Cinderella - Student Guide

La Cenerentola La Cenerentola

Student Performance Guide for La Cenerentola by Gioacchino Rossini

SYNOPSIS SYNOPSIS

Act I

While her sisters Clorinda and Tisbe live like princesses,Angelina (whose nick name is Cenerentola or Cinderella) is confined to household drudgery.A hungry beggar appears at their door and Cenerentola alone treats him with kindness.When word arrives that the prince,Don Ramiro, intends to choose his bride at a ball that very evening,the girls’father, Don Magnifico,envisions a glorious future and urges Clorinda and Tisbe to make a good impression.

Don Ramiro is in search of a bride who will love him for himself and not for his wealth and position,so he trades clothes with his valet,Dandini. The disguised Don Ramiro goes to the home of Cenerentola because his tutor Alidoro—who had been the disguised beggar—has informed him that his perfect bride resides there.Ramiro and Cenerentola fall in love at first sight.Ramiro’s valet,Dandini,arrives in rich garments,claiming to be the prince.Ramiro marvels at the shy beauty dressed in rags,but Don Magnifico orders Cenerentola to stay home while the others head off to the ball.Cenerentola is left behind with Alidoro,who consoles her and then escorts her to the ball.

Clorinda and Tisbe fail miserably in their attempt to make a good impression on the disguised Dandini,succeeding only in convincing Ramiro that they are conceited fools.Alidoro arrives at the ball with Cenerentola,whom no one recognizes dressed in an elegant gown.

Act II

At the ball,Dandini (still disguised as the prince) pursues Cenerentola, who finally tells him that she is in love with someone else—his own servant.Overhearing this,Ramiro rushes forward and declares his love. Cenerentola admits that she loves him,but before consenting to be his bride,Ramiro must find out who she really is.She tells him he must find her again and,if he still loves her,she will be his.She gives him a bracelet and says he will know her by the matching bracelet she will be wearing on her right arm.After she leaves,Ramiro,with Alidoro’s encouragement,calls his men together,so that the search can begin.

Dandini finally reveals to Don Magnifico that he has merely been masquerading as the prince.Don Magnifico knows that he will be a laughingstock.

CHARACTERS CHARACTERS

Angelina/Cenerentola

[ahn-djeh-LEE-nah/cheh-neh-REHN-toh-lah] Mezzo-soprano – The kind-hearted,but unhappy stepdaughter of Don Magnifico.

Don Magnifico

[dohn man-YEE-fee-koh] Basso buffo –Stepfather of Cenerentola,father of Clorinda and Thisbe.

C lorinda

[cloh-REEN-dah] Soprano – Mean-hearted stepsister of Cenerentola.

Tisbe

[ TIHS-bee] Mezzo-soprano

The other mean-hearted stepsister of Cenerentola.

Don Ramiro

[dohn rah-MEE-roh] – Tenor – The Prince.

Dandini

[dahn-DEE-nee] – Baritone – The prince’s valet (who spends most of the opera disguised as his boss,Ramiro).

Alidoro

[ah-lee-DOH-roh] – Bass – Philosopher and friend of the Prince.

Back at her house,Cenerentola cannot forget the kind young servant at the palace,but when her family returns, they take out their frustration on her.When Don Ramiro,Dandini,and Alidoro come to the house looking for the owner of the bracelet,Cenerentola realizes that Ramiro is the true prince.Ramiro recognizes her bracelet as the mate to the one given to him at the ball and leads her to his palace.

At her wedding celebration,Cenerentola can scarcely believe her good fortune.She asks her new husband to pardon her family,for no matter how poorly they treated her,she could never be truly happy without the love of her father and stepsisters.Appreciated at last by her family,Cenerentola ascends the throne with Ramiro.

Written by Mark A.Lyons

“ THE STORY - SLIPPER OR BRACELET?”

