La Cenerentola – Rossini Opera
Rossini’s italian comic opera, Cenerentola (Cinderella)
Cenerentola (Cinderella), an Italian comic opera, opera buffa, by Gioacchino Rossini: La Cenerentola plot summary, character list, and other Cinderella opera information.
Gioacchino Rossini’s Italian Opera La Cenerentola (Cinderella)
Composed:1816-17
First Performance:January 25, 1817, Teatro Valle, Rome (Italy)
Libretto:Giacomo (Jacapo) Ferretti, based on Charles Perrault’s Cendrillon
Setting:Salerno (Italy)
Drama giocoso per musica, Comic opera in 2 acts
The Main Characters in La Cenerentola (Cinderella)
- Angiolina (La Cenerentola), Cinderella, stepdaughter of Don Magnifico (mezzo-soprano)
- Don Ramiro, Prince of Salerno (tenor)
- Dandini, prince’s valet (bass)
- Don Magnifico, a baron and Cenerentola’s stepfather (bass)
- Clorinda, daughter of Don Magnifico (soprano)
- Tisbe, daughter of Don Magnifico (mezzo-soprano)
- Alidoro, a philosopher (bass)
Basic Plot Summary of Rossini’s opera La Cenerentola (Cinderella)
Act I:
Angiolina (also known as Cenerentola) talks of a tale of a King who choses a bride based upon her goodness and simpleness. Clorinda and Tisbe (her stepsisters) make fun of Cenerentola. Alidoro, prince Ramiro's tutor and philosopher, comes to the door. He is disguised as a beggar. Cenerentola gives him breakfast. This angers the sisters, who are abusive to Alidoro. News is that Prince Ramiro is to choose a bride at a ball. He will pick the most beautiful woman to be his wife. The sisters order Cenerentola to prepare their gowns. Clorinda and Tisbe awaken their father, Don Magnifico, to tell him the good news. Don Magnifico has had a dream. He interprets his dream that his daughters will become queens. Prince Ramiro, in disguise as his valet, arrives. He sees Cenerentola, and they instantly fall in love. Ramiro's servant, Dandini, then arrives and is introduced as the Prince. The sisters court Dandini, thinking he to be the prince. Cenerentola pleads with her stepfather to let her go to the ball, but he insists that she remain at home. Alidoro invites Cenerentola to the ball and helps her find a gown and jewels to wear. Clorinda and Tisbe fight over Dandini at the ball. Dandini tells Ramiro that the two girls are too vain. Alidoro brings Cenerentola to the ball, and everyone is take by this "mysterious woman's" beauty. The sisters and Don Magnifico notice her resemblance to their Cenerentola.
Act II:
Prince Dandini declares his love for Cenerentola, but she rejects him and says that she is in love with the prince's valet. Ramiro, who is taken aback by Cenerentola's rejection of "prince Dandini," instantly takes off his disguise and declares his love for her. She gives Ramiro a bracelet (one of a pair that she is wearing) and tells him that he must figure out who she is in order to marry her. Don Magnifico begs Dandini to take one of his daughters, but Dandini admits that he is only the prince's valet. Later, the sisters return home to find Cenerentola sweeping. The stepsisters mock her for looking similar to the the lady that the prince picked. Alidoro arranges for the prince's carriage to break down in front of the house. Ramiro recognizes Cenerentola by the bracelet on her arm. Ramiro declares his love for her. The stepsisters and Don Magnifico begin to insult Cenerentola. Alidoro tells them that they should seek the mercy of Cenerentola. Don Magnifico and sisters ask for forgiveness, and Cenerentola publicly forgives them all, as their lives and fortunes have all changed for the better.
If you like La Cenerentola, here are some other operas written by Rossini:
- Tancredi
- L’italiana in Algeri (The Italian Girl in Algiers)
- Il turco in Italia (The Turk in Italy)
- Il barbiere di siviglia (The Barber of Seville)
- La Cenerentola (Cinderella)
- Le Comte Ory (Count Ory)
- Guillaume Tell (William Tell)
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