La Cenerentola | Gioacchino Rossini

This operatic gem from one of the great masters of melody is a benchmark of extraordinary vocalism. The title role of the sleepwalking girl was composed for the greatest diva of the day, Giuditta Pasta (for whom Bellini would write the intensely demanding tragic role of Norma later the same year). The part requires a rare combination of innocence, charm, and breathtaking vocal virtuosity. Bellini also had the most sensational tenor of the day on his roster for this opera: the legendary Giovanni Battista Rubini, whose vocal abilities were at least as astounding as Pasta’s and whose music is equally challenging and enthralling. The opera, an immediate success in its day despite a plot that stretched the bounds of plausibility, was categorized as semiseria, or “semi-serious.” Deeper than a comedy, but in no way a tragedy, La Sonnambula reaches its conclusion through genuine, poignant character development, rather than by intrigue or farce.

The Creators
Vincenzo Bellini (1801–1835) was a Sicilian composer who possessed an extraordinary gift for melody and a thorough understanding of the human voice. His meteoric career was cut short by his death at the age of 33, shortly after his opera I Puritani triumphed in its Parisian premiere. Felice Romani (1788–1865) was the official librettist of Milan’s Teatro alla Scala. Bellini’s frequent collaborator (he worked with the composer on all but two of his operas), he also wrote the libretti for Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore and Anna Bolena, among many other works. The original source of the drama was a ballet-pantomime by Eugčne Scribe (1791–1861), the prolific French dramatist whose work was influential in the development of grand opera and who provided librettos for such composers as Meyerbeer, Verdi, and Donizetti.

The Setting
The opera is originally set in a village in the Swiss Alps in the early 1800s, a deliberately fabled yet plausible setting that reflects the story’s balance between realism and dream-time. The Met’s new production, by director Mary Zimmerman, places the action in a modern-day rehearsal room where an opera company is rehearsing a production of La Sonnambula, an idea that takes its cue from the opera’s themes of sleep and wakefulness.

The Music
The soloists and chorus interact often in this opera, an unusual feature of Bellini’s works and one that successfully reflects the idea of a tight village community. This serves as the background for the solos and duets, in which Bellini achieves a remarkable mastery of vocal expression. The graceful lyric elegance that was his domain is evident in the Act I tenor–soprano duet, “Son geloso del Zefiro errante,” as the tenor asks forgiveness for his jealousy. Bellini’s genius, though, is not limited to melody: there are subtle characterizations woven into the music. The tenor’s conflicted feelings find full and nuanced expression in his Act II aria, “Ah! perchč non posso odiarti?” The great final scene for the soprano has long been famous as a concert and recital piece, but only within the context of the opera does it reveal Bellini’s dramatic accomplishment. It is an astounding depiction of a young girl’s emerging personality, conveyed through great singing.

La Sonnambula at the Met
The opera joined the Met repertory within a month of the company’s 1883 opening, showcasing the talents of diva Marcella Sembrich. (She encored the final aria on the opera’s premiere night.) After Sembrich, La Sonnambula only made sporadic appearances at the Met to feature various coloratura divas: among them were Elvira de Hidalgo (later Maria Callas’s teacher) for two performances in 1910, and Lily Pons (8 performances from 1932 to 1935). Joan Sutherland gave 26 performances of the work between 1963 and 1969 in a new production designed by Rolf Gérard and conducted by Silvio Varviso, and Renata Scotto a further seven performances in 1972. Both singers did much to expand the public’s perception of the opera’s dramatic qualities. Tenors who gave memorable performances in La Sonnambula at the Met include Enrico Caruso (1905–06), Beniamino Gigli (1932), Giacomo Lauri-Volpi (1933), and Nicolai Gedda (1963–72).

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