Misplaced Pages

#809190

112-543: La Cenerentola, ossia La bontà in trionfo (" Cinderella , or Goodness Triumphant") is an operatic dramma giocoso in two acts by Gioachino Rossini . The libretto was written by Jacopo Ferretti , based on the libretti written by Charles-Guillaume Étienne for the opera Cendrillon with music by Nicolas Isouard (first performed Paris, 1810) and by Francesco Fiorini for Agatina, o la virtù premiata  [ it ] with music by Stefano Pavesi (first performed Milan, 1814). All these operas are versions of

224-565: A Greek courtesan living in the colony of Naucratis in Egypt , whose name means "Rosy-Cheeks". The story is first recorded by the Greek geographer Strabo in his Geographica (book 17, 33): "They [the Egyptians] tell the fabulous story that, when she was bathing, an eagle snatched one of her sandals from her maid and carried it to Memphis ; and while the king was administering justice in

336-619: A bravura replacement, " Là, del ciel nell'arcano profondo ". According to the account given by librettist Jacopo Ferretti , the genesis of this work – whose literary and musical aspects were both created with surprising speed – began in December 1816. Rossini was in Rome and tasked with writing a new opera for the Teatro Valle , to be staged on Saint Stephen's Day . An existing libretto, Francesca di Foix, had unexpectedly been vetoed by

448-399: A gold apple . She finally reunited with the king and lived happily ever after. Cam asked her about her beauty secret. Tam lead her to a hole and told her to jump inside. She then commanded the royal guards to pour boiling water on Cam. Her corpse was used to make a fermented sauce, to which she sent to the stepmother. The stepmother ate it with every single meal. After she reached the bottom of

560-420: A "dirty little Cinderella" in the house, omitting to mention that she is his own daughter, and that she is too filthy to be seen, but the prince asks him to let her try on the slipper. Aschenputtel appears after washing clean her face and hands, and when she puts on the slipper, which fitted her like a glove, the prince recognizes her as the stranger with whom he has danced at the festival, even before trying it. To

672-737: A Greek slave girl who marries the king of Egypt, is usually considered to be the earliest known variant of the Cinderella story. The first literary European version of the story was published in Italy by Giambattista Basile in his Pentamerone in 1634; the version that is now most widely known in the English-speaking world was published in French by Charles Perrault in Histoires ou contes du temps passé in 1697 as Cendrillon and

784-437: A certain chant, the stepmother only redoubles the task and throws down even a greater quantity of lentils. When Aschenputtel is able to accomplish it in a greater speed, not wanting to spoil her daughters' chances, the stepmother hastens away with her husband and daughters to the celebration and leaves the crying stepdaughter behind. The girl retreats to the graveyard and asks to be clothed in silver and gold. The white bird drops

896-517: A chestnut, a nut and an almond. She used to work as a servant in the King's palace. Nobody ever took notice of the poor girl. One day she heard of a big ball and with the help of a magical spell turned herself into a beautiful princess. The prince fell in love with her and gave her a ring. On the following night the Prince gave her a diamond and on the third night he gave her a ring with a large gem on it. By

1008-570: A cold initial reception by the critics. In short, Rossini's prediction came entirely true, and Cenerentola soon overshadowed even Barber throughout the nineteenth century. Nonetheless, the collaboration between composer and librettist got no easier, and Ferretti wrote only one more libretto for Rossini, Matilde di Shabran , in 1821. 19th century At the first performance, the opera was received with some hostility, but it soon became popular throughout Italy and beyond; it reached Lisbon in 1819, London in 1820 and New York in 1826. Throughout most of

1120-433: A collaborator, Luca Agolini, who wrote the secco recitatives and three numbers (Alidoro's " Vasto teatro è il mondo ", Clorinda's " Sventurata! Mi credea " and the chorus " Ah, della bella incognita "). The facsimile edition of the autograph has a different aria for Alidoro, " Fa' silenzio, odo un rumore "; this seems to have been added by an anonymous hand for an 1818 production. For an 1820 revival in Rome, Rossini wrote

1232-540: A competition for resources, but seldom does the tale make it clear. In some retellings, at least one stepsister is somewhat kind to Cinderella and second guesses the Stepmother's treatment. This is seen in Ever After , the two direct-to-video sequels to Walt Disney 's 1950 film , and the 2013 Broadway musical . The number of balls varies, sometimes one, sometimes two, and sometimes three, and neither does

SECTION 10

#1732771899810

1344-452: A day, and a white bird always comes to her as she prays. She tells her wishes to the bird, and every time the bird throws down to her what she has wished for. The king decides to proclaim a festival that will last for three days and invites all the beautiful maidens in that country to attend so that the prince can select one of them for his bride. The two sisters are also invited, but when Aschenputtel begs them to allow her to go with them into

1456-561: A dove transforming into a woman, who instructs her on how to remove a physical imperfection and restore her own beauty. In another episode, she and other courtesans are made to attend a feast hosted by Persian regent Cyrus the Younger . During the banquet, the Persian King sets his sights on Aspasia herself and ignores the other women. The twelfth-century AD lai of Le Fresne ("The Ash-Tree Girl"), retold by Marie de France ,

1568-418: A dream. Magnifico frets over the competition his daughters now face from the strange lady ("Sia qualunque delle figlie"), but Cenerentola isn't interested in the "prince," saying she's fallen in love with his servant. An overjoyed Ramiro steps forward; however, Cenerentola tells him that she's going home and doesn't want him to follow her. If he really cares for her, she says, he will find her, giving him one of

