Physically they were indistinguishable, adding hilarity to their interactions with Blythe. Her fine gown has changed back into a plain dress. That’s magical. The opera premiered in 1899 at the Théâtre National de l’Opéra Comique in Paris, France. Verdi remains Verdi whether you are listening to “Luisa Miller” or “Otello.” Wagner is clearly Wagner in both “Tannhäuser” and “Parsifal.”. Met Opera on Demand delivers instant access to more than 500 Met performances, including Live in HD videos, classic telecasts and radio broadcasts. On the podium, conductor Bertrand de Billy leads a performance that is equal parts madcap comedy and heartfelt romance. To say she was imposing would be an understatement; the moment she came onstage, all eyes were on her. It gave its premiere performance on 24 May 1899 in Paris. Photo: Ken Howard / Met Opera Joyce DiDonato in the title role of Massenet's Cendrillon. Production title : Cendrillon - The Metropolitan Opera (2018) Creation date : 2018. Cendrillon is on the point of fainting, when her father angrily sends the other women from the room. Download the new iPad app to watch on your TV with Apple TV via AirPlay. All of these textures were beautifully articulated by conductor Bertrand de Billy, who was like a painter throughout the evening, highlighting one color after another. Joyce DiDonato in the title role of Massenet's Cendrillon. The chorus, in addition to singing with a lovely, soft haze in some key dramatic moments, were terrific sports, gleefully participating in all of the goofy hijinks. Chief among them is the dependably hammy Stephanie Blythe, bringing a voice of enormous, pulsing power and a domineering presence as the cruel stepmother. "Photo by Ken Howard/ Santa Fe Opera. 2011, "La féerie scénique d'Albert Carré". He also holds a dual bachelor’s from Hofstra University in Film Production and Journalism. Jules Massenet is one of the great composers that can’t be called an auteur in the traditional sense. [9] Maggie Teyte in the title role and Mary Garden as the Prince led the cast in Chicago in 1911. There was seductive quality to her singing as she did her best to bring the lovers together in the forest scene, and while she retained this sense of lightness, she also looked commanding on stage. Joyce DiDonato stars in the title role, with mezzo-soprano Alice Coote in the trouser role of Prince Charming, Kathleen Kim as the Fairy Godmother, and Stephanie Blythe as the imperious Madame de la Haltière. The flowers disappear and the lovers, surrounded by the spirits, fall into a slumber in each other's arms. Massenet had a knack for finding strong librettists (or librettist-teams), and Henri Cain’s work in this one features strong dramatic construction, balancing peppery wit with its softer poetic moments and offering breathing characters with whom we can’t help but fall in love.