Madison Opera's production of Rossini's Cinderella (La Cenerentola) closed the mainstage season of the 2011/12 Season of Dreamers. It was a stylish production directed by Garnett Bruce, in which the classic fairy tale was transported to 1930s Hollywood. Maestro John DeMain led a sparkling musical performance that had everyone on their feet. Madison Opera has been lauded in the past for its productions, and Cinderella won over audiences and critics alike!
Mezzo-soprano Daniela Mack (Cinderella)
as she dreams of a new life.
77 Square - "Lights, camera, action on a savvy Cinderella"
Tenor Gregory Schmidt (Ramiro)
as a star director at Palace Pictures.
Patrons got into the fun of the era with tableaux vivant presented by the Edgewood High School Drama Department (which recently took home a 2011/12 Tommy Award for their production of West Side Story). The talented students posed in scenes referencing some of 1930s Hollywood's most iconic stars and characters:
Edgewood High School students as film stars Lena Horne and Katharine Hepburn,
Scarlett O'Hara from Gone with the Wind, andAlfalfa and Darla of the Little Rascals.
On opening night, we hosted the annual gala to benefit Madison Opera, this season appropriately titled A Night at the Palace. Anthony and Leslie Cao provided guests with post-opera musical entertainment.
Guests enjoy a pre-show dinner at A Night at the Palace.
We rounded off opening night at Fresco Rooftop Restaurant & Lounge,with our second annual OUT @ the Opera, the signature event for our LGBTQ and Allied affinity group.
Cinderella was an incredibly busy and extraordinarily fun weekend! Thank you to everyone who made the 2011/12 Season of Dreamers unforgettable. We encourage you to email your comments and let us know your thoughts.
Gioachino Rossini (or, Il Gastronomo Musicale) To opera lovers, Gioachino Rossini is remembered as the father of bel canto whose wit and personality equaled his effervescent writing style, catapulting him to stardom across Europe. To many, he’s the guy who gave us the theme song of The Lone Ranger:
and the background music for the famous Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd cartoon, Rabbit of Seville:
But if Rossini had chosen a different path, he could just as easily have been remembered as one of the greatest gastronomes of his lifetime.
It is no secret Rossini was a connoisseur of haute cuisine. He once said: “Appetite is for the stomach what love is for the heart. The stomach is the conductor, who rules the grand orchestra of our passion. The bassoon or the piccolo, grumbling its discontent or shrilling its longing, personify the empty stomach. Eating, loving, singing, and digesting are, in truth, the four acts of the comic opera known as life.”
Evidence of his love for a well-prepared meal is not relegated to pithy quotes; many references to food can be found in Rossini’s music. Don Magnifico’s second act aria in La Cenerentola (Cinderella), “Sia qualunque delle figlie” mentions sturgeons, marinades, cakes, buns, vanilla, and many other culinary treasures, and “Di tanti palpiti” from Tancredi was dubbed the “rice aria,” as Rossini composed it whilst cooking a batch of risotto. One cannot help but think of the Pappataci scene in L’italiana in Algieri (The Italian Girl in Algiers), as Mustafà is ordered to eat, drink, and sleep (we can guess which word Rossini would have underscored thrice). Additionally, a collection of somewhat ironic piano pieces, including an almond minuet and a theme and variation on anchovies.
Rossini was one of the most famous musicians in all of Europe, and to say he was “well-fed” is an understatement. As director of the Théâtre Italien in Paris from 1824-1836, Rossini’s position permitted him access to the highest echelons of the city’s culinary culture, but it was his status as a true gourmand that caused the finest Parisian establishments to compete for his patronage. Tables in all the best restaurants were reserved exclusively for Rossini, and the composer would be ceremonially ushered to his table after greeting everyone from the restaurant’s maître d’ to its lowliest cook.
Parisian chefs welcomed the chance to cook for “The Maestro” and created numerous dishes in an effort to both honor and impress him. Numerous sources tell us that Rossini had a particular favorite among them: Antonin Carême, who was known during his time as “The King of Chefs, and the Chef of Kings.” Carême once claimed, “Rossini is the only one who truly understands me.” Indeed, the sentiment appears to have been shared. Rossini composed two piano collections devoted to food: The Four Hors D'oeuvres (or Radishes, Anchovies, Gherkins andButter) and The Four Beggars, (or Dry Figs, Almonds, Raisins,andNuts). Carême reciprocated by creating dishes in Rossini’s honor, generally incorporating the composer’s favorite foods truffles and pâté de foie gras. Carême’s inspired dishes include Stuffed Turkey a la Rossini, Fillet of Sole a la Rossini; Eggs a la Rossini; and, most famous of all, Tournedos a la Rossini. Reportedly, Rossini could devour more than twenty Tournedos cutlets at a time.
To celebrate the opening night of Guillaume Tell, Rossini was served an apple tart complete with decorative apple and crossbow – a whimsical pastry to match the great composer’s sense of humor. Auguste Escoffier, a contemporary of Carême and equally celebrated French chef in his own right, also dedicated many recipes to Rossini in his book, La guide cuisine.
A dish a la Rossini typically consists of three key ingredients: black truffles, foie gras, and Madeira wine. The quintessential dish, Tournedos Rossini, consists of fillet mignon sautéed in butter, on a crouton with a slice of whole foie gras, topped with black truffles and a Maderia demi-glace.
You can learn more about Rossini, his music, and his love of food at Opera Up Close:The Cinderella Preview on Sunday, April 15, 1-3pm at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art. And why not indulge yourself by taking a crack at Tournedos Rossini:
Get inspired for Cinderella with Tournedos Rossini! Bon appetit!
Ingredients (serves 6)
·6 beef fillets
·⅜ oz butter
·1 slice fresh fois gras
·2 slices black truffle
·1 slice sliced bread
·1 tablespoon Madeira wine
Preparation
25 minutes preparation + 10 minutes cooking
Tie up the fillet slices with string so that they retain their round shape while cooking: Brown in butter until medium-rare, then remove the string.
Fry in oil and butter the slices of bread; arrange a tournedos on each bread slice, put the foie gras slice on top and garnish with the truffle shavings previously sautéed in butter.
Pour the Madera wine into the meat cooking juices and reduce; drizzle this reduction over the tournedos when ready to serve.
"So what is comes down to is this: when I attend an opera, I see people like me. People who like a good story, are moved by passion and feeling, and are wowed by talent, beautiful music, and a feast for the eyes. Opera is very welcoming if you take in everything it offers. Yes, opera is for everyone."
That is an excerpt from The Livingston Inn blog post on opera as an art for everyone. Be sure to check it out here, and pass it on to anyone in your life who has ever thought of themselves as the "wrong" audience for opera.
The Livingston Inn's post truly speaks to why all of us at Madison Opera— our administrative staff, production crew, Board members, volunteers, and the nice people who bring us cookies— are passionate about what we do and work to share it with our patrons and our patrons-to-be. Possibly the most gratifying words this blogger hears are: "This was my first opera ever and I loved it!"