1680-650: A glass slipper but by her silver ring. The supernatural elements that traditionally characterize the Cinderella story were removed from the libretto simply for ease of staging. Angelina, known to her stepfather and stepsisters as "Cenerentola," is forced to serve as the maid in her own home. She sings of a king who married a common girl chosen for her kindness against the beauty and adornment of her competitresses ("Una volta c’era un rè"). A beggar arrives; her stepsisters, Clorinda and Tisbe, want to send him away, but Cenerentola gives him bread and coffee. Courtiers follow, announcing that Prince Ramiro will visit while he searches for

1792-439: A gold and silver gown and silk shoes. She goes to the feast. The prince dances with her all the time, claiming her as his dance partner whenever a gentleman asks for her hand, and when sunset comes she asks to leave. The prince escorts her home, but she eludes him and jumps inside the estate's pigeon coop. The father came home ahead of time and the prince asks him to chop the pigeon coop down, but Aschenputtel has already escaped from

1904-475: A hundred more, pierce my heart"). Scene 3: Outside Raimondo's castle: a steep mountain with a raging torrent plunging into a gorge Isidoro is at the foot of the mountain and Corradino is above, planning to throw himself off in order to atone for Matilde's death. But before he can do so, a bell rings and Raimondo emerges from the castle. Aliprando and Ginardo try to restrain Corradino as Edoardo rushes into

2016-420: A libretto for the tale; Ferretti retorted with a dare for Rossini to clothe it in music. Rossini then asked the librettist if he had some verses ready to start working on. Ferretti replied, "despite my tiredness, tomorrow morning!" The composer nodded, wrapped himself in his clothes, and fell asleep. Ferretti worked through the night and had the first parts of the work ready as promised in the morning. He finished

2128-467: A matching pair of bracelets. The prince determines to do exactly that ("Sì, ritrovarla io giuro"). Meanwhile, Magnifico confronts the disguised Dandini, insisting that he choose one of his daughters to marry. Dandini tries to stall but is forced to admit that he's actually the valet and not the prince at all (duet: "Un segreto d’importanza"). A furious Magnifico and his daughters return home, where they order Cenerentola, back in rags, to serve them. A storm

2240-405: A new generation of Rossini mezzo-sopranos ensured that La Cenerentola would once again be heard around the world. The opera is now considered a staple of the standard repertoire. In this variation of the fairy tale, the wicked stepmother is replaced by a stepfather , Don Magnifico. The Fairy Godmother is replaced by Alidoro, a philosopher and tutor to the Prince. Cinderella is identified not by

2352-402: A particular hatred of women ( Se viene il Cerbero fioccano i guai - "When Cerberus comes, woes rain down"). The alarmed peasants disperse rapidly. Ginardo asks Udolfo to check that Corradino's prisoners are not being ill-treated, except that he himself will visit the most recent arrival, Edoardo, the son of Corradino's enemy Raimondo Lopez. The wandering poet Isidoro arrives with his guitar at

SECTION 20

#1732771899810

2464-433: A period of obscurity and neglect. In the world of sports, "a Cinderella" is used for an underrated team or club winning over stronger and more favored competitors. The still-popular story of Cinderella continues to influence popular culture internationally, lending plot elements, allusions , and tropes to a wide variety of media. The oldest known oral version of the Cinderella story is the ancient Greek story of Rhodopis ,

2576-469: A popular legend about a possibly related courtesan named Rhodopis in his Histories , claiming that she came from Thrace , was the slave of Iadmon of Samos and a fellow-slave of the story-teller Aesop , was taken to Egypt in the time of Pharaoh Amasis , and freed there for a large sum by Charaxus of Mytilene , brother of Sappho the lyric poet. The resemblance of the shoe-testing of Rhodopis with Cinderella's slipper has already been noted in

2688-416: A third daughter in the house; Magnifico claims she has died and stealthily threatens to murder Cenerentola if she reveals herself. Left alone with Cenerentola, Alidoro promises to take her to the ball himself and that God will reward her kindness ("Là del ciel nell’arcano profondo"). The prince and his valet have retired to Ramiro's country house in some confusion, as neither of Magnifico's daughters resembled

2800-541: A tree that will provide her clothing. Other variants have her helped by talking animals, as in Katie Woodencloak , Rushen Coatie , Bawang Putih Bawang Merah , The Story of Tam and Cam , or The Sharp Grey Sheep —these animals often having some connection with her dead mother; in The Golden Slipper , a fish aids her after she puts it in water. In "The Anklet", it's a magical alabaster pot

2912-483: A very light golden shoe. Her stepfamily recognizes her at the festival, causing her to flee and accidentally lose the shoe. Afterwards, the king of another island obtains the shoe and is curious about it as no one has feet that can fit the shoe. The King searches everywhere and finally reaches Ye's house, where she tries on the shoe. The king realises she is the one and takes her back to his kingdom. Her cruel stepmother and half-sister are killed by flying rocks. Variants of

3024-640: Is a great advantage to have intelligence, courage, good breeding, and common sense. These, and similar talents come only from heaven, and it is good to have them. However, even these may fail to bring you success, without the blessing of a godfather or a godmother." Another well-known version was recorded by the German brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm in the 19th century. The tale is called "Aschenputtel" or "Ashputtle" or "Ashputtel" [“The Little Ash Girl”] (or "Cinderella" in English translations). This version

3136-443: Is a tale similar to Disney's Cinderella , with two distinguishing characteristics: the degree of violence and the plot's continuance past the marriage to the prince charming . The protagonist, Kongjwi, loses her mother when she was a child and her father remarries a widow. The widow also has a daughter, named Patjwi. After her father passes, the stepmother and Patjwi abuse Kongjwi by starving, beating, and working her brutally. Kongjwi

