Jean-Pierre Ponnelle: La Cenerentola

The libretto, written by Jacopo Ferretti, differs quite significantly from the familiar fairy tale by Charles Perrault. Instead of a fairy godmother, the benevolent magician is the philosopher Alidoro, who helps Cinderella attend the ball. And instead of a glass slipper, there is a bracelet, which the Prince uses to search for his beloved.

Ponnelle used the same method as in his other famous works ("The Barber of Seville", "The Marriage of Figaro"): the music was pre-recorded in a studio (conducted by the great Claudio Abbado with the orchestra of La Scala), and then filming took place over this flawless playback.

Cinematographer David Watkin was a true genius: his camera work masterfully brings to the screen a visual world that never distracts from the music but instead helps the audience understand it.

American mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade created perhaps the most famous portrayal of Cinderella on screen. The Prince is played by Francisco Araiza, a Mexican tenor whose voice is perfectly suited to the Mozart and Rossini repertoire. Paolo Montarsolo was a true star of the comic genre. His Don Magnifico is not just a villain but an absurd and hilarious character. The scenes involving him at the court are the comedic highlight of the film. Claudio Desderi (Dandini, the Prince's servant) teams up with Montarsolo to create one of the most brilliant comic duets. Desderi's astonishing vocal expressiveness and his ability to rattle off tongue-twisters make his character unforgettable.

Jean-Pierre Ponnelle's "Cinderella" is not just the definitive video recording of an opera that still feels fresh decades later. It is a fully realized cinematic work, bringing together Rossini's genius music, a magnificent conductor, a stellar cast, and a visionary director who turned opera into pure fairy tale. This film remains the best "Cinderella", beloved by generations of audiences — and that's hard to argue with.