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Alamo City Opera, known in its earlier years as Opera Piccola, spread its wings Saturday night with a highly satisfying and ambitious staging of Gioachino Rossini’s classic comic opera, “La Cenerentola,” better known as “Cinderella.”
The performance, before an audience of about 400 people at the Carver Community Cultural Center, was a landmark celebration of the Rossini opera itself. “La Cenerentola” had its premiere 200 years ago as of Jan. 25.
“La Cenerentola” is often presented grand opera-style in top opera halls worldwide. The Alamo City Opera was of a smaller scale, but large for the company with a 30-member orchestra and a eight-singer chorus. And it also featured some of the best opera talent in Texas.
“La Cenerentola” is not Disney’s Cinderella. The Rossini opera does not have a fairy godmother or a carriage that turns into a pumpkin. But there were slippers that fit for a happy ending. The setting was updated to resemble the 1950s instead of a far distant past.
The title role was sung by mezzo soprano Julia Di Fiore of Austin, whose Audrey Hepburn looks was perfect for the Cinderella role. Her voice was good enough to handle the wide, challenging range that Rossini composed.
Don Ramiro was sung by tenor Steven Brennfleck, also of Austin. His servant, Dandini, was performed by baritone Wei-shu Tsai of Dallas. The opera brought back to San Antonio bass baritone Timothy Jones of Houston, who has often performed in the Cactus Pear Music Festival here as well as in other operas.
These and other cast vocalists all sang with a high degree of talent, both as their characters and in duets and ensembles. They also executed complex roles because this version of Cinderella relies heavily on mistaken identities and multiple identities.
Cinderella, of course, starts as a mere servant girl who turns into a princess. Don Ramiro is the prince seeking a perfect wife, but he poses first as a servant to Dandini, who is really the prince’s servant who take the role of the prince in a comic disguise of a crown, sunglasses and glued-on handlebar mustache.
The character switches allow the prince and Cinderella to meet and fall in love as equals, while Cinderella’s selfish sisters pursue the wrong prince. Cinderella wins in the end by following her own heart, fulfilling Rossini’s goal of a opera with wonder and sentiment, as guided by stage director Cynthia Stokes.
The music, especially the overture, was pure Rossini melodic magic, as conducted by Kristin Roach.
The opera repeats at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Carver Center.
dhendricks@express-news.net
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