3248-401: Is a variant of the "Cinderella" story in which a wealthy noblewoman abandons her infant daughter at the base of an ash tree outside a nunnery with a ring and brocade as tokens of her identity because she is one of twin sisters —the mother fears that she will be accused of infidelity (according to popular belief, twins were evidence of two different fathers). The infant is discovered by

3360-499: Is actually her twin sister, and her mother recognizes the brocade as the same one she had given to the daughter she had abandoned so many years before. Fresne's true parentage is revealed and, as a result of her noble birth, she is allowed to marry her beloved, while her twin sister is married to a different nobleman. The Maltese Cinderella is named Ċiklemfusa. She is portrayed as an orphaned child in her early childhood. Before his death, her father gave her three magical objects:

3472-420: Is aided by animals and supernatural helpers, like a cow, a toad, a flock of birds, and a fairy. These helpers aid Kongjwi in attending a dance in honor of a magistrate . On her way back from the dance, Kongjwi loses one of her shoes, and the magistrate searches the towns to find the one who can fit the shoe. When he finds Kongjwi, he marries her. Where Disney's Cinderella ends, Kongjwi's hardships continue into

La Cenerentola - Misplaced Pages Continue

3584-546: Is also later reported by the Roman orator Aelian ( c.  175 – c.  235 ) in his Miscellaneous History , which was written entirely in Greek. Aelian's story closely resembles the story told by Strabo, but adds that the name of the pharaoh in question was Psammetichus. Aelian's account indicates that the story of Rhodopis remained popular throughout antiquity . Herodotus , some five centuries before Strabo, records

3696-451: Is and why he is there ( Quartet : Alma rea! Perché t'involi? - "Wicked man! Why are you running away?"). Isidoro tries to curry favour with Corradino by offering to serenade his ladies, but this enrages the tyrant further. He is about to kill the poet when Aliprando intervenes. Corradino relents, but Isidoro is marched off to the dungeons by Ginardo. Aliprando tells Corradino that Matilde, whose father, Shabran, has been killed in battle,

3808-414: Is approaching the castle. With his dying breath, Shabran commended her to Corradino's care. Corradino, who respected Shabran, agrees to accommodate Matilde in fine apartments, but wishes her to be kept out of his sight unless he summons her. Aliprando goes to meet her. Ginardo returns, telling Corradino that Edoardo is weeping and may be repentant. But when he brings the chained prisoner to Corradino, it

3920-430: Is buried. The child visits her mother's grave every day to grieve and a year goes by. The gentleman marries another woman with two older daughters from a previous marriage. They have beautiful faces and fair skin, but their hearts are cruel and wicked. The stepsisters steal the girl's fine clothes and jewels and force her to wear rags. They banish her into the kitchen, and give her the nickname "Aschenputtel" ("Ashfool"). She

4032-412: Is clear that Edoardo remains defiant. Corradino demands that he acknowledge him as the victor over his father. Edoardo refuses (Cavatina: Piange il mio ciglio, è vero - "It's true that tears fall from my eyes"), but Corradino has his chains removed and will give him the run of the castle if he promises not to escape. Edoardo agrees and goes in. Ginardo reports that Aliprando and Matilde are approaching

4144-445: Is confused - his head is spinning and his blood is burning. He asks Ginardo to look after Matilde, and departs with Aliprando. The Countess storms off, pursued by Matilde. Corradino asks Aliprando what is wrong with him, and is told that he is lovesick, which is a disease with no cure. Aliprando leaves, and Corradino summons Isidoro, whom he suspects of bewitching him, from his prison. Isidoro, in fear of his life, has no idea what he

4256-462: Is forced to do all kinds of hard work from dawn to dusk for the sisters. The cruel sisters do nothing but mock her and make her chores harder by creating messes. However, despite all of it, the girl remains good and kind, and regularly visits her mother's grave to cry and pray to God that she will see her circumstances improve. One day the gentleman visits a fair, promising his stepdaughters gifts of luxury. The elder one asks for beautiful dresses, while

4368-593: Is found in other variants of the tale as well, such as in the Finnish The Wonderful Birch . Playwright James Lapine incorporated this motif into the Cinderella plotline of the musical Into the Woods . Giambattista Basile 's La gatta Cenerentola combined them; the Cinderella figure, Zezolla, asks her father to commend her to the Dove of Fairies and ask her to send her something, and she receives

4480-467: Is killed by the heroine's sisters, her bones gathered and from her grave the heroine gets the wonderful dresses. Africanist Sigrid Schmidt stated that "a typical scene" in Kapmalaien ( Cape Malays ) tales is the mother becoming a fish, being eaten in fish form, the daughter burying her bones and a tree sprouting from her grave. Professor Gražina Skabeikytė-Kazlauskienė recognizes that the fish,

4592-402: Is mistreated by her stepfather . (This makes the opera Aarne-Thompson type 510B.) He also made the economic basis for such hostility unusually clear, in that Don Magnifico wishes to make his own daughters' dowries larger, to attract a grander match, which is impossible if he must provide a third dowry. Folklorists often interpret the hostility between the stepmother and stepdaughter as just such

La Cenerentola - Misplaced Pages Continue

4704-497: Is much more violent than that of Charles Perrault and Disney, in that Cinderella's father has not died and the two stepsisters mutilate their feet to fit in the golden slipper. There is no fairy godmother in this version of the Brothers Grimm, but rather help comes from a wishing tree, which the heroine had planted on her deceased mother's grave, when she recites a certain chant. In the second edition of their collection (1819),

