Programs · Episode

ROSSINI: La Cenerentola

Program: At the Opera
Aired: Saturday, June 23, 2018 @ 6:00 pm
Hosted by Lisa Simeone

Based on the fairytale favorite "Cinderella," La Cenerentola is one of Rossini's most delicate and delightful comedies.  But in this version of the story, it's not magic slippers and fairy godmothers that carry the day, but rather the strength of love and the resiliency of the human spirit. On At the Opera, host Lisa Simeone brings us the opera in two recordings.  One, from 1992, features a spectacular performance by a young Cecilia Bartoli in the title role.  In the other, from 1971, Cinderella is sung by the great Spanish mezzo-soprano Teresa Berganza.

Featured Recordings:

Riccardo Chailly, conductor
Orchestra and Chorus of the Teatro Comunale, Bologna
(London 436902)
CAST:  Cecilia Bartoli (Cenerentola); William Matteuzzi (Don Ramiro); Alessandro Corbelli (Dandini); Enzo Dara (Don Magnifico); Fernanda Costa (Clorinda); Gloria Banditelli (Tisbe); Michele Pertusi (Alidoro)

Claudio Abbado, conductor
London Symphony Orchestra
Scottish Opera Chorus
(DG 4774649)
CAST: Teresa Berganza (Cenerentola); Luigi Alva (Don Ramiro); Renato Capecchi (Dandini); Paolo Montarsolo (Don Magnifico); Margherita Guglielmi (Clorinda); Laura Zannini (Tisbe); Ugo Trama (Alidoro)

MORE ABOUT THE OPERA:

She's a fairy tale heroine with many different names, including Cendrillon, Cenerentola, Aschenputtel — and Cinderella. Yet whatever she's called, almost everyone knows her story. She's the innocent girl who escapes from her dangerously dysfunctional family, and winds up marrying a handsome prince.

The version of the story we know best today originated with French writer Charles Perrault, who published a story called "Cinderella, or the Little Glass Slipper" in 1697. The Brothers Grimm wrote their version in 1812. The electronic age produced Disney's classic, animated film in 1950, plus a number of televised versions, including a 1957 musical starring Julie Andrews.

Those of a certain age may remember Disney's movie from childhood matinees at the local theater, or evenings on the couch, watching TV. What we may not remember is that our parents, sitting alongside, were having just as much fun as the kids. That's because, along with its innocent charm, the story also has a healthy dose of adult passions and foibles.

So it's not surprising that the tale has turned up not just at the movies and on TV, but also at the opera. In fact, Cinderella is one of those stories so "right" for opera that it's been prime material for a couple of great composers.

Massenet wrote a shimmering Cinderella opera called Cendrillon that was neglected for a long time, and is finally getting its due. Still, despite the growing popularity of Massenet's score, when it comes to telling the Cinderella story, there's another opera that rules the roost.

Gioachino Rossini was a master of bubbly comedies deepened by poignant moments scattered among the laughs, a formula that works perfectly in his 1817 hit La Cenerentola. It's one of Rossini's funniest operas, yet it also has a serious side. In this version, there's no glass slipper and no magic pumpkin — and Cinderella's happy ending isn't just a gift from some benevolent fairy. On her journey from servant's quarters to a royal throne she faces some real dangers. In overcoming them she displays a gentle and tolerant spirit, some profoundly adult insights, and the pluck and courage to defy everyone who stands in her way.

At The Opera host Lisa Simeone takes us through the Rossini's score in a pair of recordings featuring great mezzo-sopranos a generation or so apart. A youthful Cecilia Bartoli takes the title role in a recording from 1992, and Cinderella is sung by the great Spanish mezzo Teresa Berganza in a release from back in 1971.

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