NEW YORK—Jules Massenet’s 1899 fairy tale opera “Cendrillon” (Cinderella) finally arrived at the Metropolitan Opera. It was clearly ladies’ night on stage with the glorious mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato in the title role and mostly other divas, including another mezzo, Alice Coote, as Prince Charming.
The Plot
“Cendrillon” has a libretto by Henri Cain that is adapted from the popular 17th century fairy tale by Charles Perrault.Act 1
At the beginning of the opera, Cendrillon’s widowed father, Pandolfe, has a second wife, the shrewish Madame de la Haltière. She has two daughters, Noémie and Dorothée, who pick on Pandolfe’s daughter from his first marriage, Lucette, also known as Cendrillon.Pandolfe is unhappy about the situation but is too weak-willed to stand up to his wife and stepdaughters. The women are preparing for a court ball, but Madame de la Haltière bans Cendrillon from attending. After the others leave, Cendrillon’s fairy godmother appears, complete with accoutrements: a coach, horses, a glittering gown and glass slippers. She also promises that Cendrillon’s family won’t recognize her. The only drawback is that Cendrillon must leave the ball before midnight.
