(Souvenir of an operatic rarity; this article is one of the last to be imported to Oberon’s Glade from Oberon’s Grove.)
Tuesday December 14th, 2021 – When I received news that City Lyric Opera would be presenting the New York premiere performances of Pauline Viardot’s CENDRILLON, I knew it was something I’d want to see. But I was already committed on the dates of the performances; luckily, publicist April Thibeault arranged for me to attend the dress rehearsal, which took place two days before the opening night.
Above: Pauline Viardot, painted by Carl Timoleon von Neff
Pauline Viardot‘s is the one voice from the pre-recording era that I most wish I could have heard. After she retired from the stage, Mme. Viardot organized salons at which her students performed. It was for one such salon, in 1904, that Viardot (then 83 years old) presented her final opera, CENDRILLON.
The opera was sung French, with the spoken dialogue given in an English translation by Rachel M. Harris. The production is directed by Rose Freeman, produced by CLO Co-Founder Megan Gillis, and is under the musical direction of Michelle Rofrano (…what a delightfully operatic name!).
The cast: Marie, aka Cinderella: Shaina Martinez-Azzopardi (soprano); Fairy Godmother: Yejin Lee (soprano); Armelinde: Linda Collazo (mezzo-soprano); Maguelonne: Allie Altieri (soprano); Barigoule: Corey Don (tenor); Le Baron de Pictordu: Joseph Parrish (bass-baritone); The Prince: Nicholas Huff (tenor)
The chorus members are Luxana Zepeda (soprano), Mithuna Savaraman (soprano), Erin Rosales (mezzo-soprano), Brian Jeffers (tenor), Ramon Gabriel Tenefrancia (tenor), and Nathaniel Mattingly (baritone)
Members of the orchestra: Flute: Mitzy Nonaka; Oboe: Alexis Porcaro; Clarinet: Elia Foster; Bassoon: Steven Palacio; Horn: Jessica Santiago; Harp: Tiffany Wu; Violin 1: Aurora Mendez; Violin 2: Lucia Lostumbo; Viola: Kayla Williams; ; Cello: Iva Casian-Lakos; Bass: Camellia Aftahi;.
Here is the Company’s program note for CENDRILLON:
“The plot follows roughly that of Rossini’s CENERENTOLA, with some extra twists. Instead of a step-mother, this story has the foolish Baron de Pictordu, with his two vain daughters, Maguelone and Armelinde, who are both after the Prince. Cinderella reads about a fairy-tale prince at the beginning, and her father is revealed to be a former grocer with a dubious past.“
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I arrived punctually for the dress rehearsal, and met the LCO’s wonderful co-founder, Megan Gillis. She advised me that the start time for the rehearsal had been pushed forward one hour. No problem! I got to chat with the beauteous Maestro Rofrano, and hear her take the orchestra thru some passages from the opera; she’s a meticulous musician who knows the score inside out . And what an orchestra! These players are superb, every one of them. In addition to strings and piano, Mme. Viardot’s score calls for a harp (delicious!) and a quintet of winds (horn, flute, oboe, clarinet – doubling on bass clarinet – and bassoon. The bassoonist, Steven Palacio, in particular impressed me with his plush tone and easy agility,
The setting is simple, with glowing electroluminescent rope lights draped in the branches of a central tree. The characters all seem like woodland creatures in human guise. Clever projections depict such events as the transformation of pumpkin, mice, and lizards into coach, horses, and footmen. At the ball, disco globes provided a jolt to memories of my dancing days. The glass slippers here become chunky disco boots in hot pink. Inflatable gremlins join in the fun. At the ball, clear notes from the harp strike midnight. There is a hilarious scene where the women queue up to try on the shoe, and even Baron de Pictordu has a go at it. All’s well that ends well, and of course Cinderella and her Prince live happily ever after.
The cast was impressive; both vocally and physically, with each singer seeming well-suited to his/her role. As the mean step-sisters, Allie Altieri and Linda Collazo were wonderfully lazy, whining, and snobbish. Viardot gives them nice things to sing, and they sang very well. Corey Don as Barigoule, the valet who temporarily becomes Prince, sang strongly, and was especially fine in the scene where he “unmasks” Baron de Pictordu.
In Viardot’s version, the Fairy Godmother assumes the spirit of Marie’s dead mother and turns the girl’s hapless existence to joy in the course of a singe day. In this magical role, soprano Yejin Lee sang with full lyric tone in her mid-range, ascending to shimmering soft-halo high notes..
Above: Shaina Martinez-Azzopardi as Cinderella, photo by Mary Rice
Nicholas Huff as the tall Prince showed a clear, expressive lyrical tenor voice. He and Shaina Martinez-Azzopardi as Cinderella joined in the opera’s love duet, wherein they simply pour out rapturous melody, much as Puccini’s new-found lovers do in BOHEME. Ms. Martinez-Azzopardi was just perfect in the opera’s title-role; her singing was rich and expressive, and her portrayal embodied Cinderella’s hope and steadfast kindness, for which the girl is rewarded in the end.
Stealing the show, bass-baritone Joseph Parrish (above, photo by Mary Rice ) as the Baron de Pictordu is a singer who has it all: a handsome face, a lithe and nimble stage presence, clarity of diction and of expression, and a wide-ranging voice of power and warmth. Bravo…bravissimo! .
~ Oberon
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