Vienna's Kammeroper is potentially an ideal setting for La Cenerentola. Despite technical limitations imposed by the stage and pit, the venue can indeed produce remarkable results - as recent productions, such as La bohème or Curlew River have testified.

Here, Rossini has been given a touch of Christmas pantomime, with greatly reduced recitatives, and the introduction of Luna (the Man on the Moon) guesting as a German narrator (Alexander Wächter) to guide the audience through the plot.

The concept is hardly flattered by the combination of Mark Glaser's unimaginative sets and Petra Reinhardt's costumes, which really do little to make the piece sparkle. As such, the production remains interesting as a vehicle for the young members of the Theater an der Wien ensemble to test their mettle in new repertoire - in some instances with positive rewards.

Both in this house and in the larger scale Theater an der Wien productions, Gaia Petrone has left a strong impression through her stage presence and intense acting, as well as through her luscious, well-produced mezzo. As anticipated, Angelina is an ideal choice for the young Italian, lying comfortably in dynamics and range, and with Petrone demonstrating bel canto agility and finesse to compete with so-called leading specialists in the field - in addition to a generous measure of charm. While the general style was by no means awry, further polishing by a true specialist could be of benefit - not only to her, but to the entire ensemble.

Andrew Owens proved to be an excellent vocal foil to his chosen princess, well shaping his lines and tackling Ramiro's florid moments with accuracy and aplomb.

Igor Bakan switched between Don Magnifico and Alidoro, making the best out his virtually caricatured roles with apparently tireless vocal and physical stamina, and with his penetrating bass-baritone easily responding to the challenges of Rossini's demanding tessitura.

Ben Connor's Dandini was atypical in his glamorous stance - and alas in his vocal approach, which perhaps deserves some reconsideration back at the drawing board.

Tisbe (Natalia Kawalek-Plewniak) and Clorinda (Gan-ya Ben-gur Akselrod) received as-good-as identical costumes and wigs, with the former making good measure of her stage spectacles, and the latter emphasizing a rather goofy smile to good effect.

The Wiener Kammerorchester seemed rather ill-at-ease with Rossini's effervescent score under the baton of Konstantin Chudovsky, producing only the sheer basics required to serve the composer. On a similar level, director Jasmin Solfaghari hardly took the cast beyond standard interpretations, culminating - despite obvious engagement by the cast - in one of the Kammeroper's lesser successes with its current ensemble.