Debuts in this short revival line-up lay in the ladies’ department, with the young French soprano Sabine Devieilhe treading the State Opera boards for the first time, and with the welcome return of Marjana Lipovšek - undertaking her first Duchess de Krakentorp in Vienna.

Devieilhe well fits the mould set by Natalie Dessay - Marie’s creator in this Laurent Pelly production of 2007 - requiring a lithe, tom-boy stature (in Devieilhe’s case, possibly even slighter than some of her predecessors), with the option of an easy shoulder lift by the male chorus in one scene required for the concept. And indeed, Vienna’s new soprano fills the niche perfectly bringing uninhibited, natural, charm and flair to the title role. Her well-projected light lyric-coloratura soprano includes an optional touch of “grain” to provide expressive contrast to the pure heady colours ideal for the character’s more feminine moments and for the ideal plaintive note to nail a touching "Il faut partir mes bon compagnons d’armes." She understandably won the house in an auspicious debut.

The Duchess de Krakentorp is a peach for any mature singer with oodles of personality and a touch of “camp” - and as such a perfect hit for Marjana Lipovšek, who evidently revelled in the warm reception at her entrance, as much as in the opportunity to again display her fruity-toned mezzo and wry sense of humour. She sang "Bali Ha’i" from the musical South Pacific, recalling delightful memories of her Bloody Mary at Vienna’s Volksoper  concert showings, opposite Ferruccio Furlanetto as Emile de Becque in 2010.

John Tessier returned (replacing Javier Camarena, who cancelled  due to an unexpected recording engagement) as Tonio, bringing the ideal physique and effervescent personality for the Tyrolean boy-next-door, sporting a pair of Lederhosen and a mane of flowing blond hair. Vocally, Tessier utilizes a clever mix of vocal registers which are so balanced in dynamics to allow a weighted falsetto approach to many of Donizetti’s higher-lying passages with convincing success. His all-encompassing combination of assets won the day, and a deserved ovation at the curtain.

As Vienna’s staple Sulpice, Carlos Álvarez has established something of a niche in which he unobtrusively provides an inimitable foundation around which company newcomers can securely pivot. Together with Donna Ellen’s straight-laced Marquise de Birkenfeld and Marcus Pelz’ rolling-eyed Hortensius, this reliable trio sculpted the vital backbone of the performance with understated - yet finely crafted - performances.

The chorus (in particular the male section) is so vital in this production, and it was a delight to see the enthusiasm in individualized portraits across the lines with Pelly’s choreographed antics so unjaded a decade on from the first run.

In the pit, Evelino Pidó’s reading was crisply accurate and compact, with all sections of the pit in top form on this occasion.

My first La fille du régiment was the legendary Metropolitan Opera production with Sutherland, Pavarotti, Resnik, Corena and Welitsch, and it remains indelibly printed in my memory. However, there’s no denying the charm and success of this lighter weight version with appreciative smiles in all corners of the house as the lights went up.