An abandoned girl found on a battlefield is raised by a regiment of soldiers. Marie does the cooking and the cleaning and has become a real tom boy. When it is discovered that she is actually the niece of a local Marquise she is sent off to become a lady... Much hilarity ensues and in the end love wins the day. Donizetti wrote this sparking comedy early in his stay in Paris and it premiered in 1840.
Written in French with spoken dialogue, it contains some breathtaking bel canto arias and duets particularly for the two leads, soprano Marie and tenor Tonio, Marie's crush... Today the best known aria is "Ah! mes amis", a fearsome tenor aria with 9 high c's... It was the role of Tonio that earned Pavarotti the title of the "King of the high c's"... For a true coloratura comedienne and a tenor who has all the high notes required, this is a delightfully fun, musically exciting night in the theatre.
Here is Natalie Dessay as Marie and Dawn French as Duchesse du Krankenthorp at the Royal Opera in 2006.
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