Massenet: Cendrillon

Wilson’s conducting holds the score’s Gallic wit, dream-fantasy and sensuous romance in balance, conjuring delicious sounds from the London Philharmonic…Minasyan’s delicate, pinpoint accuracy... — Opera, March 2021 More…

Release Date: 19th Jun 2020
Catalogue No: OA1303D
Label: Opus Arte

Presto Recording of the Week

19th June 2020

Massenet: Cendrillon

Danielle de Niese (Cendrillon), Kate Lindsey (mezzo-soprano), Agnes Zwierko (mezzo-soprano), Glyndebourne (opera company)
London Philharmonic Orchestra
John Wilson

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Recording of the Week, Massenet's Cendrillon from Glyndebourne

19th June 2020

Danielle de Niese and Kate Lindsey bring real psychological depth to Cinderella and Prince Charming's relationship in Fiona Shaw's astute and sparkling production, with John Wilson supplying fairy-dust aplenty from the pit.

Fiona Shaw’s production dives deep into the psychological aspects of Massenet’s glittering Cinderella story

“... conductor John Wilson makes an endless delight of the enchanting candyfloss score.”

(The Stage ★★★★)

With its combination of enchanting love story and broad, burlesque comedy, Cendrillon is one of the great operatic fairy tales – a Cinderella that looks back to Charles Perrault’s original story in all its richness and ambiguity. Massenet’s sensuous Belle Epoque fairy tale is gilded with lavish orchestral textures and glittering vocal writing, drawing on everything from baroque dances to Wagner-inspired chromaticism to bring its story to colourful life, conjuring a world of infinite musical and emotional variety. Fiona Shaw’s original Tour production makes its Festival debut here, re-directed by Fiona Dunn and conducted by John Wilson, with a cast led by Glyndebourne favourites Danielle de Niese as Cendrillon and Kate Lindsey as her Prince.

Reviews

March 2021

Wilson’s conducting holds the score’s Gallic wit, dream-fantasy and sensuous romance in balance, conjuring delicious sounds from the London Philharmonic…Minasyan’s delicate, pinpoint accuracy makes the Fairy Godmother’s coloratura sound easy, which it isn’t…[De Niese's] charisma compels attention…[Lindsey's] full, dark mezzo and intense acting are pretty much ideal..in spite of its quirks, this sumptuous Cendrillon is a pleasure to hear—and often to see—in the good, old Glyndebourne tradition.

19th June 2020

Lindsey's dusky mezzo is the perfect foil to de Niese’s brighter sound, particularly crucial in the glorious love-duets...The other knock-out performance comes from Armenian soprano Nina Minasyan, whose ravishingly sung, unusually sassy Fairy Godmother all but steals the show...In the pit, John Wilson works miracles too, keeping a score which can easily seem stodgy and overblown light on its feet without ever short-changing or apologising for the music’s heart-on-sleeve sentimentality.

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Massenet: Cendrillon

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Recording of the Week, Massenet's Cendrillon from Glyndebourne

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