Cinderella or Triumph of Kindness

G. Rossini, Cinderella or the Triumph of Kindness

Libretto: Jacopo Ferretti

Premiere: 17 X 2025

Gioachino Rossini composed the opera in just 24 days to Jacopo Ferretti's libretto. Inspired by the fairy tale of Charles Perrault, a version of the fairy tale for adults and children devoid of magic props, fairies and slippers, it tells the story of Angelina — a girl with a pure heart who, despite adversity and the injustice of the world around her, is full of kindness and empathy.

In our production, the action of the opera takes place in two worlds: in the world of everyday reality and in the dream world of Angelina, the eponymous Cinderella. Everyday reality refers to the post-war years of the 50s of the XX century. It is kept in black and white colors. The world of dreams is a world of “cutouts” from colorful magazines, pasted into Angelina's personal diary. He is also the key to staging and creates a dramatic-comic mirage of the carousel of human life. It is in this dreamy space that an opera fairy tale takes place, full of grotesque humor, exuberant music and vocal fireworks characteristic of belcant.

The characters play life roles in the theatrical world of appearances — Magnifico's stepfather dreams of wealth, his daughter — of the crown, Prince Ramiro acts as a butler Dandini, and the butler — in the guise of a prince. The only authentic character remains Angelina, who, guided by true feelings, leaves the ball, leaving Ramiro with a symbolic bracelet instead of a slipper — a sign of freedom and independence.

The opera ends with a simple but powerful message: truth, goodness and forgiveness can triumph. Or is it all just a dream? The director leaves the audience a choice.

The license to use the translation of the libretto and its elaboration, as well as the choreography was granted by the Association of Authors ZAiKS