4816-519: Is not so sure, but he admires her spirit and tells her that Corradino, despite his warlike demeanour, runs to him whenever he has a headache or a cold. Maybe his dislike of women can be overcome. Ginardo announces the arrival of the Contessa d'Arco, who, as a result of a peace treaty, was promised in marriage to Corradino. He had immediately repudiated her, but was obliged to agree that he would not marry anyone else. The Countess has heard that Matilde

4928-459: Is overcome, but when Matilde comforts the boy, Corradino succumbs to jealousy. An ensemble ( Oh come mai quest'anima sfavilla in un momento! - "Oh, how my soul flares up in a minute!") develops, Isidoro urges the guards onwards, and the curtain falls. Scene 1: The countryside near the castle Isidoro, sitting in a tree, is writing about his exploits. The peasants and Corradino's troops arrive ( Di Corradino il nome per ogni suol rimbomba - "May

5040-429: Is overwhelmed and flees. Finally, the "prince" arrives – the real valet, Dandini, who has taken his master's place – and Magnifico, Clorinda, and Tisbe fall over themselves to flatter him. He invites the family to a ball that evening, where he plans to find his bride; Cenerentola asks to join them, but Magnifico refuses (quintet: "Signor, una parola"). This callousness isn't lost on Ramiro. Alidoro returns to inquire after

5152-651: Is ripped apart alive, her body made into jeotgal , and sent to her mother. She eats it in ignorance, and when told that it is Patjwi's flesh, she dies out of shock. There are 17 variants of this tale known in South Korea. A notable difference from Disney's Cinderella is that Kongjwi is not a helpless maiden who relies on a man of greater power to solve her problems. Kongjwi avenges her death with her own determination and willpower. Unlike Perrault's version of Cinderella, named Cendrillon, who forgives her stepfamily when they plead for forgiveness, Kongjwi takes ownership of

5264-472: Is simply tired. In the Grimms' version, Aschenputtel slips away when she is tired, hiding on her father's estate in a tree, and then the pigeon coop, to elude her pursuers; her father tries to catch her by chopping them down, but she escapes. The glass slipper is unique to Charles Perrault 's version and its derivatives; in other versions of the tale it may be made of other materials (in the version recorded by

5376-502: Is talking about, but, just when Corradino is about to have him torn into pieces, a contrite Matilde appears. Ginardo is to take Isidoro back to the dungeon, but the two of them hide in order to watch developments. The bemused Corradino succumbs to Matilde's wiles (Finale: Ah! Capisco; non parlate - "Ah! I understand, do not speak"), and falls at her feet just as Aliprando arrives to announce that Raimondo and his troops are on their way to rescue Edoardo. Corradino leaves to give orders to

5488-420: Is the daughter of the local tribal leader whose mother died when she was young. Because her mother died early, she is now under the care of her father's second wife, who abused her. She befriends a fish, which is the reincarnation of her deceased mother. Her stepmother and half-sister kill the fish, but Ye Xian finds the bones, which are magical, and they help her dress appropriately for a local Festival, including

5600-428: Is thundering outside. Alidoro sabotages Ramiro's carriage so that it breaks down in front of Magnifico's manor, forcing the prince to take refuge within. Ramiro recognizes Cenerentola's bracelet on her right arm; the others comment on the situation (sextet: "Siete voi?"). When Ramiro threatens Cenerentola's recalcitrant family, she asks him to forgive them. Ramiro and Cenerentola are married and celebrate their wedding at

5712-478: Is to be accommodated in the castle and intends to have her evicted. The women insult each other, and the resulting noise brings Corradino and his guards to the gallery ( Quintet : Questa è la Dea? Che aria! - "This is the goddess? What a picture!"). Matilde stands firm, Ginardo and Aliprando are amazed that Corradino makes no attempt to kill her for her impertinence, and the Countess is further enraged. Corradino

SECTION 50

#1732771899810

5824-467: Is worthy of the throne. Notes Sources Cinderella " Cinderella ", or " The Little Glass Slipper ", is a folk tale with thousands of variants that are told throughout the world. The protagonist is a young girl living in forsaken circumstances who is suddenly blessed by remarkable fortune, with her ascension to the throne via marriage. The story of Rhodopis , recounted by the Greek geographer Strabo sometime between 7 BC and AD 23, about

5936-476: The Brothers Grimm , German: Aschenbroedel and Aschenputtel , for instance, it is gold) and in still other tellings, it is not a slipper but an anklet, a ring, or a bracelet that gives the prince the key to Cinderella's identity. What matters to the story is that the identifying item will fit only one woman. Matilde di Shabran Three authentic versions of Matilde di Shabran exist. These are:

6048-461: The 19th century, by Edgar Taylor and Reverend Sabine Baring-Gould . A second predecessor for the Cinderella character, hailing from late Antiquity , may be Aspasia of Phocaea . Her story is told in Aelian 's Varia Storia : lost her mother in early childhood and raised by her father, Aspasia, despite living in poverty, has dreamt of meeting a noble man. As she dozes off, the girl has a vision of

6160-405: The 19th century, its popularity rivalled that of Barber , but as the coloratura contralto , for which the leading role was originally written, became rare, it fell slowly out of the repertoire. 20th century and beyond In the years following Glyndebourne Festival 's celebrated 1952 revival, conducted by Vittorio Gui , and recorded for LP by EMI , Rossini's work enjoyed a renaissance, and

6272-630: The Brothers Grimm supplemented the original 1812 version with a coda in which the two stepsisters suffer a terrible punishment by the princess Cinderella for their cruelty. A fairy tale very similar to the Grimm one, Aschenbrödel , was published by Ludwig Bechstein in 1845 in Deutsches Märchenbuch . A wealthy gentleman's wife falls gravely ill, and as she lies on her deathbed, she calls for her only daughter, and tells her to remain good and kind, as God would protect her. She then dies and

