Quick Facts – La Cenerentola (Cinderella)

Who is the composer of La Cenerentola?

Gioachino Rossini, in full Gioachino Antonio Rossini, (born February 29, 1792, Pesaro, Papal States [Italy]—died November 13, 1868, Passy, near Paris, France), Italian composer noted for his operas, particularly his comic operas, of which The Barber of Seville (1816), Cinderella (1817), and Semiramide (1823) are among the best known. Of his later, larger-scale dramatic operas, the most widely heard is William Tell (1829).

Biography taken from Britannica. Read more about the composer here.

What is the plot of the opera?

Act I

Angelica, known as Cenerentola (Cinderella) by her family, is waiting on her two spoiled stepsisters, Clorinda and Tisbe, while singing a song about a king who chooses a poor girl for his bride. Alidoro, Prince Ramiro’s tutor, arrives dressed as a beggar. While Clorinda and Tisbe tell him to go away, Cenerentola insists that he sit down and have some food; her generosity does not go unnoticed by him.

Soon after, the prince’s courtiers enter and announce that Prince Ramiro, who is in search of a wife, will shortly arrive to take the daughters of Don Magnifico to his palace for a ball. Clorinda and Tisbe, excited by the prospect of being the prince’s bride, begin to prepare for the evening and order Cenerentola around. Don Magnifico realises that a potential marriage to a Prince will restore his family’s fortune and hopes that one of his daughters is chosen.

They all leave and Cenerentola continues her chores about the house. Prince Ramiro enters but he has disguised himself as a valet, as he is hoping to find a wife who will love him for himself rather than his social status. Cenerentola enters the room and is startled to find him there, but the two instantly fall in love. He asks her who she is but she struggles to explain and runs out of the room.Dandini, the prince’s valet but disguised as the Prince, arrives at Don Magnifico’s home and invites them all to a ball at his palace that evening. Cenerentola pleads with her father to let her go but he refuses her permission. Ramiro sees how poorly they treat Cenerentola and Alidoro states that there should be a third daughter in the house but Don Magnifico says she has died. Everyone but Cenerentola and Alidoro depart, and when they are alone he promises to take her to the ball saying her kindness and generosity will be rewarded.

Back at the palace, everyone is persuading Dandini to choose a bride. Clorinda and Tisbe are fawning over him and Dandini manages to escape to another room where Prince Ramiro is waiting for him. He tells Ramiro that they are truly dreadful which confuses them both as Alidoro has spoken highly of one of Don Magnifico’s daughters. When Dandini tells the stepsisters that the one he does not marry shall be offered to his servant, the sisters are outraged.

Alidoro arrives with a beautiful lady who no one knows but Clorinda, Tisbe and Don Magnifico think she resembles Cenerentola. Despite the confusion, they all sit down to supper.

Act II

The arrival of the mysterious lady has worried Don Magnifico and he is concerned that her appearance will ruin his daughters’ chance at marrying the Prince. Meanwhile, Dandini, who has taken a liking to Cenerentola himself, tries to impress her and to dissuade his advances, she tells him that she is in love with his servant.

Ramiro, who was hidden and listening on, is overjoyed and steps forward. Cenerentola tells him that if he truly loves her, he will come to find her and asks him not to follow as she leaves to go home.

Magnifico confronts Dandini, who he still believes to be the real prince, and demands to know which of his daughters Dandini will marry. Dandini reveals that he is not the real prince and Don Magnifico is furious. He, Clorinda and Tisbe return home and order Cenerentola, by now back in her usual attire, to prepare some food. A storm begins to develop and Alidoro takes advantage of it to organise for Prince Ramiro’s carriage to break down in front of Don Magnifico’s mansion so that he is forced to ask for refuge. His plan is a success as Cenerentola and Ramiro come face to face and recognise each other instantly. She learns that he is not a valet but actually Prince Ramiro. Ramiro threatens Don Magnifico but Cenerentola instead asks him to forgive them. He relents and they all celebrate the wedding between Cenerentola and Prince Ramiro.

Who are the main characters, and who are they played by?

Angelina (Cenerentola, Cinderella) Margarita Gritskova
Prince Ramiro Mert Süngü
Dandini Stephen Marsh
Don Magnifico Teddy Tahu-Rhodes
Alidoro Michael Lampard
Clorinda Rebecca Rashleigh
Tisbe Shakira Dugan

Chorus

Paul Batey, Paul Biencourt, Nicholas Cowall, Michael Dimovski, Eamon Dooley, Alex Pokryshevsky, Kiran Rajasingam, Timothy Reynolds.

What can I expect from this opera?

Beyond the belly laughs, the essence of La Cenerentola is a parable of love and forgiveness.

Unlike the popular fairy tale Cinderella this work is based on, Rossini’s La Cenerentola (ossia La bontà in trionfo; Cinderella, or Goodness Triumphant) does not feature pumpkins that turn into carriages, a midnight curfew or a lost glass slipper. Instead, Ferretti and Rossini wrote a Cinderella story that centred on human nature, employing cunning disguises and the comedic buffoon-like characters typical of the opera buffa style to appeal to Italian audiences.

After the success of The Barber of Seville in 1815, Rossini was engaged by the Teatro Valle in Rome to write another opera to open on St Stefano’s Day (December 26) in 1816. However, the story initially chosen, Francesca di Fiox, was scrutinised by papal censors who required too many changes to justify staging the work. Rossini asked Ferretti to choose a new subject and after a number of different suggestions, they settled on La Cenerentola.

This production will be semi-stagged, so the stage will be lit with theatre lighting, the singers will be in costume and will make entrances and exits, however, there will not be a set. The fabulous Victorian Opera Chamber Orchestra will be on stage, and the singers will make their entrances around the orchestra.