Classic fairytale meets Italian comedy in this reimagined story of the girl who spends her life sweeping cinders, but dreams of something more. Based on a 17th-century French version of the fairytale, Cinderella was written by Gioachino Rossini when he was just 24 years old. The Student Rehearsal Program introduces middle and high school students to opera by giving them the opportunity to witness firsthand the final rehearsals of Washington National Opera’s main stage productions.
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WASHINGTON NATIONAL OPERA DRESS REHEARSAL GIOACHINO ROSSINI’S Cinderella Libretto by Jacopo Ferretti afterCendrillonbyCharles Perrault Production from Houston Grand OperaConducted by Speranza Scappucci Directed by Joan Font David and Alice Rubenstein are the Presenting Underwriters of WNO. Classic fairytale meets Italian comedy in this reimagined story of the girl who spends her life sweeping cinders, but dreams of something more. If you think you know Cinderella, think again. Major support for WNO is provided by Jacqueline Badger Mars. Cuesheet PERFORMANCE GUIDE
Transcript
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT… n Fairy tales usually have a moral to go along with the
story. What message do you think Rossini and Ferretti were trying to send with their own special take on Cinderella? (Hint: Think about Cenerentola’s song from Acts I and II.)
n In Italian, the name “Alidoro” translates as “wings of gold.” What point do you think the creators were trying to make about Alidoro and his character by giving him this name?
n Cenerentola enters the ball with a veil over her head. Why do you think this is? What do you think is the significance of the many disguises in the opera?
Don Magnifico dreams of wealth, power, and a royal marriage for one of his daughters.
wASHINGTON NATIONAl OperAdress rehearsal
Gioachino rossini’s
CinderellaLibretto by Jacopo Ferretti after Cendrillon by Charles Perrault
Production from Houston Grand Opera Conducted by Speranza ScappucciDirected by Joan Font
David and Alice Rubenstein are the Presenting Underwriters of WNO.
Classic fairytale meets Italian comedy in this
reimagined story of the girl who spends her life
sweeping cinders, but dreams of something more.
If you think you know Cinderella, think again.
Major support for WNO is provided by Jacqueline Badger Mars.
Costume sketChes by Joan Guillén. Photos by brett Coomer/houston Grand oPera
wHAT TO wATCH AND lISTeN FOr… n How Cenerentola is dressed in simple colors, while the
other singers’ costumes are often more shocking and vibrant. What do you think this says about the various characters and their personalities?
n Moments of rapid-fire singing that move up and down the musical scale (a hallmark of bel canto), especially during Cenerentola’s final aria (AHR-ee-uh).
n How the scenes between arias and ensembles sound almost as if they are being spoken—a practice known as “recitative.”
David M. Rubenstein Chairman
Deborah F. Rutter President
Darrell M. Ayers Vice President, Education
Michael L. MaelExecutive Director
Francesca ZambelloArtistic Director
General Dynamics is the proud sponsor of WNO’s 2014-2015 Season.
WNO acknowledges the longstanding generosity of Life Chairman Mrs. Eugene B. Casey.
Generous support for WNO Italian opera is provided by Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello.
The Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program is made possible through the generous support of The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation.
Additional funding for the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program is provided by Judy and Billy Cox.
Events for Students is made possible by Kaplan, Inc.; Mr. James V. Kimsey; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; and the U.S. Department of Education.
Major support for educational programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by David and Alice Rubenstein through the Rubenstein Arts Access Program.
Kennedy Center education and related artistic programming is made possible through the generosity of the National Committee for the Performing Arts and the President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts.
www.kennedy-center.org/artsedge
Cuesheets are produced by ARTSEDGE, an education program of the Kennedy Center.
Learn more about Education at the Kennedy Center at www.kennedy-center.org/education
The contents of this Cuesheet have been developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education and do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education. You should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.
