The Palau de les Arts prepares its first large-format Rossini opera, La Cenerentola

•Michele Mariotti, one of the emerging conductors in the Italian repertoire, takes over the musical direction of this bel canto masterpiece.

Valencia (17-11-2011).- The Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía is immersed in rehearsals for its first large-format opera by Gioachino Rossini, La Cenerentola , the most performed and appreciated title by the composer from Pesaro after Il barbiere di Siviglia .

Following the excellent reception of the Centre de Perfeccionament Plácido Domingo's two forays into the work of the Pesaro-born composer with La scala di seta and L'italiana in Algeri , the Main Hall of the arts center will host the premiere of its first Rossini opera on November 22nd, with Luca Ronconi's acclaimed production for the Rossini Opera Festival. In the pit will be one of the rising stars of the Italian repertoire, Michele Mariotti (Pesaro, 1979).

The young mezzo-soprano Serena Malfi, in the role of Angelina, leads the cast, which includes the voices of Dmitri Korchak (Don Ramiro), Paolo Bordogna and Valeriano Lanchas (Don Magnifico), Simon Lim (Alidoro) and Mario Cassi (Dandini).

Gioachino Rossini needed only three weeks to write the music for La Cenerentola . The piece originated as a commission from the Teatro Valle in Rome, following the success of Il barbiere di Siviglia. Jacopo Ferretti wrote the text, based on Charles Perrault's fairy tale Cinderella and the librettos by Charles-Guillaume Etienne and Francesco Fiorini. Rossini himself conducted the premiere on January 25, 1817. Despite a lukewarm reception at the first performances, the opera quickly achieved great popularity both in Italy and abroad.

In this variation of Perrault's traditional tale, the wicked stepmother is replaced by a stepfather, Don Magnifico, and instead of a fairy godmother, there is Alidoro, the philosopher and tutor of the prince. It is a bracelet, not the popular glass slipper, that reveals Angelina's true identity as Cinderella.

A historic production

The renowned Italian actor, theater director, and opera director Luca Ronconi is behind the production that will be presented at the Palau de les Arts. This late 1990s production, winner of the Abbiati and Pierluigi Samaritani awards in Italy, is considered the flagship of the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro, the premier event for lovers of the Italian composer's work. The skillful set design, meticulous staging, and Ronconi's fresh and hilarious interpretation have garnered unanimous praise from critics and audiences alike.

Ronconi has enjoyed a prolific career in both artistic management and stage direction, leading him to work for Vienna's Burgtheater, the Salzburg Festival, La Scala in Milan, and the Vienna State Opera, among others. His recordings of productions of Italian classics such as Verdi's Aida , Ernani , and Macbeth , Rossini's Guillaume Tell , and Puccini's Tosca are essential additions to any video library. In recent years, Ronconi has created new stagings of Italian Baroque works as well as scores by contemporary composers.

Born in Pesaro, like Rossini himself, and trained at the conservatory there, the young Michele Mariotti makes his debut in the pit of the Palau de les Arts with La Cenerentola . The Italian conductor has enjoyed a meteoric career, which already includes engagements at London's Covent Garden, the Paris Opera, and the Metropolitan Opera in New York. A great connoisseur of the Italian repertoire, he has worked with bel canto stars such as Juan Diego Flórez and Rolando Villazón.

Mezzo-soprano Serena Malfi (Angelina), one of the latest revelations on the operatic scene at just 26 years old, makes her operatic debut in Spain with La Cenerentola . The young star previously sang this role at the German festival Rossini in Wildbad, where she garnered excellent reviews.

Alongside him, the Slavic tenor Dmitri Korchak brings Prince Don Ramiro to life. This is the Muscovite's third appearance in Valencia, following Ravel 's L'enfant et les sortilegès with Lorin Maazel and Tchaikovsky 's Eugene Onegin , conducted by Omer Meir Wellber. A two-time Operalia award winner, his résumé includes collaborations with Zubin Mehta, Plácido Domingo, Kent Nagano, Riccardo Muti, and Yuri Temirkanov, among others. His rising career in the bel canto world has led him to perform on the most prestigious stages in cities such as New York, London, Milan, Vienna, and Salzburg.

Bass-baritones Paolo Bordogna and Valeriano Lanchas alternate in the role of Don Magnifico. Milanese Paolo Bordogna, who will take to the stage of the Main Hall on November 22, 25, 27, 30, and December 2, already participated in the 2010 revival of Ronconi's production in Pesaro. A regular at Italy's leading opera houses, his accolades include the Caruso Prize in 2000 and the Bastianini Prize in 2006. Colombian Valeriano Lanchas sings on December 27 and 30 and January 4. The Bogotá-born tenor, winner of Operalia 2001 and the V Pavarotti International Voice Competition, among other awards, has shared the stage with opera stars such as Plácido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti, Juan Pons, Anna Netrebko, and Juan Diego Flórez.

Simon Lim (Alidoro) and Mario Cassi (Dandini) join the cast of this production of La Cenerentola , which has seven performances scheduled until January 2012.