6384-432: The Countess return. Isidoro describes how he kicked Matilde into the gorge, amid conflicting emotions from the others. Suddenly, Edoardo appears and describes how the Countess bribed Udolfo to release him, with the intention of throwing the blame on Matilde. The Countess flees Corradino's wrath, and he and Edoardo lament Matilde's death (Duet: Da cento smanie, e cento sento straziarmi il cor - "A hundred agonies, and then

6496-557: The Italian word cenere "ash, cinder," an allusion to the fact that servants and scullions of the time were usually soiled with ash, partly as a result of their cleaning duties and partly because they lived in cold basements and so tended to huddle close to fireplaces for warmth. Giambattista Basile , a writer, soldier and government official, assembled a set of oral folk tales into a written collection titled Lo cunto de li cunti ( The Story of Stories ), or Pentamerone . It included

6608-692: The Neapolitan version; Juan Diego Flórez sang the role of Corradino each time. A 1998 performance at the Rossini in Wildbad Belcanto Opera Festival used the Viennese version. Scene 1: Outside the castle gatehouse Egoldo and some peasants arrive with some of their produce, which they hope Corradino will accept ( Zitti; nessun qui v'è - "Quiet, no-one is here"). Aliprando draws their attention to two inscriptions on

6720-851: The Rome version (24 February 1821); the Naples version (11 November 1821), and the Vienna version (7 May 1822). It is unlikely that Rossini participated directly in the 15 October 1821 performance that took place in Paris. After the mixed reception at the premiere, performances continued at Teatro Apollo until the end of the season, and Matilde di Shabran went the rounds of other Italian cities. The opera appears to have been popular, with presentations in Europe (London on 3 July 1823) and New York (10 February 1834). However, apart from an 1892 staging in Florence , it

6832-687: The Vietnamese story of Tam and Cam . Another version was collected from the Cham people of Southeast Asia, with the name La Sandale d'Or ("The Golden Sandal") or Conte de demoiselles Hulek et Kjong ("The tale of the ladies Hulek and Kjong"). In Indonesia folklore there is a similar story Bawang Merah dan Bawang Putih ("The tale of Shallot and Garlic"). 20th century folktale collector Kenichi Mizusawa published an analysis of Japanese variants of Cinderella, separating them into two types: "Nukabuku, Komebuku" (about rival step-sisters) and "Ubagawa" (about

SECTION 60

#1732771899810

6944-406: The back, to the graveyard to the hazel tree to return her fine clothes. The father finds her asleep in the kitchen hearth, and suspects nothing. The next day, the girl appears in grander apparel. The prince again dances with her the whole day, and when dark came, the prince accompanies her home. However, she climbs a pear tree in the back garden to escape him. The prince calls her father who chops down

7056-435: The castle gates ( Chi vi guida a queste mura? - "Who brings you to these walls?"), but since the peasants have not been taught to read, he is obliged to read them out: "Anyone entering without permission will have their heads split in two" and "Anyone who disturbs the peace will be starved to death". He and Ginardo confirm that the ferocious Corradino will have no hesitation in carrying out these threats, and furthermore he has

7168-414: The castle, immediately returning with Matilde. Isidoro admits that he made up the story of Matilde's death, Matilde thanks Edoardo, instructs Corradino to make peace with Raimondo and regrets that the Countess is not there to see her triumph. She and Corradino are reunited, and, to general rejoicing, she sings in praise of love ( Ami alfine? E chi non ama? - "Are you at last in love? Who does not love?") as

7280-472: The castle, tired, hungry and thirsty, having travelled all the way from Naples. Seeing the castle, he hopes that his luck will change ( Cavatina : Intanto Armenia 'nfra l'ombrose piante - "Meanwhile, Armenia, through the shady trees"), but, when he sees the inscriptions, his instinct is to flee. But he accidentally runs into Ginardo, who tells him that it is too late. Corradino, armed and surrounded by guards, makes his appearance and demands to know who Isidoro

7392-438: The castle. Corradino vows to find Matilde a husband and supply her with a dowry, but will see her as little as possible. Ginardo, alone, muses that a heart of iron ("cuor di ferro") may not be enough to save his master from Cupid's darts. Scene 2: A magnificent gallery in the castle Matilde tells Aliprando that Corradino will yield to her ( Duet : Di capricci, di smorfiette - "I've caprices, little glances"). The physician

7504-401: The celebration, the stepmother refuses because she has no decent dress nor shoes to wear. When the girl insists, the woman throws a dish of lentils into the ashes for her to pick up, guaranteeing her permission to attend the festival if she can clean up the lentils in two hours. When the girl accomplished the task in less than an hour with the help of a flock of white doves that came when she sang

7616-443: The ceremony, so when the wedding comes to an end, and Aschenputtel and her beloved prince march out of the church, her doves fly again, promptly striking the remaining eyes of the two evil stepsisters blind, a truly awful comeuppance they have to endure. In addition to the absence of the punishment of the stepsisters, there are other minor differences in the first edition of 1812, some of which are reminiscent of Perrault's version. In

7728-440: The cow, even a female dog (in other variants), these animals represent "the [heroine's] mother's legacy". Jack Zipes , commenting on a Sicilian variant, concluded much the same: Cinderella is helped by her mother "in the guise of doves, fairies, and godmothers". In his notes to his own reconstruction, Joseph Jacobs acknowledged that the heroine's animal helper (e.g., cow or sheep) was "clearly identified with her mother", as well as