Based on a 17th-century French version of the fairytale, Cinderella (or La Cenerentola in Italian, pronounced lah cheh-neh-REHN-toh-lah) was written by Gioachino Rossini (jyah-KEEN-oh rohss-EE-nee) when he was just 24 years old. The piece included a few recycled tunes by Rossini and some music from another composer. Though Rossini and his librettist, Jacopo Ferretti, used the well-known Cinderella fantasy as their inspiration, the opera features no magic tricks and no supernatural characters.
THe STOryACT ISisters Clorinda (pronounced kloh-REEN-dah) and Tisbe (TEEZ-beh), daughters of Baron Don Magnifico (dohn mag-NEE-fee-koh) admire themselves while their half-sister Angelina (ahn-jeh-LEE-nah), whom they teasingly call “Cenerentola,” because she’s always covered in “ceneri,” or ashes, from the kitchen fire, cleans house.
Alidoro (ah-lee-DOHR-roh), a philosopher and tutor to the kingdom’s prince, arrives at their door. He has mysteriously disguised himself as a beggar, and Clorinda and Tisbe shoo him away. Cenerentola, however, offers him food and drink.
Suddenly, palace messengers arrive announcing the prince is coming to invite Don Magnifico’s daughters to a ball.
ACT IIAfter the ball, Don Magnifico and his daughters daydream about royal life. Meanwhile, Dandini offers Cenerentola his own “royal” hand, but she refuses, announcing she’s in love with his servant. Ramiro bursts in, having overheard her confession, and proposes marriage. Yet before each can discover who the other truly is, Cenerentola presents him with one of two bracelets she has been wearing. If he wishes to marry her, she says, he must discover how she actually lives. Before she leaves, she challenges him to search the kingdom for a woman with a bracelet matching the one she has given him. The prince vows to find her. Alone with Don Magnifico and his daughters, Dandini reveals he is really the prince’s valet and sends a furious Don Magnifico home.
Back at the baron’s house, Cenerentola has changed into her servant’s clothes and dreams of Ramiro while clutching her remaining bracelet. But will Ramiro find her? Will their love be strong enough to overcome their many differences and disguises? If you believe in happily ever after, you might already know the answer.
There, they say, the prince will choose a wife. When Prince Ramiro (rah-MEE-roh) arrives, he too is in disguise, having switched places with his servant Dandini (dahn-DEE-nee) to spy on potential brides. When Ramiro and Cenerentola meet, they fall instantly in love despite his servant’s clothing and her poor appearance. She expresses a desire to go to the ball, but Don Magnifico refuses. Left alone, Cenerentola is comforted by Alidoro, who has returned as his true self. He promises everything will change for her and helps prepare her for the ball.
At the palace, Clorinda and Tisbe compete for the “prince’s” affections, while Don Magnifico is distracted by the luxuries of the royal family. Dandini—still in disguise as the prince—tells the sisters that, while he can only marry one, the other can marry his “servant.” The sisters reject Ramiro (who’s still posing as a valet), and the chaotic scene is interrupted by the arrival of a beautiful veiled woman.
The veiled woman captivates the court by announcing she favors goodness over wealth, and eventually reveals herself as Cenerentola. Everyone is shocked. Magnifico and his daughters convince themselves the woman cannot possibly be the lowly kitchen maid. Ramiro, unsure as to Cenerentola’s identity, is instantly reminded of someone he’s already met.
ABOUT GIOACHINO rOSSINI Born in Italy to musical parents, Gioachino Rossini (1792–1868) worked as a professional musician from age nine. An accomplished
singer and instrumentalist, he turned to composing operas at age 18 and became a contributor to a popular operatic style now known as bel canto (or “beautiful singing,” pronounced bel KAN-toh). His operas showcase the beauty and agility of the human voice and remain in high demand to this day. Rossini’s William Tell and The Barber of Seville can often be heard in movies and on television.
ABOUT wASHINGTON NATIONAl OperAOriginally founded in 1956, Washington National Opera (WNO) ranks as one of today’s largest American opera companies. As an affiliate of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, WNO presents several operas each year at the Kennedy Center Opera House and performs throughout the city, offering training and enrichment programs year-round. In the past decade, WNO has reached worldwide audiences through international broadcasts.
