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Boris Kalendariov
Madame Butterfly at the MET
From top to bottom the hall at The Metropolitan Opera was so full for Puccini’s Madame Butterfly that people were willing to stand in the back to watch this spectacle. Since its premiere at the MET in 1907, with Puccini in the audience, this opera has been the most-performed in America and still maintains its original stellar elegance. This new production of Madame Butterfly as was envisioned by Anthony Minghella two years ago, a talented filmmaker who recently died, is now carried on through Carolyn Choa, his widow. Nonetheless, Minghella vision remains and is still able to captivate its audience.
Madame Butterfly is the story of B.F. Pinkerton, a traveling American lieutenant who stops by Japan. While visiting he ends up buying a 15-year-old geisha, Cio-Cio-San, for a wife, and they fall in love. He returns to America, while she waits for him. The story revolves around their fondness of each other and her incapability of accepting that he abandoned her.
Although Maria Gavrilova and Marcello Giordani, replacing Patricia Racette and Roberto Aronica who happened to be ill, sang the roles of Cio-Cio-San and Pinkerton, the graceful sets as designed by the late Minghella were able to complement their not-so-great operatic voices. (Mr. Giordani had performed the night before and therefore was not able to project his voice as well as he should have.) Powerful or not, the tenor was still able to portray his American swagger, while the soprano was right alongside complementing him with her naivety. The Yin and Yang of their performances remained as was set in the libretto yet lacked the passion and emotion that Puccini had envisioned. (Again this could be due to the fact that these were replacements and therefore were not able to develop an on-stage connection.)
The concerted effort of the orchestra, conducted by Patrick Summers, offered a continuously engaging performance that was able to harmonize with the libretto. From beginning to end the sounds of the orchestra was able to invoke more emotion than the actual singing with its leitmotifs.
Even more spectacular was the ability of the set designs and costumes to establish an ambiance of 1800s Japan. The appearance of the rice-paper doors, the umbrellas and colorful attire brilliantly set the setting. While, the inclination of the stage was genius in that it added more depth to the stage. It was balanced by the mirrored ceiling, which also allowed for more open space. The use of the Bunraku puppetry also brought more a feeling of Japan to the opera.
Lanterns and spotlights were used to illuminate the characters faces during the opera. This allowed for each character to be more distinguished. Moreover, it added a flavor of dramatic specificity. The final act at its climax presented a monochrome light shinning on the bloodied Cio-Cio-San, complemented by the music of Mr. Summers, it was a powerful way to conclude the opera.
Madame Butterfly is playing at the Metropolitan Opera, located on Broadway between 63rd and 65th street. The show is playing through March 7th.
Madama Butterfly Hundred Years Later
Madama Butterfly’s popularity never seems to die with a full house at the Metropolitan Opera even after over a hundred years since its first performance in 1907. This production of Madama Butterfly by the late Anthony Minghella first showed at the MET two years ago and has received great reviews since then. Minghella had a successful career as a director in the film industry with an Academy Award for Best Director in 1996 for The English Patient. Minghella made his debut in opera with directing Madama Butterfly first performed at the English National Opera in 2005. It soon made its way to the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre in the same year and finally to the Metropolitan Opera in September of 2006.
On Tuesday evening, American soprano Patricia Racette as Cio-Cio-San and Italian tenor Roberto Aronica as Pinkerton both fell ill and unable to perform that night. For these two main roles, Maria Gavrilova played Cio-Cio-San and Marcello Giordani played Pinkerton. Gavrilova, playing the 15-year old Cio-Cio-San, or Madame Butterfly, went on with the performance in a professional fashion. She had the powerful and yet innocent voice that this role required. The opera is about a young geisha, Cio-Cio-San, who marries a US Naval Officer named Pinkerton, whose performance by Giordani was decent compared to Gavrilova because this low tenor had a small voice in which in time to time was enclosed by the strong orchestra. Cio-Cio-San in result of loving him goes through disownment from her family. However Pinkerton does not have the same feelings of love for Cio-Cio-San, and even leaves her for three long years. The purity of the girl leaves her to believe that he will come back and she waits for him with strong hope. Pinkerton comes back to Cio-Cio-San three years later but with his new American wife. This shocks Cio-Cio-San and it leads to a powerful ending.
The production team shows the importance of the ending in great manner. The use of lighting in the end gave a powerful effect and better understanding of the characters’ feelings. Not only the lighting however, the mirror in the ceiling, the great costumes, and the choreography was in result of the experienced and hard working production team. The music in this opera could not go unnoticed. Written by Giacomo Puccini, the music was wonderfully performed by the orchestra. Conductor Patrick Summers successfully led the orchestra into perfect sync with the singers on stage. This powerful music gave great effect into the opera in a whole which merely reading the libretto could never do.
Performances of Madama Butterfly at the Metropolitan Opera for the 2008-2009 season will run through March 7, 2009 with the next performance being held this Wednesday, November 19, 2008.
I was once asked, “What is there really to see in NYC?” A regular New Yorker would have simply brushed this question off, but since I wondered the same thing I was deeply struck by the word “really”. Was the tourist implying that there was nothing of real cultural weight to see? Regardless, I went on for a few weeks after this question pondering a possible answer and I was soon struck with complete helplessness for I saw nothing anymore that enticed me. Every different venue now began to seem as though it was missing key points and a general mood of cynicism overtook me. I was in this such state of mind when I came to see Madame Butterfly.