7840-452: The delight of the Countess ( Sextet : È palese il tradimento - "Her treachery is obvious"). Isidoro and the guards are to take Matilde to a deep chasm and throw her in. Corradino, alone, meditates on his revenge. He is joined by some peasant women, but their pleas that Matilde be saved ( Mandare a morte quella meschina? - "Are you really sending that poor girl to her death?") fall on deaf ears. As they leave, Isidoro, Ginardo, Aliprando and

7952-786: The end of the ball Ċiklemfusa would run away hiding herself in the cellars of the Palace. She knew that the Prince was very sad about her disappearance so one day she made some krustini (typical Maltese biscuits) for him and hid the three gifts in each of them. When the Prince ate the biscuits he found the gifts he had given to the mysterious Princess and soon realized the huge mistake he had made of ignoring Ċiklemfusa because of her poor looks. They soon made marriage arrangements and she became his wife. The tale of Ye Xian first appeared in Miscellaneous Morsels from Youyang written by Duan Chengshi around 860. In this version, Ye Xian

8064-406: The enemy has been routed, but add that Corradino ran off to find Raimondo and challenge him to a duel. Corradino returns, demanding to see Edoardo, but Ginardo discovers that he has escaped. Corradino starts to question Matilde, but Rodrigo enters with a letter for her. It is from Edoardo, who swears undying love for her and thanks her for allowing him to escape. Corradino condemns her to death, to

8176-457: The event have to be a ball, with some heroines going to church instead. The fairy godmother is Perrault's own addition to the tale. The person who aided Cinderella (Aschenputtel) in the Grimms 's version is her dead mother. Aschenputtel requests her aid by praying at her grave, on which a tree is growing. Helpful doves roosting in the tree shake down the clothing she needs for the ball. This motif

8288-478: The fairy godmother present in the famous Perrault's tale. Instead, the donor is her mother, incarnated into an animal (if she is dead) or transformed into a cow (if alive). In other versions, the helper is an animal, such as a cow, a bull, a pike, or a saint or angel. The bovine helper appears in some Greek versions, in "the Balkan -Slavonic tradition of the tale", and in some Central Asian variants. The mother-as-cow

8400-554: The fairy tale Cendrillon by Charles Perrault . Rossini's opera was first performed in Rome's Teatro Valle on 25 January 1817. Rossini composed La Cenerentola when he was 25 years old, following the success of The Barber of Seville the year before. La Cenerentola , which he completed in a period of three weeks, is considered to have some of his finest writing for solo voice and ensembles. Rossini saved some time by reusing an overture from La gazzetta and part of an aria from The Barber of Seville and by enlisting

8512-464: The first edition, Cinderella's mother herself tells her to plant a tree on her grave. No bird perches on the tree but the tree itself gives the girl what she wants. The birds appear only when they help Cinderella collect lentils, a task that is assigned to her by her stepsisters rather than her stepmother, and they are not a flock but just two pigeons. On the evening of the first ball, Cinderella does not participate but she watches her stepsisters dance with

8624-461: The girl purchased with her own money that brings her the gowns and the anklets she wears to the ball. Gioachino Rossini , having agreed to do an opera based on Cinderella if he could omit all magical elements, wrote La Cenerentola , in which she was aided by Alidoro, a philosopher and formerly the Prince's tutor. The midnight curfew is also absent in many versions; Cinderella leaves the ball to get home before her stepmother and stepsisters, or she

8736-418: The guards, taking Matilde with him, as the others comment on his surrender to her. Scene 3: Outside the castle gatehouse Edoardo, Rodrigo and the guards await the enemy. Corradino, Matilde, Aliprando and Ginardo come through the gate, together with Isidoro and his guitar (he has appointed himself court poet). The Countess follows them. When Corradino tells Edoardo that his father will be defeated, Edoardo

8848-482: The heroine's disguise). The Iranian version of the story is called Moon-Forehead or in Persian, Mahpishooni ( Persian : ماه پیشونی , romanized :  māhpišuni ). The story is very similar to the German version but the girl is described as having been born with a shining moon on her forehead and after losing her natural mother, was forced to live under the ashes, to block her shining moon that could overshadow

8960-406: The horror of the stepmother and the two limping sisters, their merely servant-girl had won without any subterfuge. The prince put Aschenputtel before him on his horse and rode off to the palace. While passing the hazel tree the two magic doves from heaven declare Aschenputtel as the true bride of the prince, and remained on her shoulders, one on the left and the other on the right. In a coda added in

9072-426: The jar, she looked down only to see her daughter's skull. She died of shock. There are many variations for the ending of this story, with the family friendly version one usually ending with the stepmother and Cam being exiled, and then struck by lightning, killing them both. Other versions either have a different ending for the story or simply omit the revenge part entirely. Originating from Korea, Kongjwi and Patjwi

9184-527: The libretto in twenty-two days of breakneck work, and Rossini completed the score in an equally hectic twenty-four days. The poet had serious doubts about the success of this opera; Rossini, on the other hand, predicted that it would conquer Italy in a year and spread to France and England in another: "the impresarios will fight for staging it, as well as the prima donnas for being able to sing it". La Cenerentola premiered on 25 January 1817, and quickly gained popularity both in Italy and internationally, despite

9296-415: The marriage. Patjwi, envious of this marriage, pretends to ask for Kongjwi's forgiveness and then drowns Kongjwi in a pond. Patjwi then pretends to be Kongjwi and marries the magistrate. Kongjwi is then reincarnated into a lotus flower, burned by Patjwi, and reincarnated once more into a marble. With help from additional characters, Kongjwi is able to inform her husband of Patjwi's doings. As punishment, Patjwi

