“La cenerentola” is a playful drama by Gioachino Rossini with a libretto by Jacopo Ferretti. The subject was taken from the famous fairy tale “Cendrillon” by Charles Perrault (1697), but Ferretti also used two opera librettos: “Cendrillon” by Charles Guillaume Etienne for Nicolò Isouard (1810) and “Agatina, o la virtù premiata” by Francesco Fiorini for Stefano Pavesi (1814).
Everyone is familiar with the story of Cinderella, immortalized by Perrault and the brothers Grimm. Yet this is not quite the story of “La cenerentola”, even though Jacopo Ferretti was inspired by it when he wrote the libretto. There are very few references to magic. There is no fairy, pumpkin or glass slipper! This drama giocoso, whose full title is “Cinderella or Goodness Triumphant”, focuses on the adventures of Angelina, a frail and brilliant heroin for whom Rossini has reserved his most tender melodies, deliciously interwoven with those of Prince Ramiro. Suddenly the voices sparkle, flow forth and mingle in arias and ensembles punctuated with clever puns and witticisms: this is Rossini’s vis comica at its finest. The latter was indeed proud of this highly successful piece, which he wrote when he was only 24 in just three weeks. There is certainly some magic in that!
Cast: Conductor Giancarlo Andretta, Director Fabio Ceresa, Chorus Master Claudio Marino Moretti
Website: www.teatrolafenice.it
Location: La Fenice theater, Venice
Schedule: Februar 10 – 16, 2021 – CANCELLED
