La Cenerentola, ossia La bontà in trionfo (Cinderella, or Goodness Triumphant) is an operatic dramma giocoso in two acts by Gioachino Rossini.
The opera was first performed in Rome's Teatro Valle on 25 January 1817.
Rossini composed La Cenerentola when he was 25 years old, following the success of The Barber of Seville the year before.
La Cenerentola, which he completed in a period of three weeks, is considered to have some of his finest writing for solo voice and ensembles.
Rossini saved some time by re-using an overture from La gazzetta and part of an aria from The Barber of Seville and by enlisting a collaborator, Luca Agolini, who wrote the secco recitatives and three numbers:
Alidoro's "Vasto teatro è il mondo"
Clorinda's "Sventurata!" and
the chorus "Ah, della bella incognita."
The facsimile edition of the autograph has a different aria for Alidoro, "Fa' silenzio, odo un rumore"; this seems to have been added by an anonymous hand for a 1818 production.
For a 1820 revival in Rome, Rossini wrote a bravura replacement,
"La, del ciel nell'arcano profondo".
The light, energetic overture has been in the standard repertoire since its premiere as La Cenerentola.
At the first performance, the opera was received with some hostility,
but it soon became popular throughout Italy and beyond.
It reached Lisbon in 1819,
London in 1820 and
New York in 1826.
Through most of the 19th century, its popularity rivalled that of the Barber, but as the coloratura contralto, for which the role was originally written, became rare it fell slowly out of the repertoire.
However, from the 1960s onward, as Rossini enjoyed a renaissance, a new generation of Rossini mezzo-sopranos and contraltos ensured the renewed popularity of the work.
There are changes from the traditional fairy tale in La Cenerentola because Rossini opted for having a "non-magical" resolution to the story (unlike the original source), due to obvious limitations in the "special effects" available.
There are a number of recordings of the opera, and, as a staple of the standard operatic repertoire, it appears as number 29 on the Operabase list of the most-performed operas worldwide.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere cast, 25 January 1817 (Conductor: Gioachino Rossini) |
|---|---|---|
| Angelina (Cenerentola, Cinderella) | contralto/mezzo-soprano | Geltrude Righetti |
Ramiro, principe di SALERNO | tenore | Giacomo Guglielmi |
Dandini, valet to the Prince | baritone | Giuseppe De Begnis |
Magnifico, barone di Montefiascone | bass | Andrea Verni |
Alidoro, philosopher and the Prince's former tutor | bass | Zenobio Vitarelli |
Clorinda, Don Magnifico's older daughter | soprano | Caterina Rossi |
Tisbe, Don Magnifico's younger daughter | mezzo-soprano | Teresa Mariani |
Courtiers from Prince Ramiro's palace | tenors, basses |
In this variation of the traditional Cinderella story, the wicked stepmother is replaced by a stepfather, Don Magnifico, barone di MONTEFIASCONE.
The Fairy Godmother is replaced by Alidoro, a philosopher and the Prince's tutor.
Cinderella is identified not by her glass slipper but by her bracelet.
- Time: Late 18th century – early 19th century
- Place: Italy
Act 1
Angelina ("Cenerentola") is forced to work as the maid in the run-down house of her stepfather Don Magnifico in the castle of MONTEFIASCONE.While his two mean, idle daughters, Clorinda and Tisbe, try on their gowns and jewelry, Cenerentola sings a ballad about a king who found his wife among common folk.
A beggar comes calling. Clorinda and Tisbe want to send him away, but Cenerentola offers him bread and coffee.
Courtiers arrive to announce that Prince Ramiro is looking for the most beautiful girl in the land to be his bride, and is on his way to pay them a visit.
Prince Ramiro arrives, disguised as his own valet in order to observe the women without them knowing.
He is immediately struck with admiration for ANGELINA and she for him.
Cenerentola has to leave when her stepsisters call her.
Don Magnifico enters and Ramiro tells him the Prince will arrive shortly.
The "prince" is actually Dandini, Ramiro's valet in disguise.
The stepsisters arrive and fawn gleefully over Dandini, who invites them to a ball at the Royal palace.
Don Magnifico tells Cenerentola that she cannot accompany them to the ball, despite her pleading.
Before leaving, Ramiro notices how badly Cenerentola is treated.
His tutor, Alidoro, who had been at the house earlier disguised as the beggar, arrives still wearing his rags and asks for Don Magnifico's third daughter.
Magnifico denies she is still alive, but when Alidoro is left alone with Cenerentola, he tells her that she will accompany him to the ball.
ALIDORO throws off his beggar's clothes and identifies himself as a member of Prince Ramiro's court, telling her that heaven will reward her pure heart.
-----
VILLA DEL PRINCIPE.
The stepsisters and Don Magnifico arrive at Prince Ramiro's palace, with Dandini still posing as the Prince.
Dandini offers Magnifico a tour of the wine cellar, hoping to get him drunk.
He then disentangles himself from the family and tells Ramiro how stupid and obnoxious the two sisters are.
Ramiro is confused since Alidoro had spoken well of one of Magnifico's daughters.
Clorinda and Tisbe enter and impatiently pressure Dandini to declare his "princely" choice.
Without committing himself, Dandini ponders the question
"Whom will the rejected sister marry?"
and suggests Ramiro as a possible husband.
Believing him to be a mere valet, the two sisters reject Ramiro as an despicable choice and insult him to his face.
Alidoro announces the arrival of an unknown, lavishly dressed yet veiled, LADY (Cenerentola).
