2023-11-06 14:36:28
The Lausanne Opera revives “Cendrillon”, a late composition by the composer, pianist and singer Pauline Viardot, already presented in 2018. This refreshing comic opera inspired by Perrault’s tale is offered in a staging dedicated to young audiences.
When “Cinderella” was presented to the public in the Parisian living room of one of her former students on April 23, 1904, Pauline Viardot was already 83 years old. Despite its advanced age, the work is admirable in its freshness and contagious pleasure. A great intellectual figure of the 19th century, the pianist, composer and excellent singer saw the entire artistic Parisian of the time parade through her living room for years and therefore had nothing more to prove.
For this opera, for which she wrote the music and libretto, the artist draws inspiration largely from Charles Perrault’s tale, but she nevertheless takes certain liberties, notably replacing the wicked stepmother of the popular story with an indifferent and clumsy stepfather. .
Written for seven singers and a piano, the work was re-orchestrated for an ensemble of twelve musicians for the Lausanne Opera by the composer Didier Puntos in 2018. It is this augmented version which is being reproposed these days by the Lausanne institution , in the same inventive staging by Gilles Rico as five years ago.
>> Listen to a report from the Lausanne Opera and an interview with director Gilles Rico regarding his production of “Cinderella”:
Cinderella on display at the Lausanne Opera for the happiness of children / 12:30 p.m. / 2 min. / today at 12:42
Magic and enchantment
The French director offers a show full of magic and enchantment which relies on numerous special effects, light shows and sets that come to life. Marie (Nuada Le Drève), a pink-haired teenager distressed by the death of her mother, locks herself in her room following an argument with her father and falls asleep. And now her bed flies into the air: the young girl finds herself in a bourgeois living room in the guise of Cinderella, flanked by two contemptuous sisters (Aurélie Brémond and Ludmila Schwartzwalder) and a stepfather, the Baron de Pictordu (Rémi Ortega), who ignores him.
The rest is more classic: while her whole family has gone to the ball given by Prince Charming (Maxence Billiemaz) who is looking for a sweetheart, Cinderella sees her fairy godmother (Emma Delannoy) appear who descends from the sky like Mary Poppins. There follows a hilarious sequence full of explosions during which the poor fairy, very clumsy, has to try several times to transform the lizards into lackeys, a squash into a carriage and a convenient rat into a coachman.
The fairy godmother (Emma Delannoy) in “Cinderella” by Pauline Viardot directed by Gilles Rico. [Cyril Zingaro – Opéra de Lausanne]
The famous pump
Cinderella goes to the ball, forgets her beautiful shiny pump in her flight at the stroke of midnight. It is recovered by the Prince who goes from house to house to find the foot of the person who fits the shoe. Add to this an exchange of roles and costumes between the Prince and his valet Barigoule (Jean Miannay) and we obtain entertainment rich in twists and turns, despite some scenes which drag on.
The production is served by an excellent vocal line-up mainly from the Lausanne High School of Music (HEMU). Soprano Nuada Le Drève composes a convincing Cinderella, while baritone Rémi Ortega shines in the role of her devious stepfather. In the pit, the young conductor Marc Leroy-Calatayud directs the HEMU orchestra while sometimes interacting with the singers during the opera, provoking laughter from the many children present in the room.
Baron de Pictordu (Rémi Ortega) in his aria in praise of Bayonne ham (!) in “Cinderella” by Pauline Viardot on the stage of the Lausanne Opera. [Cyril Zingaro – Opéra de Lausanne]
Many advantages
“Cinderella”, which constitutes the work intended for young audiences for this 2023/24 season, contains assets to please young and old: the right amount of rhinestones and sequins, neat and funny tunes, costumes extravagant and hairstyles that are just as extravagant. Special mention to the decorations by Bruno de Lavenère, whose sober black and white contrasts with the brightly colored toilets of the two sisters Marguelonne and Armelinde.
Finally, we can recall here that the Lausanne Opera will offer another version of “Cinderella” next April, intended for older audiences this time, that of the French composer Jules Massenet.
Melissa Härtel
“Cinderella” by Pauline Viardot, Opéra de Lausanne, to be discovered once more on Wednesday November 8, as well as November 10, 11 and 12, 2023. The show is offered with prices suitable for families.
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