Historically Madame Butterfly is an opera uniting two arts, the traditional opera form and Broadway. It is an opera displaying colors and designs that are exotic, the music is of Italian sense but also with themes that are French, American and Japanese. The late Anthony Minghella’s production not only created a visual masterpiece but also a transition to a new form of Opera. A braid of so many different nuances knotted together to create a palate of such senses and colors that even the most depressed of us would find a glimmer of enjoyment. The lighting was superb and the props were extraordinary (a puppet for a boy, - genius). Every little trick was brought forth and created a delectable morsel for the ears and the eyes. Opera is not usually so concentrated on an objective of pleasure, it is either you like and understand opera or you’re a novice fake tourist trying to pretend you’re an intellectual.
Although there was a moment of sadness due to the fact of substitute singers; Maria Gavrilova (Cio Cio San) and Marcello Giordani (Gen. Pinkerton) performed at the top level and did not create a single bland moment. Such a situation only serves as comment to the Metropolitan Opera, it shows how deep and strong the company is.
Madame Butterfly is based on a play by David Balscone. It is an opera thought by many as a dedication to western domination of the east. An American general Pinkerton marries a Japanese Geisha Cio Cio San and he soon leaves back to America, only to abandon his young wife and newly born son. Cio Cio San then continues in normal opera manner to struggle with love and despair singing beautiful “a tre voce” arias. Maria Gavrilova enhanced the opera with her ability to span every note with direct attack and sustain each theme (even when humming!).
Each set was like a painting with music simple blocking only served more to accentuate the prowess of the singers and modern stage technology quieted set transitions and they no longer interfered with the more quiet orchestral solos, like those of the oboe in the 2nd act. Charming little ornaments such as purple “snow” and moon lamps enveloped our senses and gave a brilliant display of attention to detail.
One does not have to go to the Guggenheim, a fashion show, Carnegie hall, nor Central Park, for all these different aesthetic values were held close to the Opera’s production. Thus a display of color and sound alleviated my stupor and brightened my belief in the city’s cultural abilities and it will definitely do the same for anyone else!
You might want to bring a pair of sunglasses to this one. The Metropolitan Opera’s version of Giacomo Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” was definitely an experience to remember.
The two leads, Patricia Racette and Roberto Aronica seemed to have been ill for the performance, so my perception of Anthony Minghella’s true production was slightly hindered. Though I must admit that that their replacements, Maria Gavrilova and Marcello Giordani definitely delivered a spectacular show.
Gavrilova, though not the perfect match to my perception of Cio-Cio-San, did exceptionally well in carrying her voice throughout the Metropolitan Opera, and probably even into the street outside; its safe to say that her voice had an extreme impact on her part, as well as the audience, and it was definitely something to remember.
I must say that the use of puppets in this piece was genius, and in some points even beautiful. The coordination and professionalism exhibited by the puppeteers astounded even me, even though I wasn’t exactly up close to the actors. I must admit that I was a bit put off by the puppet of Cio-Cio-San’s son. I felt that an actual child actor would have contributed to the piece better than the puppet did.
The most memorable part of the show was indefinitely its finale. Cio-Cio-San definitely gave the phrase “lady in red” a new meaning. I must say that the lighting effects and the portrayal of Cio-Cio-San’s death were simply magnificent. I’ll admit that the lighting became a bit overwhelming, but I feel that it was a beautiful way of staging her death. I also rather enjoyed Pinkerton’s reaction to Cio-Cio-San’s death. He didn’t exactly run to her to express any pain or anguish. My perception of the ending of the piece correlated with the actual opera’s portrayal perfectly.
-Varun Sahadevan
“Calling A Caterpillar A Butterfly”
With an aerial view from the family circle, the sets of Madama Butterfly still managed to enthrall an optimist, such as myself, while the music and voices struggled to sound their best at the elevated altitude of the fifth floor balcony.
Anthony Minghella’s production offered wonderful cinematic aspects, such as the sliding Shoji screen doors, the walls formed from flower petals, and the horizontal strip of monochromatic light, which served as an ambient tone setter. It was bright yellow, as the sun, during jovial parts, and transitioned into a blood red during scenes of great despair.
The production’s use of striking colors, especially in the stylish costumes by the Chinese fashion designer Han Feng, and sets added to the experience of a beautifully sung opera. The raked stage and mirrored ceiling in the back of the stage created a necessary visual drama for the singers’ entrances. The cavernous Met stage had more than enough space for the sets design and the blocking of the singers.
While it was a very interesting and captivating production to watch, the voice of the substitute tenor – Marcello Giordani – was exhausted after performing the night before. He came out onto stage this Tuesday worn-out from his previous performance. The soprano, Maria Gavriola, substituting for Patricia Racette, had a high, strong voice that brought words together into a fortissimo, but sounded like a mumble once extremely high notes were reached.
The well-known tragic finale of the opera could not be portrayed more beautifully or lucidly than it was at the Metropolitan Opera. The red velvet extending from Cio Cio San’s kimono and the vivid red lighting contributed to a powerful, dramatic ending. Many have taken issue with the use of the puppet in the final act, but I found it ingenious and striking, although I found the puppet portraying Cio Cio San in the dream distracting and overkill.
The brilliant use of “Met titles,” not only translates the opera from Italian to English, German, or Spanish, but also visually displays what is being said. Although it is not necessary to read or fully understand what the performers sing – word for word – because of the strong emotion in their voices, it is still a fantastic option to help you understand what is going on. Personally, I turned off the subtitles and just listened to the performers understanding everything. As the Met’s longtime conductor James Levine once said, surtitles are far from necessary in the opera house (he once said they would be installed “over [his] dead body.”)
Madama Butterfly runs through March 7at the Met Opera in Lincoln Center, NYC between 63rd and 66th Street on Broadway.
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