CENERENTOLA, LA, OSSIA LA BONTA IN TRIONFO
(Cinderella, or The Triumph of Virtue)

Melodramma giocoso in two acts by Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868), to a libretto by Jacopo Ferretti. First performance: Rome, Teatro Valle, 25 January 1817.

The residence of Baron Don Magnifico (buffo bass) is home to Angelina (contralto), nicknamed Cenerentola (Cinderella). The Baron who is Cinderella's stepfather, also has two spoilt daughters of his own, Clorinda (soprano) and Tisbe (mezzo-soprano). They all treat Cinderella like a servant and humiliate her in every imaginable way. She herself has a gentle heart and gives help to a beggar (bass) who is actually Alidoro, court philosopher to Prince Ramiro, while her step-sisters throw him out of the house. Meanwhile, a group of gentlemen-in-waiting have issued a proclamation that Prince Ramiro (tenor) will be holding a reception for the purpose of choosing a bride from the ladies he invites to attend. Part of the preparations involves the Prince himself dressing up as his manservant Dandini (baritone) and Dandini disguised as the Prince calling on the young ladies at their homes first. The Prince admires the grace of Cinderella and immediately falls in love with her. But because the step-sisters are jealous ofher, Cinderella is left behind at home. During the ball at the royal palace, a beautiful and mysterious young woman appears. It is actually Cinderella, wearing a splendid dress which Alidoro had given her. All the guests admire her and cannot help noticing how like Don Magnitico's stepdaughter she is. Cinderella rejects the advances of the impostor Prince, Dandini in disguise, and tells him she is in love with his manservant, in reality the Prince himself. Ramiro is secretly overjoyed. Meanwhile, Dandini has confided in Don Magnifico that he is not really the Prince, and the Baron angrily leaves, taking Tisbe and Clorinda with him. Cinderella has managed to return home before them and, having taken off her beautiful dress, is busy doing the housework. Prince Ramiro arrives, introduces himself, and asks for Cinderella's hand in marriage. The scene changes to the throne-room inside the palace, where dignitaries are paying their respects to Cinderella and the Prince. Her step-father and step-sisters are part ofthis gathering, and Cinderella once again displays her goodness of heart by forgiving them for all the wrongs she had suffered at their hands.

Ferretti's libretto, taken from Perrault's tale, lacks the fantasy elements of the original, because the librettist believed that fairy-tale subjects would not have seemed very credible on the stage. The premiere was not a success,but by the second evening of the run, the response to it was more than positive. To this day, La Cenerentola shows extraordinary vitality, and its sparkling characters, like Cinderella herself, further enhance a work already strong in expressive qualities. However, the compactness and balance of the opera are flawed by the difference in the quality of the music between the first act and the second, which is not as good.