Cendrillon

Pauline Viardot was not only one of the most illustrious singers of her time, but also a composer of recognized talent. Three years after L'Élixir d'amour, David Lescot, reveals the mischievous and touching Cendrillon set to music, in the evening of her life, by this great musician.

This is a "salon opera", conceived for private performances - the premiere took place in Pauline Viardot's, herself, in 1904, when she was over 80. The libretto, faithful to Charles Perrault's fairy tale, is not lacking in whimsy, and the music blends frank, melodic writing with reminiscences of the golden age of Romanticism, reminding us in passing that the singer-composer, in her youth, counted among her friends Franz Liszt, Hector Berlioz and Frédéric Chopin. To bring this charming work back to life, the co[opera]tive has wisely chosen to flesh out its instrumentation with composer Jérémie Arcache, and entrust its staging to the mischievous David Lescot, while pianist Bianca Chillemi directs the show from the stage.