To learn more about opera visitwww.kennedy-center.org/artsedgeand click the tag “opera”
About Rossini’s
Cinderella
MAIN CHArACTerSAngelina/Cenerentola, a housemaid (mezzo-soprano)Don Magnifico, a wealthy baron and Cenerentola’s stepfather (bass)Clorinda (soprano) and Tisbe (mezzo-soprano), his daughters Don Ramiro, a prince (tenor)Alidoro, the prince’s tutor (bass)Dandini, the prince’s valet (baritone)
Based on a 17th-century French version of the fairytale, Cinderella (or La Cenerentola in Italian, pronounced lah cheh-neh-REHN-toh-lah) was written by Gioachino Rossini (jyah-KEEN-oh rohss-EE-nee) when he was just 24 years old. The piece included a few recycled tunes by Rossini and some music from another composer. Though Rossini and his librettist, Jacopo Ferretti, used the well-known Cinderella fantasy as their inspiration, the opera features no magic tricks and no supernatural characters.
THe STOryACT ISisters Clorinda (pronounced kloh-REEN-dah) and Tisbe (TEEZ-beh), daughters of Baron Don Magnifico (dohn mag-NEE-fee-koh) admire themselves while their half-sister Angelina (ahn-jeh-LEE-nah), whom they teasingly call “Cenerentola,” because she’s always covered in “ceneri,” or ashes, from the kitchen fire, cleans house.
Alidoro (ah-lee-DOHR-roh), a philosopher and tutor to the kingdom’s prince, arrives at their door. He has mysteriously disguised himself as a beggar, and Clorinda and Tisbe shoo him away. Cenerentola, however, offers him food and drink.
Suddenly, palace messengers arrive announcing the prince is coming to invite Don Magnifico’s daughters to a ball.
ACT IIAfter the ball, Don Magnifico and his daughters daydream about royal life. Meanwhile, Dandini offers Cenerentola his own “royal” hand, but she refuses, announcing she’s in love with his servant. Ramiro bursts in, having overheard her confession, and proposes marriage. Yet before each can discover who the other truly is, Cenerentola presents him with one of two bracelets she has been wearing. If he wishes to marry her, she says, he must discover how she actually lives. Before she leaves, she challenges him to search the kingdom for a woman with a bracelet matching the one she has given him. The prince vows to find her. Alone with Don Magnifico and his daughters, Dandini reveals he is really the prince’s valet and sends a furious Don Magnifico home.
Back at the baron’s house, Cenerentola has changed into her servant’s clothes and dreams of Ramiro while clutching her remaining bracelet. But will Ramiro find her? Will their love be strong enough to overcome their many differences and disguises? If you believe in happily ever after, you might already know the answer.
There, they say, the prince will choose a wife. When Prince Ramiro (rah-MEE-roh) arrives, he too is in disguise, having switched places with his servant Dandini (dahn-DEE-nee) to spy on potential brides. When Ramiro and Cenerentola meet, they fall instantly in love despite his servant’s clothing and her poor appearance. She expresses a desire to go to the ball, but Don Magnifico refuses. Left alone, Cenerentola is comforted by Alidoro, who has returned as his true self. He promises everything will change for her and helps prepare her for the ball.
At the palace, Clorinda and Tisbe compete for the “prince’s” affections, while Don Magnifico is distracted by the luxuries of the royal family. Dandini—still in disguise as the prince—tells the sisters that, while he can only marry one, the other can marry his “servant.” The sisters reject Ramiro (who’s still posing as a valet), and the chaotic scene is interrupted by the arrival of a beautiful veiled woman.
The veiled woman captivates the court by announcing she favors goodness over wealth, and eventually reveals herself as Cenerentola. Everyone is shocked. Magnifico and his daughters convince themselves the woman cannot possibly be the lowly kitchen maid. Ramiro, unsure as to Cenerentola’s identity, is instantly reminded of someone he’s already met.