9408-497: The most beautiful girl in the land to wed. Cenerentola's stepfather, Don Magnifico, hopes to use this as an opportunity to save his own failing fortune. When the room is empty, Ramiro enters alone, disguised as a valet. The "beggar" – in fact, his tutor, Alidoro – has informed him of a goodhearted young woman spotted here. Ramiro intends to find her incognito. Cenerentola returns, and she and Ramiro are attracted to each other (duet: "Un soave non-so che"), but when he asks who she is, she

9520-726: The name of Corradino resound in every country"), and, although they know that most of what Isidoro has written is made up, he persuades them that that's what poets do ( Le penne de i poeti so spade assai diverse - "Poets' pens are quite different weapons"), and they nevertheless salute him and take him with them. Raimondo appears, laments the loss of his son, and departs. Edoardo, dispirited, longs for death (Cavatina: Ah! perché, perché la morte non ascolta i pianti miei - "Ah, why, why does death ignore my tears") but then he hears Raimondo calling his name. Corradino and Raimondo arrive simultaneously, but, before they can fight, Edoardo takes Raimondo's place. As he fights Corradino, he tells him that it

9632-481: The new work, one after another was rejected: too serious for the Carnival season in which the opera would premiere; too frivolous; too expensive and difficult to stage. Ferretti proposed more than two dozen subjects without success. Finally, between yawns, and with Rossini half asleep on a sofa, the poet mentioned Cinderella . At this, Rossini roused himself sufficiently to challenge Ferretti on whether he dared write

9744-412: The open air, the eagle, when it arrived above his head, flung the sandal into his lap; and the king, stirred both by the beautiful shape of the sandal and by the strangeness of the occurrence, sent men in all directions into the country in quest of the woman who wore the sandal; and when she was found in the city of Naucratis, she was brought up to Memphis, and became the wife of the king." The same story

9856-461: The original tale as The Cinder Maid by comparing the common features among hundreds of variants collected across Europe. The Aarne–Thompson–Uther system classifies Cinderella as type 510A, "Persecuted Heroine". Others of this type include The Sharp Grey Sheep ; The Golden Slipper ; The Story of Tam and Cam ; Rushen Coatie ; The Wonderful Birch ; Fair, Brown and Trembling ; and Katie Woodencloak . International versions lack

9968-414: The palace. Magnifico tries to win the new princess's favor, but she asks only to be acknowledged, at last, as his daughter. She reflects on the misfortune to which she was born and the sudden reversal of her fate, then forgives her family for all her past unhappiness, adding that her days of sitting sadly by the fire are over ("Nacqui all'affanno... Non più mesta"). Everyone present acknowledges that she truly

10080-451: The papal censor, leaving no time to amend the text so that it might satisfy all parties involved ( censorship , impresario , and authors). A replacement would have to be found. Ferretti, despite harboring some ill-will against Rossini (the maestro had refused a libretto of his for The Barber of Seville ), nonetheless met with the composer and the impresario Cartoni and agreed to join the project. However, when he began to suggest topics for

10192-417: The persecutions of her father, usually because he wished to marry her. Of this type (510B) are Cap O' Rushes , Catskin , , and Allerleirauh (or All-Kinds-of-Fur ), and she slaves in the kitchen because she found a job there. In Katie Woodencloak , the stepmother drives her from home, and she likewise finds such a job. In La Cenerentola , Gioachino Rossini inverted the sex roles: Cenerentola

10304-436: The porter, who names her Fresne , meaning "Ash Tree", and she is raised by the nuns. After she has attained maturity, a young nobleman sees her and becomes her lover. The nobleman, however, is forced to marry a woman of noble birth. Fresne accepts that she will never marry her beloved but waits in the wedding chamber as a handmaiden. She covers the bed with her own brocade but, unbeknownst to her, her beloved's bride

10416-442: The prince from the pigeon coop. Later Cinderella tells the sisters she saw them dancing, and they destroy the pigeon coop out of jealousy. In the 1812 version the tree also gives Cinderella a carriage with six horses to go to the ball and the pigeons tell her to return before midnight. The episodes in which Cinderella hides in the pigeon coop and on the pear tree were added in the 1819 version. Furthermore, not knowing Cinderella's home,

10528-591: The prince makes other girls in the kingdom try on the slipper before her. Folklorists have long studied variants on this tale across cultures. In 1893, Marian Roalfe Cox , commissioned by the Folklore Society of Britain, produced Cinderella: Three Hundred and Forty-Five Variants of Cinderella, Catskin and, Cap o'Rushes , Abstracted and Tabulated with a Discussion of Medieval Analogues and Notes. Further morphology studies have continued on this seminal work. Joseph Jacobs has attempted to reconstruct

10640-420: The prince that blood drips from her foot. Appalled by her treachery, he goes back again and tries the slipper on the other stepsister. She cut off part of her heel to get her foot in the slipper, and again the prince is fooled. While riding with her to the king's castle, the doves alert him again about the blood on her foot. He comes back to inquire about another girl. The gentleman tells him that his dead wife left

10752-423: The principle of kwon seon jing ak ( 권선징악 ) and accomplishes her vengeance herself. The violent degree of the punishments stems from the increased violence (starvation, beating, betrayal, and ultimately murder) that Kongjwi suffered compared to the abuses Disney's Cinderella went through. There exists a Cambodian version (called "Khmer" by the collectors) with the name Néang Kantoc . Its collectors compared it to

