Massenet: Cendrillon Cinderella

This is a marvellous recording. Frederica von Stade floats the title role in exquisite detail, passage after passage sounding just right, with a French style and clarity that puts most native French singers to shame. Even the boring bits (and it would not be 19th c. French opera without long boring stretchs where one can catch up on gossip without loss) become exciting when she is involved. The Philharmonia and Ambrosian Chorus under Julius Rudel are also at their best, and since both have a lot of work, this is a real plus. While Nicolai Gedda is not a soprano, I am more sympathetic to the transposition than many listeners, and he does sing very stylishly, though I suppose he was in his 50's when this was recorded. Jules Bastien makes up for lack of beautiful tone by a characterful performance and Jane Barbie is a delight. But it is von Stade that puts this one into orbit. It is now my favorite Massenet recording. And overall it makes a very stong version of the fairy tale.

This recording has clear and balanced sound and has very fine musical and vocal quality. As long as you don't mind the prince's role being done by a Tenner instead of it's traditional Soprano it is a good version for Opera lovers and students to listen to.

Great performance of a gorgeous opera. One flaw: the role of the prince charming was written for a soprano,.not a tenor. Nicolai Gedda was a great singer, but wrong for this role.

von Stade and Weltiny bring such beautiful voices to this project. Brava!

Received the product as described.

Somewhat of a rarity. Hardly ever performed. This is one of the few recordings, and it's richly satisfying.

Beautiful music. Good and fast service

Parfait particulièrement pour cette Cendrillon interprétée par F.V Stade - Je crois que l'on arrivera pas a faire mieux a l'avenir tout comme on arrivera pas a faire mieux que Sutherland dans Esclamonde -

Unlike the reviewer above, I didn't mind Nicoloi Gedda as the prince, but then I have never heard another recording of this opera. So far as I can make out there has never been another one; in the latter 20th-century it appears to have been produced only once (the production that led to this recording). Apparently it was written in a style that went out of vogue shortly after the first production--in 1902 I think (which, incidentally, was highly successful)--as a result of which this gem has been horribly neglected. If you like the samples that Amazon offers, rest assured that the entire score is just as good, or better, than what you heard here.