A Dynamic Bartoli Powers Rossini’s ‘La Cenerentola’

Superstar mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli can’t possibly sing everywhere she is wanted, so fortunately her legion of fans can delight and marvel as she takes the title role of Rossini’s “La Cenerentola” tonight and Sunday on PBS.

Cenerentola is, of course, Cinderella, and this production by Roberto De Simone at Houston Grand Opera (imported from Teatro Comunale di Bologna; overseen in Houston by Fabio Sparvoli) emphasizes the human dimension and keeps any tendency for caricature reasonably in check. The broadcast preserves a live performance in November. It was directed for television as part of the “Great Performances” series by Brian Large.

Bartoli is exemplary in beauty of tone and masterly technique, making all the bravura sound not only effortless and phenomenally varied, but also expressive and inevitable. It is virtually impossible to suppress a sense of giddy happiness in hearing it. One’s spirit soars along with her voice.

The surprise, if there is any, is in Bartoli’s natural acting ability. She wins hearts by directness, openness and simplicity. No diva mannerisms are on view, even though she’s entitled to a few.

None of the other singers are in her exalted league. Raul Gimenez sings the prince, Don Ramiro, with slender, silvery tone that, fortunately, arises from an appealing base of ardor. He also looks good and acts with persuasive sincerity.

Enzo Dara is a blustery, crusty, vocally adept stepfather, Don Magnifico. A native of Mantua, he has the same natural ease with the language and the physical gestures of Italian comic opera as Bartoli does.

Vocally, things tend to fall off a bit with the others. Laura Knoop and Jill Grove sing and act decently as the silly stepsisters. Alessandro Corbelli acts with proper fatuousness as the valet masquerading as the prince, although the voice is woolly. Michele Pertusi makes a hollow-sounding tutor.

“Cenerentola,” however, is very much an ensemble opera, and here any individual deficiencies of the cast converge and cancel into those irresistibly sparking numbers that bubble with buoyant, precise rhythms. This is the stuff of comic opera, and conductor Bruno Campanella provides consistently stylish support.

Mauro Carosi designed the simple but handsome sets. Odette Nicoletti designed the confectionary costumes.

* “La Cenerentola” airs today at 9 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. on KCET (Channel 28).

Cyber tip: The Cecilia Bartoli FanWeb can be found at: https://www.nwu.edu/music/bartoli