Premiere of Donizetti's La fille du régiment in Paris (1840)

Gaetano Donizetti's opéra comique La fille du régiment premiered in Paris on 11 February 1840 at the Salle de la Bourse. Written during his residence in Paris, the work featured a French libretto by Saint-Georges and Bayard. While initially criticized by Hector Berlioz, the opera marked Donizetti's first work specifically for a French libretto, preceding his later Italian adaptation.

Episodes

Background and detail

Background. Donizetti composed La fille du régiment while living in Paris between 1838 and 1840. This period followed his move from Naples, where the King had banned his opera Poliuto. The work was an opéra comique in two acts, utilizing a French libretto by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and Jean-François Bayard, distinct from his earlier Italian works.

Critical Reception. The premiere received a highly negative review from Hector Berlioz in the Journal des débats on 16 February 1840. Berlioz argued the opera could not be taken seriously, though he conceded some musical vivacity. His hostility stemmed from the perception that Paris opera houses had become dominated by Donizetti's influence.

Subsequent Adaptation. Following the Paris premiere, Donizetti prepared an Italian version of the opera for performance at La Scala in Milan. This adaptation, which replaced spoken dialogue with recitatives, was performed on 3 October 1840, shortly after Donizetti left Paris in June.

People involved

Sources

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