Act One

Inside Don Magnifico's shabby mansion, his daughters admire themselves, while Cenerentola tends the fire. She sings a plaintive ballad ("Una volta c'era un re") about a king who rejected pomp and beauty and married an innocent, good woman. The sisters mock her and order her to stop. A beggar, Alidoro, the Prince's tutor in disguise, knocks at the door, and the sisters order him away, but Cenerentola surreptitiously gives him bread and coffee. When they notice he is still there, they slap her, and he tries to stop them. Courtiers suddenly arrive to invite the daughters to the ball where Prince Ramiro will choose the most beautiful as his bride ("O figlie amabili"). The sisters become wildly excited, ordering Cenerentola to help them prepare ("Cenerentola, vien qua"), while she declares they are driving her crazy and laments that they will go enjoy themselves while she has to stay behind. Alidoro and the courtiers leave, and as the sisters prepare, Cenerentola calls them her "sisters," but they haughtily tell her never to call them that.

Don Magnifico appears, grumbling that they awakened him from a magnificent dream, which he describes (" Miei rampoli femminini"). A beautiful donkey sprouted wings and flew to the top of a bell tower, and the bells began to ring. He interprets it to mean that his two daughters are the wings who will elevate him to greatness through marriage; one of them will become a queen and also give him dozens of regal grandchildren. When they tell him of the ball, he becomes even more excited, and they all leave.

Ramiro enters, disguised as a servant, musing that Alidoro told him in this house he would find a virtuous and charming bride. Cenerentola comes in, balancing a pile of dishes, and seeing him, is startled and drops them all to the ground. The two are immediately attracted to one another ("Un soave non so che"), and he asks who she is. She tries to explain her situation, but becomes hopelessly confused. She leaves. Dandini, Ramiro's valet disguised as the prince, makes a grand entrance and compares his hunt for a bride to a bee among flowers ("Come un'ape"), then lavishes flattery on the sisters. Cenerentola returns and begs Magnifico to let her to to the ball ("Signor, una parola"), but he brusquely refuses, and even threatens to beat her when she continues to plead. Ramiro and Dandini stop him, and Magnifico tells them she is the lowliest of servants, of ignoble birth. Alidoro comes in with a birth register and asks about Magnifico's third daughter. Magnifico says she died, threatening Cenerentola again when she tries to speak up. Dandini and Ramiro again rescue her, and they all leave.

Alidoro and Cenerentola return, and calling her "daughter," he says everything will change for her, and she will go to the ball. He tells her that God has seen her suffering and virtue ("La del ciel nell'arcano"), and Alidoro watches her glow with joy.

In the palace, Dandini congratulates Magnifico on his drinking ability and flirts with the sisters. The chorus returns, celebrating Magnifico's prowess with wine and declaring he has been named keeper of the wine cellar. He pompously proclaims that nobody is to adulterate wine with water on pain of death ("Noi, Don Magnifico"). They all leave, and Ramiro and Dandini wonder why Alidoro would tell Ramiro to find a bride in one of those hideous sisters. The sisters return, and Dandini, saying he can't marry both, will give the other to his valet. The sisters loudly recoil at the thought of marrying a plebian, though hiding his amusement, he says he'd make a loving husband. The chorus comments on the arrival of a veiled lady, and Cenerentola appears, magnificently dressed. She takes her veil off, and Magnifico and his daughters are briefly confused by a resemblance to Cenerentola. Everyone wonders what is happening ("Mi par d'essere sognando").



Act Two

Magnifico tells the sisters he relies upon them to make his fortune as the king's father-in-law ("Sia qualunque della figlie"). He leaves, and Ramiro enters, musing that the unknown beauty at the ball resembles the woman he fell in love with at Magnifico's house. He hides as Dandini enters with Cenerentola. She refuses him, declaring herself in love with his servant. Ramiro emerges, and she avvows that she wants him, not rank or riches. However, she refuses to tell him her name. She gives him one of her bracelets, telling him to find her again, and if he still loves her when he knows more of her and her circumstances, then she will marry him. She leaves, and he vows to find her ("Si, ritrovarla io giuro"), then leaves. Magnifico rushes in, asking Dandini to choose. Dandini keeps him in suspense and then promises to reveal the great secret ("Un segreto d'importanza"). He finally reveals that he is a valet, not a prince, to Magnifico's consternation, which greatly amuses Dandini.

Back home, in her usual clothes, Cenerentola sings her ballad again, and the sisters and Magnifico enter, disgruntled by the turn of events. A storm rages outside, and Dandini comes in, with Ramiro, telling them the Prince's carriage overturned. Magnifico shouts for Cenerentola to bring a chair, and when she does so, Ramiro recognizes her, and they are reunited. The sisters turn on her for her presumption, but Ramiro castigates them, swearing he will marry her. She tries to embrace them, but they rebuff her. Everyone leaves but Alidoro, who reflects that virtue has won.

In the throne room, Cenerentola has been crowned, and Ramiro is ready to avenge her, but reflecting on how her life has changed, she embraces them ("Nacqui all'affanno...Non piu mesta") as they all praise her kindness.



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Act 1 - 1.Overture

The overture to La Cenerentola (1817), like several other famous Rossini overtures (including the seemingly hand-in-glove Barber of Seville overture), includes material recycled from earlier operas—in this case La gazzetta, Il turco in Italia, and La pietra del paragone. No matter. The result is a thoroughly enjoyable confection that seems fully appropriate for this comic opera based, sans glass slipper, on the Cinderella tale. The overture falls into the usual Rossini shape with a slow introduction followed by a little symphonic Allegro that lacks a development section. But it is loaded with local surprises, including an extended "Rossini crescendo" that serves as the closing theme of the three introduced in the exposition, an opening theme that proceeds stagily in fits and starts, and a delightful turn on the piccolo in the recapitulation of the second theme.

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