Pleasure to hear Cinderella

“La Cenerentola” (opera DVD Review), Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868), Houston Grand Opera, 1995.

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This saucy comic opera was filmed at Wortham Center Auditorium in 1995.

It is as good a production as if it had been presented on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera in New York. Texans can be proud of this one.

The story of Cinderella has been told for thousands of years, and Rossini’s take on it leaves out none of the essentials.

Angelina, known as Cinderella, works as a housekeeper and maid in the dwelling of Don Magnifico, whose stepdaughter she is.

Her stepsisters tease, bully and abuse her, and her stepfather treats her the way some people treat, well, a stepchild.

One day the Prince arrives, disguised as the valet of Dandini, who is, in fact, the Prince’s valet. Dandini masquerades as the Prince, and the stepdaughters play up to the fake Prince while Angelina falls in love with the real one.

Later, at the castle, Cinderella/Angelina makes a grand entrance, all cleaned up now, dressed in finery, her hair and makeup perfect.

The astounded stepsisters and stepfather think they recognize her but are not quite sure. Angelina leaves, after captivating everyone, challenging the Prince to find her.

He does, of course, and selects her for his wife, much to the surprise and chagrin of the rest of the family.

Cecilia Bartoli stars as Cinderella, and the role is perfect for her coloratura mezzo-soprano voice. She belts out one aria after another, full of trills and tremolos, and doesn’t miss a note.

For a most agreeable change, she is restrained in her facial expressions, and it not only is a pleasure to listen to her but to see her as well.

Her final two arias at the end of Act II are show pieces for her spectacular vocal control and for the beauty of her voice.

Enzo Dara is hilarious as Don Magnifico, and Laura Knoop and Jill Grove are caricatures of the stepsisters, playing the roles for both pathos and laughter. Dandini (Alessandro Corbelli) plays a foppish make-believe Prince, while the real Prince, Don Ramiro, played by Raúl Giménez, is handsome and desirable.

Notable and amazing are the 18th century settings, the marvelous sets, one of which moves in a circular motion, and some really witty costumes.

The wigs are stylized, and in one scene a whole chorus of men wears black-framed glasses and large artificial noses.

The Houston Symphony (music director: Christoph Eschenbach) was conducted by Bruno Campanella and excelled in the overture as well as the rest of this longish but never boring operatic performance.

Brian Large, who has videotaped many great performances in many grand opera houses, was the video director for this performance.

The audience didn’t want to let the performers go and called them back for one after another curtain call.

Dr. Melvyn H. Schreiber is a physician at the University of Texas Medical Branch.