La fille du régiment

This version of Donizetti’s comic opera zooms right to the top of any list of essential videos for opera fans. In this action filled physical comedy, the beautiful tomboy Marie was found on a battlefield as a baby and adopted, not by one soldier but by an entire regiment. When Marie falls—quite literally—into the arms of the handsome Tonio, her military dads jump to protect her to stop a possible marriage. LA FILLE DU RÉGIMENT may not be the composer’s best work, but given a top-notch production with world class singing actors, it brings vocal thrills and an abundance of laughs, a combination that’s hard to beat. The stars are Juan Diego Flórez and Natalie Dessay, both unbeatable in bel canto roles, and both in top form here.