BWW Reviews: The Tenor's a Cinderella, the Mezzo's Charming and the Met's CENERENTOLA is a Dream

When the Met's production of LA CENERENTOLA, Rossini's version of the Cinderella story. arrives in movie theatres around the world next week, as the season's last Live in HD production, the star for many will be tenor Juan Diego Florez as the prince. But he didn't make it to the first three performances of the opera this season in New York--not that we got short-changed in the matter. Mezzo Joyce DiDonato was there in the title role, as scheduled, with her wonderfully sung, deeply felt portrayal and, as the prince, was Javier Camarena, the Met's own Cinderella man.

Tenor Camarena bowled over New York audiences in Bellini's LA SONNAMBULA earlier in the season, but he let out all the stops for this one, substituting for Florez. Indeed, his performance Don Ramiro (the prince) was a rarity at the house: It not only had the audience cheering but prompted an encore of his aria, "Si, ritrovarla io guiro," with its high-flying and outrageously ornamented vocal lines. (It was only the third time an encore was given in Met history, the others being for Pavarotti and Florez.) There's no doubt that Florez is spectacular in this role, but no one appeared disappointed when I attended on the 28th with Camarena's warm, suave voice and style.

With the Met's publicity machine working overtime to hype the relatively unknown tenor, it could have been enough to give mezzo DiDonato hives. However, if anything, it brought out her best in her portrayal of Angelina, the downtrodden stepchild-turned-princess. The two singers worked together flawlessly, particularly in their charming duet in the first scene, when he was still disguised as a valet. Her transformation from plain-Jane to high-glam was a pleasure to behold and her rendition of "Nacqui all'affanno... Non più mesta" was sublime, with the mezzo's pinpoint coloratura and flexibility shown at its best.

There was still more good singing, in the Met debut of baritone Pietro Spagnoli as Dandini, Ramiro's valet, with his excellent comic timing and assured presentation. As Alidoro--who is this opera's equivalent of Disney's fairy godmother--bass-baritone Luca Pisaroni had great stage presence but took a long time warming up.

In this broadly staged production by Cesare Lievi, with sets and costumes by Maurizio Balo that had touches of Magritte (bowler hats) and di Chirico (towering corridors), there's a great deal of slapstick although it doesn't always propel the action. Nevertheless, in the capable hands of bass Alessandro Corbelli as Don Magnifico, Cenerentola's gasbag of a stepfather, and soprano Rachelle Durkin and mezzo Patricia Risley, as the stepsisters, Clorinda and Tisbe, much of it managed to work, with the help of the male choristers under Donald Palumbo

Led by Met Principal Conductor Fabio Luisi, the Met orchestra was in fine form, propelling the action and intricate score. All in all, this was a grand night for music, for Camarena and DiDonato--and for those of us lucky enough to be there.

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Photo (left to right): Javier Camarena as Don Ramiro, Pietro Spagnoli as Dandini, Joyce DiDonato as Angelina, Alessandro Corbelli as Don Magnifico, Patricia Risley as Tisbe, and Rachelle Durkin as Clorinda

Photo by Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera

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