Rossini: La Cenerentola (Genoa 2006) (Antonio Siragusa/ Sonia Ganassi/ Renato Palumbo/ Paul Curran) (Arthaus: 107311)

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LIVE RECORDING FROM THE TEATRO CARLO FELICE, GENOA, 2006

Don Ramiro ANTONINO SIRAGUSA
Cenerentola SONIA GANASSI
Dandini MARCO VINCO
Don Magnifi co ALFONSO ANTONIOZZI
Clorinda CARLA DI CENSO
TEATRO CARLO FELICE
Conducted by RENATO PALUMBO
Stage Directed by PAUL CURRAN

Arthaus presents Rossini's popular comic opera, La Cenerentola, in a staging from the opera house in Naples. The operatic re-telling of this much loved fairy-tale centres on Cinderella's honesty and integrity, and on her willingness to forgive others, and to encourage those around her to be equally tolerant. Paul Curran's production presented to rapturous acclaim in Genoa in May 2006, finds a rather unusual setting for this moral tale. He sets the story in the year 1912, in his own words, "because I wanted to draw attention to social conflicts, and this was a period when class differences were very real". The 20th century setting works well as the social differences become immediately palpable for modern audiences, lending the main theme of forgiveness and reconciliation even more prominence. However, the comic side of the opera does not go missing and the clown-like choreographies for the duets, trios etc. dramatises the absurdities of the "bad" characters' behaviour. Making his operatic début in Genoa with this production, conductor Renato Palumbo used Alberto Zedda's critical edition of Rossini's work. He was praised in the Italian press for his "rapid, clearly-defined interpretation of the score", "rhythmically precise and fluidly lyrical at the same time". A cast of established singers is led by Sonia Ganassi, who as developed a reputation as a leading exponent of Rossini's self possessed mezzo heroines. La Repubblica found her singing "mature and authoritative, with some quite wonderful moments", while the singing of Sicilian tenor Antonino Siragusa was described as "limpid and technically flawless".