CENDRILLON Comes to Paris Opera in October

Cendrillon comes to Paris Opera next month. Performances run from 25 October to 16 November 2023.

Although inspired by Perrault's fairy tale, Jules Massenet's Cendrillon joyfully diverges from it: there is no pumpkin or carriage, and even less of a fairy slipper to be tried on. What is the point, since Cinderella and Prince Charming recognise each other immediately? Do they not share the same loneliness despite their different social positions?

In choosing female voices for these two roles, Massenet underlines their kindred souls in a seductive score that deliberately combines styles. Mariame Clément handles the work with great sensitivity. The director plays with clichés and the Belle Époque - the era in which the score was created - with allusions to the Fée Électricité and the cinema of Méliès. A means to reflect on the myth and social conventions... whilst preserving a childlike soul.

To post a comment, you must register and login.