father relates how in her delirium she spoke to him about the prince, the oak, and the slipper. Pandolfe convinces her that it was all a dream. Madame de la Haltière and her daughters appear with the news about an assembly of all eligible princesses at the King's palace. As a royal herald summons the princesses to go and try on the glass slipper, Cendrillon realizes that her dream was true. During the march of the princesses, the scene changes.Second Tableau: A great hall in the palaceBack at the ballroom in the palace the prince recognizes Cendrillon among the princesses. The lovers are reunited and acclaimed by all present, even Madame de la Haltière. All turn to the audience and, out of character, sing that the piece is over and they have done their best to send the audience through "les beaux pays bleus (the beautiful blue countries)". Music The part of Prince Charming is a breeches role, sung by a Falcon soprano—or "soprano de sentiment"—according to the libretto, a dark dramatic and characteristically French soprano voice. There is no authority for transposing this role for a tenor. This voice type is contrasted in Cendrillon's other scenes with the coloratura writing for the fairy godmother, which is characterised by trills and arpeggios. The 18th-century is echoed in witty pastiche of galant music, such as the trio of harp, viola d'amore, and flute that fails to rouse the melancholy and silent prince at the opening of Act 2. The score includes a ballet, a series of entrées at the ball of princesses who fail to satisfy the Prince, contrasted with the spectral ballet under a "bluish light" in Act 3, where Cain interposes an episode in which Lucette (as Cendrillon is called) and her Prince are kept apart and tested by the arts of la Fée (Fairy Godmother). Noted arias Ah! que mes soeurs sont heureuses (Cendrillon) - Act I Ah! douce enfant (La Fée) - Act 1 Coeur sans amour (Le Prince Charmant) - Act 2 Enfin, je suis ici (Cendrillon) - Act 3 À deux genoux (Le Prince Charmant, Cendrillon) - Act 3 Recordings See also La Cenerentola (Rossini) References Notes Sources Harding, J. (1970), Massenet. J. M. Dent & Sons Ltd, London. Loewenberg, A. (1978), Annals of Opera. London, John Calder. Milnes, Rodney (1998), "Cendrillon", in Stanley Sadie (Ed.), The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, Vol. One. Macmillan,