Pauline Viardot’s 1904 chamber operetta of Charles Perrault’s classic fairy tale exudes the joie de vivre found in the Paris of the composer’s time. As a singer and composer, Viardot was at the heart of artistic life in Paris during the second half of the 19th century, and counted George Sand, Chopin, Gounod, Berlioz, and Donizetti among her friends and admirers. Intended for salon style chamber performances, such as it received at its premiere in Viardot’s own salon featuring her own voice students, Cendrillon is filled with waltzes, mazurkas and polkas, bringing the beloved story of Cinderella to life in this lesser-known jewel of the operatic repertoire.