Gaetano Donizetti (1797–1848)

I must have listened to this more than some of the other operas, which surprised me. Most of the arias are familiar and fondly remembered. My apologies to Windbergh for imagining Pavarotti while he sang. Sorry! I have a video of this with Pavarotti and that's what sticks in the mind. For an operatic comedy, it isn't as ridiculous as it could be. We watch Adina as she goes through her change of feelings for Nemorino, in ways I have witnessed in real life - if not exactly within 90 minutes. show more Maybe Aristotle was right about the Unities. She rejects him (valuing her freedom), gets engaged to someone else (just to score him off), is disappointed that this doesn't have the desired effect, has her jealousy aroused by seeing him courted by other women, and is finally convinced of his devotion and reciprocates.
Nemorino, the town goofball, if not outright idiot, thinks a bottle of wine is a magic potion that will make Adina fall in love with him. He pays all his money for it and then enlists in the army to get more money to get a faster acting potion (bottle of wine). He never learns that it's the self sacrifice and not the wine that does the trick. In fact, the whole village falls for Dulcamara's spiel, especially after they learn that Nemorino has not only gotten the girl, but a huge inheritance (which is what attracted the other women in the village).
A delightful recording of a charming opera. show less

Joan Sutherland is another one of those that sings for herself. I can picture her only too well - as well as Ira Siff's impression of her - jaw drawn back for acoustical effect. I have to forget all that to listen to this. It's hard.

When it comes to oboe, Heinz is the man.

Wikipedia: "La fille du régiment (The Daughter of the Regiment) is an opéra comique in two acts by Gaetano Donizetti, set to a French libretto by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and Jean-François Bayard. It was first performed on 11 February 1840 by the Paris Opéra-Comique at the Salle de la Bourse."