![]() In other words, “Sweet Innocence” would undoubtedly triumph over “Vanity” and “Pride.” ![]() Yet this somewhat clumsy introduction blended into the silly first scene, whose colorful juxtaposition left no uncertainty as to what would happen in Act II: Maria Valdes’s and Zanda Svede’s performances as buffoonish stepsisters Clorinda and Tisbe balanced French mezzo-soprano and San Francisco debutante Karine Deshayes’s first minor-key tune as Cinderella, and acted with over-emphasized histrionics in response to her helping a “poor beggar” who asked her for help. The orchestra, led by Jesus Lopez-Cobos, took a while to adjust focus, lacking togetherness and rhythmic agility in the otherwise charming overture. Since modern convention does not (somewhat unfortunately) leave the dimming of lights and formal etiquette of audiences to friendly flexibility, it took a surprisingly cartoonish revival of the Jean-Pierre Ponnelle production Friday night to bridge the gap between the seriousness of the venue and the glittering vitality of Rossini’s work. Yet here we are, in the Wagnerian timeless bubble – the modern concert hall – as if we are about to embark on a serious musical journey.Īn opera like “La Cenerentola” (or “Cinderella”) – anything but a “serious musical journey,” and in the best way its opposite – is tricky to set up, especially in the luxurious seriousness of the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco. It most likely would have been impossible for Rossini to imagine that any of his operas would ever be performed outside of the frothing surface of extroverted life and devoid of the bubbling backdrop of lively socializing and champagne-drinking. ![]()
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