Peter Maxwell Davies

Cinderella

This short opera (duration of 50 minutes), aptly designed for children to perform with modest resources, is a version of the familiar tale, though with certain adaptations. Cinderella is an au pair girl who arrives on the scene by train, and there are three ugly sisters who get their just deserts in marriage to the appalling leaders of the armed forces. Writing for children in the Orkney Islands, Davies has also included some local references: these can be changed to suit other times and places. Musically the piece is a bright sequence of little songs, choruses, dialogue scenes and dances, probably best suited to children between the ages of eight and twelve, though the parts of the ugly sisters can usefully be taken by boys with broken voices.
Text only.
Duration c. 50mins.