“Cinderella” as you have never seen it before: opera “La Cenerentola” arrives in Peru

Few stories are as well known in the world as “Cinderella.” Charles Perrault’s immortal tale of the young woman mistreated by her family who meets a prince and, with him, a way to escape from enslaving servitude, is presented in Peru in a unique way. This is “La Cenerentola”, an opera with music by the Italian master Gioachino Rossini and libretto by Jacopo Ferretti, which is presented this month at the Teatro Municipal de Lima.

The story goes that, in an antagonistic way, both Rossini and Ferretti challenged each other to compose their corresponding works to give fruit to “La Cenerentola”. Each required only a few days to polish their art to its maximum. What followed was history, as this opera became the most popular in Italy, surpassing the composer’s previous work, “The Barber of Seville.”

The version of this work that is presented in Peru is produced by the Rossini Opera Festival (ROF) from Italy, the largest opera festival in the world. Maestro Matteo Anselmi conducts, Andrea Foti conducts the orchestra, Lorenzo Mazzoleni is in charge of the set design. The cast includes mezzo-soprano Chiara Tirotta, who plays Cenerentola, while tenor Pietro Adaíni plays Don Ramiro, the prince.

Although the opera was originally performed in 1817, the costumes have been crafted to fit those in style at the beginning of the 20th century. In this variation of Cinderella, the stepmother does not exist. On the other hand, there is a stepfather, Don Magnífico. And in the absence of Fairy Godmother there is Alidoro, philosopher and tutor of Prince Ramiro. Likewise, Cinderella is discovered not by her glass slipper, but by her bracelet.

The Rossini Opera Festival (ROF) annually every August in Pesaro (Italy), the composer’s homeland. The objective of the event is to study the musician’s musical heritage, as well as revive and perform his pieces. It is currently directed by the Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Flórez.