Cenerentola

It is the classic tale of the poor young girl who marries her prince.

Told in every land throughout the mists of time,

it epitomises the triumph of goodness and grace

over injustice and oppression.

We know it, of course, as Cinderella.

There are hundreds of versions of the story.

Some can be traced back to ancient Greece, others to the Far East,

to medieval Europe. she even appears in American-Indian folklore.

But the version we're most familiar with comes from 17th-century France,

from a children's book by Charles Perrault

in which the poor, unloved step-daughter Cinderella

is sleeping in the attic and doing all the harshest household chores,

while her overbearing step-sisters live a life of luxury.

The Italian composer Rossini was the first to set this story as an opera

called La Cenerentola.

It took him just three weeks to write and was an instant success.

But what we're about to see

would have surpassed even Rossini's wildest dreams.

It's been created by legendary Italian producer Andrea Andermann,

who's famous for taking us out of the opera house

and into the most stunning real-life locations.

So, we are in some of the most beautiful palaces and gardens in Turin.

Why Turin? Well, this is where the King of Italy actually lived

so if you were looking for your Prince Charming,

you'd find him here.

Four locations were used -

the Venaria Reale,

the Mandria Park,

the Royal Palace

and here, the magnificent 18th-century Stupinigi royal hunting lodge.

What's more, this special adaptation of Rossini's opera was filmed live,

over two days in June,

and at the time of day the scenes in the story occur.

And, yes, that includes the famous ballroom scene,

which took place here in this dazzling ballroom,

exactly as the clock struck midnight.

Now, this opera - which is a comedy -

features some of Rossini's most beautiful and witty music.

At its heart is Cinderella, who's called Angelina in Rossini's opera

and is performed by the Ukrainian mezzo-soprano Lena Belkina.

The opera starts, not surprisingly, with an overture -

that age-old device to grab our attention

and get us into the spirit of the piece.

But you have a treat in store

because in this production the overture leads us right into

the heart of Cinderella's world using some very beautiful animation

to introduce the characters and the story.

It is a device that works really well

and is interwoven throughout the whole opera.

The story begins with Cinderella's early, happy childhood,

before the famous fairytale.

So, are you sitting comfortably? Then let's begin.

This is Rossini's Cenerentola.

Subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing by Red Bee Media Ltd