Based on the world-renowned fairy tale Cinderella, La Cenerentola is an opera by Italian composer Gioachino Rossini. Written in only three weeks, the opera premiered in 1817 when the Rossini was only 25 and only a year after the premiere of Rossini's iconic opera The Barber of Seville. Although the show would go on to match The Barber in popularity throughout most of Europe, the opera slowly faded from the repertoire of classic work due to the immensely difficult, technically demanding vocals of the leading role. It wasn't until the 20th Century that the opera became popular once again, effectively ensuring its place as a staple of the standard operatic repertoire.