Cinderella stories can be found in more parts of the world,told in more languages,and in more different ways than any other folktale.* The first Cinderella story was written in China in 850 A.D.Nearly two thousand years ago,a Greek writer told of an Egyptian king who searched for the unknown owner of a beautiful sandal.There are so many ways to tell the tale,yet the basic story stays the same You know how it goes – a beautiful young girl (or sometimes boy) is treated badly by her family.With some magical help,her inner beauty is revealed and she meets a wonderful person who saves her from her miserable life.In the end,she lives happily ever after! In the countless versions of the story there are different terrible jobs or impossible tasks that the girl’s cruel family gives her;there are all sorts of magical people and animals that help her;and there are many surprising ways in which a prince or a king recognizes her true identity.Most people recognize the fairytale by French author Charles Perrault as the “real”Cinderella story,complete with fairy godmother,pumpkin coach, and glass slipper.Walt Disney’s animated movie was based on Perrault’s 1697 Cinderella story called Cendrillon.

The libretto for the opera La Cenerentola is not the same as the story from the Disney story that we heard and saw as children.The libretto for Rossini’s opera is based on CharlesGuillaume Etienne’s libretto for Cendrillon (Cinderella),an opera that had been popular in Paris in 1810.Rossini and Ferretti,however,decided to remove all magic from the tale – thus, no fairy godmother,no pumpkin coach,no horses and footmen made of mice,no midnight chiming bell,and above all,no glass slipper.Instead,it is the Prince’s friend and tutor,Alidoro, who manipulates the plot so that Angelina (Cenerentola) herself wins the Prince,and instead of a magic glass slipper,there is a real pair of bracelets.

Leaving the ball,dressed like a princess,Cenerentola gives the prince one of her bracelets, saying “you’ll recognize me when you find its companion.On that day if you still love me,I’m yours forever.”And with that,she disappears.The search is on!

* Sierra,Judy. The Oryx Multicultural Folktale Series:Cinderella. The Oryx Press 1992.

WHAT IN THE WORLD WAS GOING ON WHEN

James Monroe was inaugurated as the fifth President of the United States.

Chile was liberated from Spain.

The Seminole War began over the Georgia/Florida border.

The University of M ichigan was founded at Ann Arbor.

M ississippi was admitted to the Union as the 20th state. Harvard Law School was established at Cambridge.

Lithium and selenium were discovered.

Baba Yaga and Vasilisa the Brave Russian Cinderella folktale The Turkey Girl Zuni Cinderella Story

The Way Meat Loves Salt Jewish Cinderella Tale

Jouanah - A Hmong Cinderella Southeast Asia folktale

Little Gold Star Spanish American Cinderella Tale

Born 29 Feb 1792

Died 13 Nov 1868

GIOACCHINO ROSSINI THE COMPOSER

“Give me a laundry list and I’ll set it to music!”claimed Rossini,the operatic innovator.He was responsible for changing the style of Italian opera by focusing on melody in his operas and writing music to show off singers’voices.He mesmerized his audiences with wonderful,memorable tunes that were the rage of Europe.Rossini was a great entertainer and there is humor in much of his work.He was notoriously lazy,fond of women and of food.‘What do you expect,’he asked when his habits were criticized,‘of one born on leap day?’

Rossini was born in Pesaro,Italy.His mother was a singer and his father was the town crier.Already an accomplished musician at the age of 15,Rossini entered the Bologna Conservatoire to study composition.Rossini was well aware of his own talents,and was not a very serious student.When his teacher reassured him that he had enough musical knowledge to compose operas,Rossini was glad to leave the Conservatoire and work on his own.His first opera was produced in 1810 when Rossini was 18 years old.It was met with immediate success and many opera commissions followed. Rossini is probably best known for his opera, Il Barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville), which premiered in 1816. La Cenerentola was written the next year.Rossini refused to write La Cenerentola unless all the supernatural elements were removed from the story.They would have required stage machinery,and he was wise enough to know that the machinery often failed,to the detriment of the performance.Rossini is said to have composed La Cenerentola in only 24 days! It premiered in Rome at the Valle Theatre on January 25th, 1817,when Rossini was only 25 years old.

