Both Abbado’s audio recording (DG) and
this near contemporaneous film version
were based on the performances at La
Scala in 1973. They were among the first
to use Alberto Zedda’s critical edition
of La Cenerentola made for the Rossini
Foundation in Pesaro.
Zedda’s edition has
greatly helped to establish La Cenerentola
in becoming second only to Il Barbiere
in terms of popularity among Rossini’s
operas. Prior to that edition there
was some confusion as to which of the
music was by Rossini and which was the
work of others. This confusion arose
because of the circumstances Rossini
found himself in on his arrival in Rome
to fulfil a commission for the carnival
season. The libretto awaiting him on
his arrival in Rome, by Giocomo Ferretti,
had not found favour with the ecclesiastical
censors who insisted on so many changes
that the composer ditched his original
plan and, with it, Ferretti’s libretto.
With less than a month
to go before the scheduled first night
Rossini asked Ferretti to supply a new
libretto. Under the pressure of time
both composer and librettist had to
make compromises. Rossini borrowed the
overture from his own La gazzetta written
for Naples a mere five months earlier.
He also employed a local musician, Luca
Angolini, to assist him by composing
all the secco recitatives as well as
other pieces that are now omitted in
performance and recordings, being replaced
by music that Rossini himself wrote
for a revival of the work in Rome in
1820. These additions replace the music
provided by Angolini and constitute
the basis of Zedda’s critical edition.
The version on this
DVD uses the basic sets, plan and scena
from the La Scala production together
with some filmed sequences to give added
atmosphere. During the overture the
viewer is introduced to La Scala, the
statues of famous Italian opera composers
including Verdi as well as Rossini in
the foyer, and into the empty, but resplendent
auditorium (Ch 1). The statue of Rossini
appears again as whiskered Alidoro becomes
a clean-shaven Rossini inviting Cenerentola
to the ball in the aria La del ciel
nell’arcano profondo (Ch.16). The
effect is also heightened with Alidoro
cum Rossini having a diffuse glow around
him. Of course Alidoro, although designated
as the Prince’s tutor and mentor in
the opera, is the fairy godmother replacement
of the story we know. The visual effect
of this scene is to enhance the magic
of Alidoro’s arrangement to get Cenerentola
to the ball and give credence to his
seeing the future for Prince Romiro,
and indeed the rest of Magnifico’s family.
The first scene set
of Don Magnifico’s house, or decrepit
palace, is well thought out with the
front as a painted curtain which rolls
up to reveal the downstairs kitchen
with Cenerentola by the stove and Magnifico
in his bedroom. Frederica Von Stade
sings a plaintive and pliant Una
volta as Clorinda and Tisbe tart
themselves up in front of the mirror
(Chs. 2-3). Von Stade’s singing throughout
is wide ranging in its colour palette
and range of vocal expression. There
is a slight edge to her tone as there
is in Francisco Araiza’s Romiro that
gives strength to their interpretations.
I doubt there is a better looking pair
of lovers in the other versions of this
work currently available on DVD. She
looks particularly lovely as she arrives
at the ball (Ch.21).
Of course, before the
ball there is much interplay, particularly
between Romiro and Dandini who change
places whilst the prince assesses the
true feelings of the young females of
the house. As Dandini, Claudio Desderi
is a little dry toned but his acting
and speed of patter make a consummate
portrayal with the filming making the
most of close-ups of the various facial
expressions he adopts as ‘prince’ and
valet. There is no better scene than
that between Dandini and the Magnifico
of Paolo Montarsolo, as the former reveals
his true identity in Un segreto importanza
(Ch. 29). The camera makes the most
of Desderi’s rolling eyes and Montarsolo’s
India rubber face as the truth of the
deception dawn on him. Earlier Montarsolo
had been brilliant as, woken from his
dream, he rants on in the cavatina Mei
rampolli femmini (Ch.6) as Clorinda
and Tisbe give excitable vent to their
feelings about the forthcoming arrival
of the prince. There is also a nice
production touch when in the wine cellar
Magnifico is raised on a barrel and
marched out past the bust of Rossini
(Ch.18). Paolo Montarsolo is a brilliant
singing actor and his characterisation
of Magnifico, vocally and in acting,
is as important a contribution to this
film as the handsome appearance of the
two lovers. The sisters Clorinda and
Tisbe, Margherita Guglielmi and Laura
Zannini, act well and sing securely
and never let their characterisation
descend to slapstick. Behind so much
of the goings-on is Alidoro, portrayed
here by Paul Plishka with secure vocal
tone and imposing stage presence.
The finale when Cenerentola
first forgives those who have wronged
her in Sposa….Signore perdona
(my revenge will be to forgive them,
Ch. 38)) and then embarks on her solo
Nacqui all’affanto (I was born to pain
and tears. Ch. 39) is a vocal tour de
force from Von Stade. Throughout, the
vocal strengths of this near ideal cast
are complemented by Claudio Abbado’s
interpretation and the support of his
singers. In the parallel Unitel film
of Il Barbiere del Siviglia I found
him rather rigid, even cold, in his
interpretation (review).
Eight years later, he seems to have
got to grips with Rossini brio in rather
the same way that Verdian cantilena
always came so naturally to him.
A film such as this
has the advantages of no interruptions
by applause and a smooth movement of
the drama between scenes. The drawback
is the synchronisation between the sound-track
and the film which, however well done,
as here, is never one hundred per cent
accurate particularly in facial close-ups
which are a dominant feature here.
There is strong competition
on DVD in this the second most popular
of Rossini’s operas but I found the
advantages of this film presentation
far outweighed its limitations and provided
an entertaining and enjoyable evening
at the opera.
Robert J Farr
Orchestra and Chorus of La Scala, Milan/Claudio
Abbado 
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON DVD VIDEO 073 4096 GH [151:00]
