I have always liked the soprano léger role of La Fée (the Fairy Godmother), one of several that Massenet created with the voice of talented American soprano Sibyl Sanderson in mind. He and his colleagues have created a Cendrillon that is at once a fairy tale, connected quite literally to the source of the libretto by Henri Cain - Charles Perrault's 1697 story Cendrillon, ou la petite pantoufle de verre, reproduced in large print on the walls of the set and some of the costumes - and a modern, almost minimalistic design.Įglise Gutierrez as La Fée, Cendrillon, Santa Fe Opera, directed by Laurent Pelly, costumes by Laurent Pelly and Jean-Jacques Delmotte, photo by Ken Howard © 2006 In Cendrillon, it is director Laurent Pelly, whose thrilling and sometimes over-the-top productions at the Opéra de Lyon and the Théâtre du Châtelet have become infamous. The French connection strikes again, after Natalie Dessay's superb Pamina in The Magic Flute and Laurent Naouri's vainglorious Escamillo in Carmen. The Santa Fe staging is a near-perfect combination of stupendous singing and playing and an inventive and beautiful design. This charming opera is a favorite of mine, and I wrote about it last year in a minor production in Washington (in a chopped up and modernized version with the prince sung by a tenor). Last night, however, I saw the new production of Massenet's Cendrillon, and it is an overwhelming triumph. It has been an extraordinary week here at the Santa Fe Opera, and I have heard a number of excellent performances. Joyce DiDonato as Cendrillon and Eglise Gutierrez as La Fée, Cendrillon, Santa Fe Opera, directed by Laurent Pelly, sets by Barbara de Limburg, costumes by Laurent Pelly and Jean-Jacques Delmotte, photo by Ken Howard © 2006

Renee fleming santa fe opera