Many Italian opera composers often had to translate their works in order to see them performed outside of Italy. This was particularly true with those composers who wanted their works performed in the biggest musical capitol of the 19th century: Paris! Donizetti, Rossini, and even Verdi found themselves having to translate their operas into French in order to get them performed on the stages of the big French opera houses. One of Donizetti's biggest "bi-lingual" hits was his opera The Daughter of the Regiment, which premiered in 1840 while Donizetti was working in Paris. The Daughter of the Regiment tells the charming story of Marie, a young girl who's raised by a military regiment and essentially becomes their tomboyish mascot. The opera is a comic tour-de-force featuring slapstick comedy and incredible music, including the great tenor aria with the infamous 9 high C's!