ABOUT GIOACHINO rOSSINI Born in Italy to musical parents, Gioachino Rossini (1792–1868) worked as a professional musician from age nine. An accomplished
singer and instrumentalist, he turned to composing operas at age 18 and became a contributor to a popular operatic style now known as bel canto (or “beautiful singing,” pronounced bel KAN-toh). His operas showcase the beauty and agility of the human voice and remain in high demand to this day. Rossini’s William Tell and The Barber of Seville can often be heard in movies and on television.
ABOUT wASHINGTON NATIONAl OperAOriginally founded in 1956, Washington National Opera (WNO) ranks as one of today’s largest American opera companies. As an affiliate of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, WNO presents several operas each year at the Kennedy Center Opera House and performs throughout the city, offering training and enrichment programs year-round. In the past decade, WNO has reached worldwide audiences through international broadcasts.
To learn more about opera visitwww.kennedy-center.org/artsedgeand click the tag “opera”
About Rossini’s
Cinderella
MAIN CHArACTerSAngelina/Cenerentola, a housemaid (mezzo-soprano)Don Magnifico, a wealthy baron and Cenerentola’s stepfather (bass)Clorinda (soprano) and Tisbe (mezzo-soprano), his daughters Don Ramiro, a prince (tenor)Alidoro, the prince’s tutor (bass)Dandini, the prince’s valet (baritone)
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT… n Fairy tales usually have a moral to go along with the
story. What message do you think Rossini and Ferretti were trying to send with their own special take on Cinderella? (Hint: Think about Cenerentola’s song from Acts I and II.)
n In Italian, the name “Alidoro” translates as “wings of gold.” What point do you think the creators were trying to make about Alidoro and his character by giving him this name?
n Cenerentola enters the ball with a veil over her head. Why do you think this is? What do you think is the significance of the many disguises in the opera?
Don Magnifico dreams of wealth, power, and a royal marriage for one of his daughters.
wASHINGTON NATIONAl OperAdress rehearsal
Gioachino rossini’s
CinderellaLibretto by Jacopo Ferretti after Cendrillon by Charles Perrault
Production from Houston Grand Opera Conducted by Speranza ScappucciDirected by Joan Font
David and Alice Rubenstein are the Presenting Underwriters of WNO.
Classic fairytale meets Italian comedy in this
reimagined story of the girl who spends her life
sweeping cinders, but dreams of something more.
If you think you know Cinderella, think again.
Major support for WNO is provided by Jacqueline Badger Mars.
Costume sketChes by Joan Guillén. Photos by brett Coomer/houston Grand oPera
wHAT TO wATCH AND lISTeN FOr… n How Cenerentola is dressed in simple colors, while the
other singers’ costumes are often more shocking and vibrant. What do you think this says about the various characters and their personalities?
n Moments of rapid-fire singing that move up and down the musical scale (a hallmark of bel canto), especially during Cenerentola’s final aria (AHR-ee-uh).
n How the scenes between arias and ensembles sound almost as if they are being spoken—a practice known as “recitative.”
David M. Rubenstein Chairman
Deborah F. Rutter President
Darrell M. Ayers Vice President, Education
Michael L. MaelExecutive Director
Francesca ZambelloArtistic Director
General Dynamics is the proud sponsor of WNO’s 2014-2015 Season.
WNO acknowledges the longstanding generosity of Life Chairman Mrs. Eugene B. Casey.
Generous support for WNO Italian opera is provided by Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello.
The Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program is made possible through the generous support of The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation.
Additional funding for the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program is provided by Judy and Billy Cox.
Events for Students is made possible by Kaplan, Inc.; Mr. James V. Kimsey; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; and the U.S. Department of Education.
Major support for educational programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by David and Alice Rubenstein through the Rubenstein Arts Access Program.
Kennedy Center education and related artistic programming is made possible through the generosity of the National Committee for the Performing Arts and the President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts.
www.kennedy-center.org/artsedge
Cuesheets are produced by ARTSEDGE, an education program of the Kennedy Center.
Learn more about Education at the Kennedy Center at www.kennedy-center.org/education
The contents of this Cuesheet have been developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education and do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education. You should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.
