La Cenerentola

About

The National Theatre Chorus and Orchestra

The opera’s libretto is based on Charles Perrault’s fairy tale Cendrillon, first published in 1697 within the collection Les Contes de ma Mère l'Oye. One of the most frequently performed works of Gioachino Rossini, a true master of the bel canto style, La Cenerentola premiered on 25 January 1817 at the Teatro Valle in Rome. Just like the other creators inspired by Perrault’s fable, Rossini interpreted the story of Cinderella in his own way, presenting a broad scale of situations, ranging from the moving to the comical, as well as rewarding types of characters and splendid musical numbers, one of the most famous being Cinderella’s aria “Nacqui all'affanno… Non più mesta”, a staple of many a world-renowned diva.

Our production, a singular and intriguing adaptation, was staged by the acclaimed Hungarian director and actor Enikő Eszenyi, who had previously created in Prague well-received productions of Shakespeare plays for the Estates Theatre (The Comedy of Errors, Much Ado About Nothing and A Midsummer Night’s Dream). She also acted in Robert Wilson’s 1914. The music was prepared by the young Czech conductor and composer Jan Kučera.