10864-454: The second edition of 1819, during Aschenputtel's royal wedding, the stepsisters had hoped to worm their way into her favour as the future queen. As she walks down the aisle with her stepsisters as her bridesmaids, Aschenputtel's doves strike the two stepsisters' eyes, one in the left and the other in the right. It is their last chance of redemption, but since they are desperate to win the new princess' affections, they don't give up and go through

10976-430: The siblings are female, while in others, they are male. One of the tales, "Judar and His Brethren", departs from the happy endings of previous variants and reworks the plot to give it a tragic ending instead, with the younger brother being poisoned by his elder brothers. The first European version written in prose was published in Naples, Italy, by Giambattista Basile , in his Pentamerone (1634). The story itself

11088-417: The slipper and proclaims that he will marry the maiden whose foot fits the golden slipper. The next morning, the prince goes to Aschenputtel's house and tries the slipper on the elder stepsister. Since she will have no more need to go on foot when she will be queen, the sister was advised by her mother to cut off her toes to fit the slipper. While riding with the stepsister, the two magic doves from heaven tell

11200-509: The story are also found in many ethnic groups in China. The Story of Tấm and Cám , from Vietnam , is similar to the Chinese version. The heroine Tấm also had a fish that was killed by the stepmother and the half-sister, and its bones also give her clothes. Later after marrying the king, Tấm was killed by her stepmother and sister, and reincarnated several times in form of a bird, a loom and

11312-420: The tale of Cenerentola, which features a wicked stepmother and evil stepsisters, magical transformations, a missing slipper, and a hunt by a monarch for the owner of the slipper. It was published posthumously in 1634. Plot: One of the most popular versions of Cinderella was written in French by Charles Perrault in 1697, under the name Cendrillon ou la petite pantoufle de verre . The popularity of his tale

11424-463: The tree on Cinderella's mother's grave was connected to her. Although many variants of Cinderella feature the wicked stepmother, the defining trait of type 510A is a female persecutor: in Fair, Brown and Trembling and Finette Cendron , the stepmother does not appear at all, and it is the older sisters who confine her to the kitchen. In other fairy tales featuring the ball, she was driven from home by

11536-400: The tree, wondering if it could be Aschenputtel, but Aschenputtel was already in the kitchen when the father arrives home. The third day, she appears dressed in grand finery, with slippers of gold. Now the prince is determined to keep her, and has the entire stairway smeared with pitch. Aschenputtel, in her haste to elude the prince, loses one of her golden slippers on that pitch. The prince picks

11648-525: The two daughters of her stepmother. The contrast between the shining moon and ash denotes potential, similar to fire under the ashes. The location of the shine on the forehead could be a reference to superior knowledge or personality. German scholar Ulrich Marzolph  [ de ] listed the Iranian variants of Cinderella under tale type *510A, "Aschenputtel", and noted that, in Iranian tradition,

11760-470: The type only exists in combination with type 480, "Stirnmöndlein". Several different variants of the story appear in the medieval One Thousand and One Nights , also known as the Arabian Nights , including "The Second Shaykh's Story", "The Eldest Lady's Tale" and "Abdallah ibn Fadil and His Brothers", all dealing with the theme of a younger sibling harassed by two jealous elders. In some of these,

11872-417: The worthy bride Alidoro had described. When Clorinda and Tisbe arrive, Dandini gives them a little test: he offers his "valet" to whichever sister the "prince" does not marry. The ladies are outraged at the idea of marrying a servant. Alidoro then arrives with a beautiful, unknown lady who strangely resembles Cenerentola. Unable to make sense of the situation, they all sit down to supper, feeling like they are in

11984-430: The younger for pearls and diamonds. His own daughter merely begs for the first twig to knock his hat off on the way. The gentleman goes on his way, and acquires presents for his stepdaughters. While passing a forest he gets a hazel twig, and gives it to his daughter. She plants the twig over her mother's grave, waters it with her tears and over the years, it grows into a glowing hazel tree. The girl prays under it three times

12096-402: Was Matilde who set him free. Corradino rushes off in a rage, and father and son leave together. Scene 2: The gallery in the castle The Countess reveals that Edoardo had bribed the guards and escaped. She is sure that Corradino will blame Matilde, who now arrives, followed by Isidoro. He tells the ladies how he saved the day by taking command of the army. Ginardo and Aliprando confirm that

12208-548: Was anglicized as Cinderella . Another version was later published as Aschenputtel by the Brothers Grimm in their folk tale collection Grimms' Fairy Tales in 1812. Although the story's title and main character's name change in different languages, in English-language folklore Cinderella is an archetypal name. The word Cinderella has, by analogy, come to mean someone whose attributes are unrecognized, or someone who unexpectedly achieves recognition or success after

12320-432: Was due to his additions to the story, including the pumpkin, the fairy-godmother and the introduction of "glass" slippers. Plot: The first moral of the story is that beauty is a treasure, but graciousness is priceless. Without it, nothing is possible; with it, one can do anything. However, the second moral of the story mitigates the first one and reveals the criticism that Perrault is aiming at: That "without doubt it

12432-635: Was not staged again until 1974 in Genoa ." This 1974 performance used the Roman version. The Roman version was also used in a performance of Matilde di Shabran as an oratorio in Paris in 1981. A revised version of the score was presented at the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro in 1996, 2004 and 2012, as well as at the Royal Opera, London in 2008; these three presentations have used

12544-574: Was set in the Kingdom of Naples , at that time the most important political and cultural center of Southern Italy and among the most influential capitals in Europe, and written in the Neapolitan dialect . It was later retold, along with other Basile tales, by Charles Perrault in Histoires ou contes du temps passé (1697), and by the Brothers Grimm in their folk tale collection Grimms' Fairy Tales (1812). The name "Cenerentola" derives from

#809190