The curtain opens on Rossini’s La Cenerentola this 22nd of January, marking the start of the Teatro dell’Opera’s celebrations of the bicentenary of the first-ever performance of his The Barber of Seville, in Rome. This is a new staging of Rossini’s masterful dramma giocoso, conducted by Alejo Pérez and directed by Emma Dante, making her debut at the Opera di Roma. The opera is a favourite with Italian and international audiences alike on account of its lightness and virtuoso singing. Emma Dante’s new production of this charming timeless story captivates the audience: a fairytale setting, but with certain breaks from tradition inspired by Pop Surrealism. “Cenerentola has nothing to hide,” explains the director, “even if it is all too obvious that she has been marginalised: she retains her noble character, both at home and abroad. Everything is played out on either side of a screen, distinguishing the various settings where the action takes place. What we cannot see with our own eyes is somehow magical; what we actually see is real. My intention has been to develop and stimulate the imagination through a game of appearances and conjuring. The magic wand restores the rightful order of things and facilitates a budding love story.”
