Metropolitan Opera Archives

The Metropolitan brought its brand new revival of "The Daughter of the Regiment" to the Academy of Music, last night, with Lily Pons in the title role. The opera has been rather daringly restaged by Herbert Graf to make it seem less like a museum piece than it is; and Miss Pons makes a charming regimental mascot. The audience enjoyed the production immensely.

The obvious triumph of the revival is Miss Pons' Marie, although her "fille du regiment" is rather less Marie than Lily; but Mr. Graf's would seem to be the fundamentally greater accomplishment. The production gives more than a hint of the tongue in the cheek, but the cheek doesn't bulge. If Mr. Graf has done any kidding he has done it with both affection and insight, and in adding his own sense of humor to the librettist's he has avoided stylistic clashes.

Thus instead of compromising with the old-fashioned operetta militarism of the original, he has gone the regiment one better and blessed the regiment with a whole "line" of 16 vivandieres. They keep their places in line, however, and there is never any doubt that the regiment's heart belongs to Lily.

The décor is similarly fanciful, with a vivandiere curtain, Napoleonic cavalrymen permanently situated at the sides of the stage, and imitation horses feeding in stalls beneath an imitation hay loft. All contribute to an atmosphere of light-hearted make-believe, and it is all tastefully done. Even the improbable business of having one of the imitation horses kick Sergeant Sulpice is acceptable and unobtrusive burlesque.

It all fits easily with the book, and it also fits well with the music, which is thin but plastic enough to yield a spirited gaiety in the Rataplan when spiritedly sung and which includes, in the little air sung by Marie in taking leave of her regiment and her lover, one of Donizetti's most beautiful pathetic melodies.

The title role is a grateful one for Miss Pons, although of the many make-believe aspects of the production her Marie is the most make-believe of all. There is nothing tough or tomboyish about her. She is so feminine and so stylish and so adorably costumed that little duties such as peeling potatoes and scrubbing the dappled derrieres of the property horses have a comical incongruity about them simply because the daughter of the 21st is so obviously Lily.

But it hardly matters. Miss Pons has personality enough in her own right and she is an entertaining daughter of the regiment even if the suspicion persists that the screen and radio may also have had a hand in her upbringing. She sings the role well and has taken her regimental duties to heart to the extent of learning to roll a drum which she does conscientiously with a worried mien.

Salvatore Baccoloni is a magnificently comical and big-hearted Sergeant Sulpice. Raoul Jobin does well by the role of the lover and Irra Petina adds the Marchioness of Berkenfeld to her already impressive list of accomplishments in character parts. The musical direction of the revival may also be listed as one of Gennaro Papi's superior achievements.

Search by season: 1940-41

Search by title: La Fille du Régiment,

Met careers