La Cenerentola

Gioachino Rossini

Gioachino Rossini (1792–1868) was the most celebrated Italian composer of his age, a master of both opera buffa and opera seria. Born in Pesaro, he penned nearly forty operas before the age of thirty-seven, including immortal works such as “Il barbiere di Siviglia,” “La Cenerentola,” and “Guillaume Tell.” “Adina, ovvero Il Califfo di Bagdad” (1818), though lesser-known, showcases all the melodic wit, rhythmic verve, and vocal brilliance that made Rossini the darling of Europe.

Rossini’s distinctive style, characterized by elegant melodies, rapid vocal passages, lively rhythms, and inventive orchestration, had a profound influence on nineteenth-century opera. His music combines theatrical energy with remarkable technical precision, allowing singers to display both virtuosity and expressive range. Even today, his operas remain staples of the international repertoire, admired for their wit, brilliance, and enduring freshness.

After retiring from the operatic stage at the height of his fame, he spent his later years in Paris as a revered cultural figure and gourmet.

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La Cenerentola, ossia La bontà in trionfo is a dramma giocoso in two acts by Gioachino Rossini, with a libretto by Jacopo Ferretti, first performed in Rome in 1817. The story, loosely based on the fairy tale of Cinderella, is set in the castle of Don Magnifico, a widower with two vain and cruel daughters, Clorinda and Tisbe. His stepdaughter Angelina, known as Cinderella, lives as a servant and is humiliated by the family, but her kindness and gentleness set her apart. Prince Ramiro, travelling incognito as the valet Dandini, arrives with the real Dandini (disguised as a prince) to seek a bride amongst Magnifico’s daughters. Cinderella immediately falls in love with the ‘valet’ (who is in fact the prince), whilst Alidoro, the prince’s philosopher and tutor, recognises her goodness and decides to help her.

In the second act, during the ball at the palace, Cinderella – thanks to Alidoro’s intervention – appears in all her splendour and wins the prince’s heart. However, she leaves a bracelet behind as a token of recognition. Ramiro, having searched in vain amongst Magnifico’s daughters, finds Cinderella in her humble circumstances and recognises her thanks to the bracelet. Don Magnifico and the stepsisters are humiliated, but Cinderella, true to her kind nature, forgives everyone and celebrates her wedding to the prince. The opera concludes with a hymn to kindness triumphing over envy and hypocrisy, in a choral happy ending full of joy and reconciliation.

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