Cinderella
Alma Deutscher
In German with German and English surtitles
Synopsis
Alma Deutscher’s “Cinderella” is inspired by the famous fairy tale, but the young composer sets her opera in the world of music. The plot takes place at an opera house that was once managed by Cinderella’s father and is now ruled over by her scheming stepmother. Cinderella is a composer whose head is full of beautiful melodies, but she is treated with contempt by her new family, especially by her stepsisters, two would-be divas. The prince is a poet searching for a melody to go with his words. Finally, his lyrics and Cinderella’s melody find each other and the two artists are united in love.
Alma Deutscher wrote her first full opera at the age of 12. She first caused a stir on the music scene when she was very young. Her admirers include Anne-Sophie Mutter, Sir Simon Rattle and Zubin Mehta. On the premiere of Cinderella, “The Daily Telegraph” wrote: “Alma Deutscher is an extraordinary talent. (…) That a young girl could have the mental energy to compose a two-hour opera and take credit for its full orchestration is staggering; that the end result is a lively, coherent piece of comic opera is exceptional.” Alma Deutscher gave her Salzburg debut as a soloist in the 2019 Grand New Year’s Eve Concert at the Great Festival Hall.
Zubin Mehta has called Alma Deutscher (*2005) “one of the greatest musical talents today”. “Cinderella”, which saw its world premiere (orchestrated version) in Vienna in 2016, is the first full-length opera by the violinist, pianist and composer. Deutscher has played concerts around the world, for instance at the Lucerne Festival, the Festival Aix-en-Provence, the Beijing Music Festival, the Wiener Musikverein and the Wiener Konzerthaus. She gave her debut at New York’s Carnegie Hall in December 2019.
Carl Philip von Maldeghem stages Alma Deutscher’s opera “Cinderella” with principal conductor Gabriel Venzago as its musical director. Stefanie Seitz, who for instance works for the Bavarian State Theatre, the Deutsches Theater in Berlin and the Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus, is in charge of stage and costume design. Alma Deutscher is planning to write a new opera as a commissioned work for the Salzburg State Theatre for one of the following seasons.
Reviews
Mehr als glücklich auch der „Lauf“ der Operninszenierung: Charakter- und stimmungsvolle musikalische Ideen mit eingängigen Melodien in den Gesangspartien entfalten in Topbesetzung volle Wirkung, das Mozarteumorchester Salzburg überzeugt bei höchster Virtuosität und präzisem Zusammenspiel, das Libretto ist voller Witz, hat aber trotzdem Tiefgang.
In zwei coronabedingt pausenlosen Stunden läuft die Sache unterhaltsam ab. Intendant Carl Philip von Maldeghem bedient als Regisseur die Erwartungen seines Publikums an ein „Stück für die ganze Familie“ auf Punkt und Komma. Stefanie Seitz hat schlichte Bühnenbilder und bunte Kostüme beigesteuert. Gabriel Venzago holt mit dem beschwingt agierenden Mozarteumorchester Salzburg viele Farben aus der Partitur und feuert den von Ines Kaun bestens studierten Chor und das prächtige junge Gesangsensemble mit viel Animo an.
Selected performance
Tu 12/21/2021 07.30 pm
Salzburger Landestheater
Audio introduction
von Thomas Rufin
Cast (on 12/21/2021)
Musical Director
Ines Kaun
Director
Carl Philip von Maldeghem
Stage and Costume Design
Stefanie Seitz
Choreography
Kate Watson
Dramaturgy
Thomas Rufin
Cinderella
Laura Incko
Griselda
Hazel McBain
Zibaldona
Olivia Cosío
Die Stiefmutter
Anne-Fleur Werner
Der König
Raimundas Juzuitis
Der Prinz
Luke Sinclair
Ein Minister
Alexander Hüttner
Die gute Fee
Ariana Lucas
Sologeige
Alma Deutscher
Orchester
Mozarteumorchester Salzburg