Everyone was nervous on opening night.The singers were exhausted and in poor voice,and the performance was not well received.In spite of the criticism,Rossini was optimistic saying,“Fools! Before Carnival ends,everyone will be enamored of it.Within two years it will please France and be considered a marvel in England.”Rossini’s predictions proved to be correct — by mid-February, La Cenerentola had been performed twenty times.Three years later Rossini’s work reached London,and by 1825 it was first performed in New York. La Cenerentola was Rossini’s last Italian comic opera. Rossini composed an amazing thirty-nine operas by the age of thirty-seven.Challenged by legal battles,poor health, and a changing musical climate,he retired from the world of opera.Although Rossini did produce some sacred music and a few cantatas in the last forty years of his life,he never composed another opera.Instead,with a passion for gourmet cooking,Rossini spent his retirement holding extravagant and prized salon gatherings in his Parisian home. The prolific composer died from a heart attack on Friday the 13th,November 1868.

JACOPO FERRETTI’S LIBRETTO

One year after the premiere of Il Barbiere de Siviglia,Rossini was commissioned by the Teatro Valle in Rome and given a tentative deadline of December 26,1816 to write a new opera.By December 23 there was still no libretto,so Rossini met with librettist Jacopo Ferretti to discuss ideas for the new opera that evening.Several years later,Ferretti wrote an account of the meeting.As Rossini and Ferretti drank tea,Ferretti proposed more than twenty subjects,but Rossini rejected each claiming they were too serious,complicated,expensive,or not suitable for the cast,which had already been hired. Rossini had already gone to bed when Ferretti murmured “Cinderella.”Rossini stirred at the mention and asked, “Would you have the courage to write me a Cinderella?”Ferretti responded,“Would you have the courage to set it to music?”Rossini asked how quickly he could have an outline,and Ferretti told him by the next morning if he went without sleep.Rossini said “Good night”and fell asleep immediately.Ferretti went home and,as promised, had an outline by the following morning.

La CenerentolaPREMI ERED IN 1817?

Walter Scott wrote “Rob Roy” .

Hereford cattle were imported into the U.S.and raised in Virginia.

Allied occupation troops left France after three years of peacekeeping in the wake of the Napoleonic wars.

The construction of the Erie Canal began between Buffalo and Albany,New York.

.

Ludwig van Beethoven composed Symphony No.6 “Pastoral”

Operas are divided into acts and scenes,which contain different types of vocal pieces for one of more singers.An aria is a vocal solo that focuses on a character’s emotions rather than actions.For example,when Don Magnifico, Cenerentola’s stepfather,anticipates the marriage of one of his daughters to the Prince,he sings an aria,which describes how he will benefit from the new, powerful position and wealth that will accrue to him as the father of a Princess. A recitative is a sung dialogue or speech that occurs between the arias or ensembles.Recitative moves the action forward.

THE ENSEMBLE THE MUSIC

Ensemble occurs when two or more characters sing together, but often with conflicting emotions.When Cenerentola and Don Ramiro first meet each other and fall in love,they express their feelings in a duet. Rossini manages to write for six people simultaneously in a vocal sextet In the second scene of the second act,Dandini,the Prince,Don Magnifico, Cenerentola,Clorinda,and Tisbe all sing together as they express their surprise at the true identity of Dandini and Prince Ramiro. This sextet is remarkable for the detached notes and slow,measured pace of the music that gives one the feeling of surprise and confusion.

Left:Costume design for Clorinda,Act I

Below:Costume design forTisbe,Act I

Cenerentola at work

Don Magnifico

The driver of Cenerentola's "coach”

Cenerentola at the ball

THE CHORUS

The chorus is a group of singers (called choristers) who,in La Cenerentola,portray courtiers, attendants at the royal court and wedding guests.In Act II,scene three,the chorus joins in cheering Cenerentola on as she sings of forgiveness and reconciliation.The chorus is also used to announce the arrival of the Prince in Act I.Though they sing together,directors encourage choristers to act as individuals.Even as they portray someone anonymous,each member of the chorus must invent a real character for her or himself.In that way,they can become a more authentic part of each scene.

OPERA TERMS

Aria (AH-ree-ah) (Italian) — An extended musical piece performed by one singer.Often very lyrical,it is accompanied by the orchestra,and conveys the emotions of the character.The action usually stops while an aria is sung.

