La Cenerentola

Gioachino Rossini La Cenerentola to libretto by Jacopo Ferretti. Directed 2005 by Sir Peter Hall at Glyndebourne. Stars Ruxandra Donose, Maxim Mironov, Luciano Di Pasquale, Simone Alberghini, Nathan Berg, Raquela Sheeran, and Lucia Cirillo. Vladimir Jurowski directs the London Philharmonic Orchestra (Leader Pieter Schoeman) and the Glyndebourne Opera Chorus (Chorus Master Bernand McDonald). Design by Hildegard Bechtler; costumes by Moritz Junge; lighting by Peter Mumford; directed for TV by Robin Lough. Released  2008, disc has 5.0 PCM audio. Grade: A 

Rossini wrote La Cenerentola, or ‎ Cinderella, in 1817; ‎ Karl Marx was born the next year. This is an adult (and highly proper) version of the fairy tale: there's no magic, the story begins as broad comedy, the Fairy Godmother appears as an enlightened philosopher, and we end with a heaping tablespoon of adult moralizing. Nor is this kid stuff musically: this is bel canto with everybody singing in full coloratura mode. This production is pretty much beyond any criticism. The comic characters are hilariously lovable, the serious characters are noble without being too stuffy, and they can all sing ably in Italian faster than a speeding bullet. Jurowski rocks. The traditional direction, sets, costumes, and lighting work admirably at cozy Glyndebourne. The sound and video take good advantage of all that HDVD can offer. If you like coloratura signing, or you are just curious about it, try this recording.