Opera Scotland

Cenerentola 1870Corri's Grand English Opera Company

Read more about the opera Cenerentola

The old Lacy adaptation of 1830 took extreme liberties with the work of Rossini and Ferretti, converting a subtle social comedy of manners into a broad traditional pantomime, complete with Fairy Queen and glass slipper.

The inauthentic characters of the servant Pedro and the Queen herself were taken by Mr T A Wylde and Miss Brontë.  They have been excluded from the authentic cast list below.

One appropriately authentic aspect of the performance was the casting of the title role with a contralto.  The correct elements of pathos were thus made clear.

Further performances in Scotland to be confirmed.

 

A Dundee Review

Dundee Advertiser: Friday, 18 March 1870  (p4)

The English Opera Company

'Last night’s entertainment opened with a performance of Rossini’s homely opera of Cinderella, which, though it occupied until ten o’clock, was succeeded by a concert of miscellaneous music, in which all the leading members of the company took part. The opera gave great delight. The story of Cinderella is known to everybody, and familiarity with the narrative renders appreciation of the music keener and more complete.

'Baron Pompolino is a character which Mr Henri Corri has made peculiarly his own. The partial old nobleman has not to sing a great deal, but by clever acting he is made the central figure of the piece. The chief features of Mr Henry Corri’s personation are its evenness and quaint vigour. He is entirely and continually the character, and the humour expressed is of the highest order. The Baron stands out with distinctness – a realisation which we feel is in thorough harmony with all that pertains to the story. Mr Parkinson, who took his accustomed part as the Prince, sang his music as usual in an effective style, but we cannot say much in praise of his acting; his mannerism does not allow him to carry regal dignity with grace. Mr Haydn Corri made a gallant Dandini, singing well, and looking the part to perfection.

'Miss Fanny Harrison’s Cinderella is a well-conceived, artistic performance. She sang the delicious airs falling to her with much pathos, and by the concluding song, which, as usual, she gave in the Italian, she brought down enthusiastic applause. The parts of the two daughters of Pompolino, Clorinda and Thisba, were taken respectively by Miss Millar and Miss Witnall. Miss Bronte personated the Fairy Queen; Mr Manley discharged the grave but not burdensome duties of the tutor Alidoro, and Mr Wylde supplied the comic element with his accustomed zest, the grotesque part of Pedro the servant being his worthy share of the performance. Hearty calls were given to the leading artistes on the fall of the curtain both in the second and third acts.

'The concert opened with an excellent performance of the popular overture to Guy Mannering, under the leadership of Mr Pew. Mr Haydn Corri then sang ‘Tom Bowling,’ and was followed by Madame Corri Gillies, who gave a brilliant rendering of ‘Venzano,’ of which an encore was heartily demanded, but the fine old ballad, ‘The Oak, the Ash, and the Ivy Tree,’ was substituted – this being sung with fine feeling and effect. Mr Parkinson sang ‘My Pretty Jane,’ and on being recalled gave a spirited rendering of the ‘Minstrel Boy.’ Miss Harrison gave with great acceptance ‘Kathleen Mavourneen,’ the last verse of which she sang twice, so warmly was an encore demanded. ‘Simon the Cellarer’ followed, sung in capital style by Mr Henry Corri, and the concert was brought to a termination at eleven o’clock with the Orpheus glee ‘Spring’s Delight,’ the artistes being Messrs Parkinson, Ellison, Haydn and Henry Corri.

'To-night, the favourite opera of Lurline is to be produced, this being the first time we have had an opportunity of hearing it in Dundee.