Baritone — The middle male voice.

Bass — (pronounced like “base”as in baseball) The lowest male voice.

Bel Canto (Italian) — Literally,“beautiful singing”or “beautiful song”.Bel canto passages are long,smooth and lyrical.While beautiful singing should occur in all operas,it is especially important in works of the nineteenth century such as La Cenerentola.

Bravo (Italian) — Literally “brave,courageous”.A form of applause when shouted by members of the audience at the end of an especially pleasing performance.Strictly speaking,bravo is for a single man,brava for a woman, and bravi for a group of performers.

Coloratura (kuh-lo-ra-TOOR-uh) (Italian) — Elaborate decoration of a vocal melody with cadenzas,roulades and trills.Also used to describe a voice type.

Composer — The one who writes the music and orchestrates it.

Contralto — The lowest female voice.

Diva (Italian) — Literally “goddess”,it refers to an important female opera star.The masculine form is divo.

Dress Rehearsal — The final rehearsal,using all of the costumes,lights,etc.While sometimes it is necessary to stop for corrections,an attempt is made to make it as much like a final performance as possible.

Ensemble— Any extended musical passage performed by multiple players,usually singing simultaneously,but often with different words and different musical lines. Many ensembles consist of combinations of solos, duets,etc.rather than all singing together throughout.

Libretto (lih-BREHT-toh) —The text of the opera.It

means “little book”in Italian.A librettist,who is usually a poet or a playwright,writes the libretto.

Mark — To sing softly or not at full voice.A full-length opera is demanding on a singer’s voice and stamina,so many mark during rehearsals.During dress rehearsals singers try to sing at full voice for at least some of the time.

Mezzo Soprano — The middle female voice.

Opera — a story told through song.An opera is a combination of art forms including language,music,art, drama,and dance.Like a play,an opera is acted on a stage with costumes,wigs,scenery and sometimes dancers.An orchestra accompanies the singers.

Opera buffa (OH-peh-rah BOOF-fah)(Italian) — An opera about ordinary people,usually,but not always comic,which first developed in the eighteenth century.

Opera seria (OH-peh-rah SEH-ree-ah)(Italian) A “serious”opera.The usual characters are gods and goddesses,or ancient heroes.Rossini was one of the last to write true opera seria.

Recitative (reh-cheh-tah-TEEV) (Italian) — Lines of dialogue that are sung,but usually with no recognizable melody;the singing has a rhythm more like normal speech than that of an aria.Recitative is used to advance the plot between numbers.It was originally accompanied by harpsichord and later by full orchestra.

Soprano — The highest female voice.

Supernumerary — An “extra” , someone who is part of a group on stage but doesn’t sing.They act,but don’t sing during large crowd scenes,handle props,and sometimes dance.This is the only chance for nonsingers to participate in an opera production.The term supernumerary is often shortened to super.

Surtitles — Translations of the words being sung which appear on a screen above the stage.

Tenor — The highest natural male voice.

W hat kind of opera is this?

Rossini was a bel canto composer. Bel canto means,literally,“beautiful singing.”It is a term used to describe all singing,but in particular the lyrical,expressive and impressive qualities that Italian opera singers use to wow audiences.Bel canto operas grew from a style of singing emphasizing long phrases,breath control and flexibility in singing both loudly and softly. La Cenerentola includes soaring arias full of light-hearted coloratura that have made Italian bel canto opera famous. Coloratura is a term that describes a vocalist who can sing with elaborate ornamentation including improvised or written-out running passages and trills.Coloratura singers are the gymnasts of the opera world; they are capable of performing many fast-moving notes with ease. La Cenerentola is not frequently performed for one reason:the rarity of the coloratura mezzo-soprano to play the character of Angelina – a low female voice with phenomenal agility for runs,trills,and other thrilling effects.

