the floor, ironing the regiment's shirts or being hoiked up in the air by her regiment.

Juan Diego is simply breathtakingly her equal.  He has such an engaging personality on stage, every member of the audience just knows he is having a wonderful time and loving what he is doing.  The famous Mes Ami act one aria was reeled off as if the high C's were in the middle of his voice, sung with huge panache and sheer joy and, needless to say, the audience went totally barmy at the end shrieking and screaming, me included.   But it is not all show off stuff and in the second Act aria 'pour me rapprocher de Marie' when he is singing of his love he honed his voice right down and sang with such softness, feeling and beauty of tone that my throat closed up, my eyes filled and tears trickled down my cheeks. So heartbreakingly beautiful, I found myself physically clutching my heart. A glance round the house was to see an audience at one and if the proverbial pin had been dropped it would have sounded like a cannon shot.  Long time since I have heard such exquisite singing.   So two wonderful singers and he and Dessay have a wonderful on-stage chemistry which reaches out to everyone watching.

There is a very interesting article in the programme which, incidentally now costs an eye watering £7 (didn't buy I borrowed and read my friend Rosemary's in the interval) about the silliness of the plot of La Fille du Regiment and how similar it is in many ways to the Savoy operas of Gilbert and Sullivan.  Marie was abandoned as a child, found by the regiment who looked after her and brought her up, later on her real mother, an aristocrat (naturally) is found and she is forced to go and live with her and make a good marriage even though she is in love with Tonio who is now quite ineligible.  As in all G&S we have  patter songs, a silly trio, the daft chorus as well as glorious tunes and love duets. 

In the end it all ends happily as in the best comic operas and as well as all the above, we have the Duchess of Crackenthorp, a non-singing role and just sooo G&S, it is unbelievable, and this part was taken by Dawn French who had the audience in hysterics. 

I cannot recall spending such a fun evening at Covent Garden, the sense of oneness we all felt with each other, the complete experience that everyone in the House was having a simply spiffing time, it was an absolutely gorgeous evening and though the cost of our seats, our hotel (we decided to stay overnight) the congestion and parking charges etc etc would probably have paid for a holiday on the Costa del Sol, it was worth every single penny.  

I have said before that though I am now living on a pension and have to watch my pennies more than hitherto, I will never give up the opera even if I have to live on baked beans for a week. The most glorious art form ever, in my humble opinion, one which lives the spirit and the soul.  I love love love love it.