La Cenerentola

The libretto was written by Jacopo Ferretti, based on the fairy tale Cinderella. The opera was first performed in Rome's Teatro Valle on 25 January 1817.
Rossini composed La Cenerentola when he was 25 years old, following the success of The Barber of Seville the year before.

La Cenerentola, which he completed in a period of three weeks, is considered to have some of his finest writing for solo voice and ensembles. Rossini saved some time by reusing an overture from La gazzetta and part of an aria from The Barber of Seville and by enlisting a collaborator, Luca Agolini, who wrote the secco recitatives and three numbers (Alidoro's "Vasto teatro e il mondo", Clorida's "Sventurata!" and the chorus "Ah, della bella incognita.") The facsimile edition of the autograph has a different aria for Alidoro, "Fa silencio; odi un rumore"; this seems to have been added by an anonymous hand for a 1818 production.

For a 1820 revival in Rome Rossini wrote a bravura replacement, "La del ciel nel l'arcanno profondo". The light, energetic overture has been in the standard repertoire since its premiere as La Cenerentola.


Performance history
At the first performance, the opera was received with hostility, but it soon became popular throughout Italy and beyond; it reached Lisbon in 1819, London in 1820 and New York in 1826.Through most of the 19th century, its popularity rivalled that of the Barber, but as the coloratura contralto, for which the role was originally written, became rare it fell slowly out of the repertoire.
However, from the 1960s onward, as Rossini enjoyed a renaissance, a new generation of Rossini mezzo-sopranos and contraltos such as Agnes Baltsa, Cecilia Bartoli, Teresa Berganza, Bernadette Cullen, Joyce DiDonato, Vivica Genaux, Marilyn Horne, Della Jones, Patricia Kern, Kathleen Kuhlmann, Jennifer Larmore, Susanne Marsee, Ann Murray, Ewa Podleś, Lucia Valentini Terrani, and Frederica von Stade ensured the renewed popularity of the work.
There are changes from the traditional fairy tale in La Cenerentola because Rossini opted for having a non-magical resolution to the story (unlike the original source), due to obvious limitations in the "special effects" available.
There are a number of recordings of the opera, and, as a staple of the standard operatic repertoire, it appears as number eleven on Opera America's list of the 20 most-performed operas in North America.
Roles

Synopsis
In this variation of the traditional Cinderella story, the wicked stepmother is replaced by a stepfather, Don Magnifico. The Fairy Godmother is replaced by Alidoro, a philosopher and the Prince's tutor.

Cinderella is identified not by her glass slipper but by her bracelet.
Time: Late 18th century – early 19th century
Place: Italy

Act 1
Angelina ("Cenerentola") is forced to work as the maid in the run-down house of her stepfather Don Magnifico. While his two daughters, Clorinda and Tisbe, try on their gowns and jewelry, Cenerentola sings a ballad about a king who found his wife among common folk.

Clorinda and Tisbe want to send him away, but Cenerentola offers him bread and coffee. Prince Ramiro arrives, disguised as his own valet in order to observe the women without them knowing.He is immediately struck with admiration for Cenerentola and she for him. Don Magnifico enters and Ramiro tells him the Prince will arrive shortly.

The stepsisters arrive and fawn over Dandini, who invites them to a ball at the royal country palace. His tutor, Alidoro, who had been at the house earlier disguised as the beggar, arrives still wearing his rags and asks for Don Magnifico's third daughter.

Magnifico denies she is still alive, but when Alidoro is left alone with Cenerentola, he tells her that she will accompany him to the ball. He throws off his beggar's clothes and identifies himself as a member of Prince Ramiro's court, telling her that heaven will reward her pure heart.
The stepsisters and Don Magnifico arrive at Prince Ramiro's palace with Dandini, still posing as the prince.Dandini offers Magnifico a tour of the wine cellar, hoping to get him drunk. He then disentangles himself from the family and tells Ramiro how stupid the two sisters are.

All sense something familiar about her and feel they are in a dream but on the verge of being awakened with a shock.
Act 2
Don Magnifico, Clorinda, and Tisbe are in a room of Ramiro's palace. Magnifico frets over the unknown woman who threatens the chance for one of his daughters to marry Prince Ramiro.

He conceals himself as Dandini arrives with Cenerentola and tries to court her. Magnifico becomes highly indignant, and Dandini orders him out of the palace.
At Magnifico's house, Cenerentola, once again dressed in rags, is tending the fire and singing her ballad.As Cenerentola leaves with her prince, Alidoro thanks heaven for the happy outcome.
In the throne room of Ramiro's palace, Magnifico tries to curry favour with his stepdaughter, the new princess, but she only wants to be acknowledged as his daughter.