There are many types of Italian operas,such as Opera Buffa (comic opera) and Opera Seria (“serious opera”which deals with classical or mythological subjects).Opera is frequently referred to as grand opera because it presents epic,often historic,stories with dramatic visual effects. La Cenerentola is classified as an opera buffa,even though it does not fit the traditional Italian idea of opera buffa, which stresses lively entertainment,quick and effective characterizations,tuneful arias,and animated ensembles.Rossini did use many of the devices seen in traditional opera buffa such as comic characters like Don Magnifico and Dandini,but the nature of the libretto is more sympathetic to the character of Cenerentola.The main objective of the opera is not only to make the audience laugh,but to make the audience feel the sadness that Cenerentola experiences as a lowly servant.In addition,it celebrates the triumph of goodness and happy endings.In fact,Rossini gave the opera a secondary title of La Bonta in Trionfo (Goodness Triumphant). In La Cenerentola, all ends happily with Cinderella’s show-stopping aria “Non più mesta”in the best fairy tale and bel canto tradition.

Don Magnifico sings with the Chorus

W hat will I see?

You will see a full dress rehearsal of Rossini’s opera, La Cenerentola in the Kennedy Center Opera House The dress rehearsal is the final run-through of an opera before it opens to the public.The characters will be in full costume and makeup,the opera will be fully staged,and a full orchestra will accompany the singers.Because it is so close to opening night,the dress rehearsal is often a run through,but there is a chance that the director or conductor may ask to repeat a scene or two for good measure.Please note:the dress rehearsal is the last opportunity the singers will have on stage to work with the orchestra before opening night. Since vocal demands are so great on opera singers,some singers may choose to mark, or not sing in full voice during the dress rehearsal in order to preserve their vocal chords and avoid unnecessary strain.The rehearsal will be sung in Italian with English surtitles projected above the stage.

What do I wear? And other stuff

The following list will help you enjoy the experience of a night at the opera:

Dress in what’s comfortable whether it’s jeans or a suit.“Fun casual”is usually what people wear - unless it’s opening night,which is usually dressier.A night at the opera can be an opportunity to get dressed in formal attire.

Arrive on time.Latecomers will be seated only at suitable breaks- often not until intermission.

Please respect other patrons’enjoyment by turning off cell phones,pagers,watch alarms and other electronic devices. The overture or prelude marks the beginning of the performance and introduces the audience to the upcoming themes in the opera.It used to be a signal to the audience that this was their final chance to flirt,drink,play cards,and cavort noisily before the performance began.The final crescendo in the overture is to get the audience’s attention and announce it’s time to sit down,be quiet,and enjoy the show.

Feel free to applaud (or shout BRAVO!) at the end of an aria or chorus piece to signify your enjoyment.The end of a piece can be identified by a pause in the music.Singers love an appreciative audience!

Go ahead and laugh when something is funny!

Tak ing photos or making audio or video recordings during a performance is not allowed. Do not chew gum,eat,drink,or talk.Let the action on stage surround you.As an audience member,you are a very important part of the process that is taking place.Without you there is no show!

Read the English surtitles projected above the stage.Most operas are not sung in English. (La Cenerentola is sung in Italian).Use the surtitles to understand the story.

Listen for subtleties in the music.The tempo,volume,and complexity of the music and singing often depict the feelings or actions of the characters.Also,notice repeated words or phrases;they are usually significant.

Have fun and enjoy the show!!

Costume for Cenerentola at work,Act I

Costume for Cenerentola at the ball,Act I

EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMS OF THE WASHINGTON NATIONAL OPERA

ARE MADE POSSIBLE BY THE GENEROUS SUPPORT OF THESE FUNDERS:

as of February 27, 2004

$50,000 and above

Mr. and Mrs. John Pohanka

National Endowment for the Arts

$25,000 and above

Bank of America Foundation

Chevy Chase Bank

Fannie Mae Foundation

Hilda Ochoa-Brillembourg

$10,000 and above

Anonymous

The Estate of Myra Younker

The Washington Post Company

$5,000 and above

International Humanities Inc.

The TJX Foundation

Hattie M. Strong Foundation

The Women's Committee of The Washington Opera

$2,500 and above

Mr. Walter Arnheim

The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation Target Stores

The K.P. and Phoebe Tsolainos Foundation

$1,000 and above

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas L. Arthur

Eckerd Corporation Foundation

Paul and Annetta Himmelfarb Foundation

Horwitz Family Fund