With libretto by Charles Guillaume Etienne, this charming opera is based on Charles Perrault’s classic telling of the folk tale Cinderella, and takes the form of an Opéra-comique with spoken dialogue between the musical numbers. It was first performed in 1810 and took Europe by storm until the arrival of Gioachino Rossini’s La Cenerentola, ossia La bontà in trionfo in 1817.

Nicolò Isouard was born in Malta in 1773 and died in Paris in 1818. He is known to have studied in Rabat, Palermo and Naples before moving to Paris, where he began his career as a composer. Scholars originally believed that he was of French origin due to his association with the Opéra comique of Paris and the pronunciation of his surname. Today, Isouard is considered to be one of the best Maltese composers of his time.