All sense something familiar about her and feel they are in a dream but on the verge of being awakened with a shock.
Act 2
Don Magnifico, Clorinda, and Tisbe are in a room of Ramiro's palace.Magnifico frets over the unknown woman who threatens the chance for one of his daughters to marry Prince Ramiro.
The three leave and Ramiro enters, smitten with the unknown woman who resembles the girl he had met that morning.
He conceals himself as Dandini arrives with Cenerentola and tries to court her.
She turns Dandini down politely, telling him that she is in love with his valet.
Ramiro steps forth and declares his love for her.
She then leaves giving him one of a pair of matching bracelets and saying that if he really cares for her, he will find her.
Encouraged by Alidoro, Ramiro calls his men together to begin searching for her.
Meanwhile, Dandini confesses to Don Magnifico that he is really Prince Ramiro's valet.
Magnifico becomes highly indignant, and Dandini orders him out of the palace.
----
CASTELLO DEL BARONE.
At Magnifico's house, Cenerentola, once again dressed in rags, is tending the fire and singing her ballad.
Magnifico and his daughters return from the ball in a vile mood, and order Cenerentola to prepare their supper.
A thunderstorm rages.
Dandini suddenly appears at the door to say that Prince Ramiro's carriage has overturned outside and brings him into the house.
Cenerentola fetches a chair for the prince and realizes he is Ramiro.
RAMIRO recognizes ANGELINA's bracelet and the couple are reunited.
Don Magnifico, Clorinda and Tisbe are furious.
Angered by their meanness to Cenerentola, Ramiro threatens to punish them, but Cenerentola asks him to be merciful.
As Cenerentola leaves with her prince, Alidoro thanks heaven for the happy outcome.
In the throne room of Ramiro's palace, Magnifico tries to curry favour with his stepdaughter, the new princess, but she only wants to be acknowledged as his daughter.
Cenerentola asks the prince to forgive Magnifico and the two stepsisters.
Her father and stepsisters embrace her as she declares that her days of toiling by the fire are over.
Noted arias
----> "Si, ritrovarla io giuro" – Prince Ramiro in act 2
Recordings
| Year | Cast: Cenerentola, Clorinda, Tisbe, Don Ramiro, Dandini, Don Magnifico | Conductor, Opera House and Orchestra | Label: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Susanne Marsee, Gianna Rolandi, RoseMarie Freni, Rockwell Blake, Alan Titus, James Billings | Brian Salesky, New York City Opera Orchestra and Chorus | DVD: Premiere Opera Cat: 6825 |
1981 | Frederica von Stade, Margherita Guglielmi, Laura Zannini, Francisco Araiza, Claudio Desderi, Paolo Montarsolo | Claudio Abbado, Teatro alla Scala Orchestra and Chorus | DVD: DG Cat: 073 4096 |
| 1993 | Cecilia Bartoli, Fernanda Costa, Gloria Banditelli, William Matteuzzi, Alessandro Corbelli, Enzo Dara | Riccardo Chailly, Orchestra and Chorus of the Teatro Comunale di Bologna | CD:Decca Records Cat:436 909-2 |
| 1996 | Jennifer Larmore, Jeannette Fischer, Claire Larcher, Rockwell Blake, Alessandro Corbelli, Carlos Chausson | Maurizio Benini, L'Opéra National de Paris Orchestra and Chorus (Video recording of a performance in the Palais Garnier, Paris, April) | DVD: Encore Cat: DVD 3265 |
| 2004 | Joyce DiDonato, Patrizia Cigna, Martina Borst, José Manuel Zapata, Paolo Bordogna, Bruno Praticò | Alberto Zedda, Orchester des Südwest Funks Kaisersläutern and Prague Chamber Chorus (Recording of a performance at the Wildbad Festival, 13 November) | CD: Naxos Cat: 8.660191-92 |
| 2007 | Joyce DiDonato, Cristina Obregón, Itxaro Mentxaka, Juan Diego Flórez, David Menéndez, Bruno De Simone | Patrick Summers, Orchestra and Chorus of the Teatro Liceu (Barcelona) (Video recording of a performance in the Teatro Liceo, Barcelona, December) | DVD: Decca Cat: 074 3305 and 074 3333 (Blu-ray) |
| 2009 | Elina Garanča, Rachelle Durkin, Patricia Risley, Lawrence Brownlee, Simone Alberghini, Alessandro Corbelli | Maurizio Benini, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus (Audio and video recordings made at a performance at the MET, May) | CD: Celestial Audio Cat: CA 908; DVD: DG Cat: 073 4777 |
References
- Notes
^ "The prima on 25 January 1817 was full of mishaps and was noisily received" – Osborne, Richard (1986). Rossini. London: Dent. p. 37. ISBN 0-460-03179-1.
^ "Opera Statistics". Operabase. http://operabase.com/top.cgi?lang=en#opera. Retrieved 8 May 2011.
^ for a more detailed synopsis see John W. Freeman, Stories of the Operas: La Cenerentola, New York Metropolitan Opera
- Sources
- Holden, Amanda (Ed.), The New Penguin Opera Guide, New York: Penguin Putnam, 2001. ISBN 0-14-029312-4
- Osborne, Charles, The Bel Canto Operas of Rossini, Donizetti, and Bellini, Portland, Oregon: Amadeus Press, 1994 ISBN 0-931340-71-3
[edit] External links
- Libretto from Stanford University, in Italian only
- Old Ricordi edition piano score as pdf
- Synopsis of La Cenerentola (Metropolitan Opera)
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