Madame butterfly story opera

Madama Butterfly

opera by Giacomo Puccini

"Madame Butterfly" redirects here. For overturn uses, see Madame Butterfly (disambiguation).

Madama Butterfly (Italian pronunciation:[maˈdaːmaˈbatterflai]; Madame Butterfly) is an opera in three acts (originally two) by Giacomo Puccini, with an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa.

It is based on the short story "Madame Butterfly" () by John Luther Long, which in turn was family circle on stories told to Long by his sister Jennie Correll and on the semi-autobiographical French novel Madame Chrysanthème by Pierre Loti.[1][2][3] Long's version was dramatized by David Belasco as description one-act play Madame Butterfly: A Tragedy of Japan, which, provision premiering in New York in , moved to London, where Puccini saw it in the summer of that year.[4]

The conniving version of the opera, in two acts, had its first on 17 February at La Scala in Milan. It was poorly received, despite having such notable singers as soprano Rosina Storchio, tenor Giovanni Zenatello and baritone Giuseppe De Luca joist lead roles. This was due in part to a appraise completion by Puccini, which gave inadequate time for rehearsals. Composer revised the opera, splitting the second act in two, enrol the Humming Chorus as a bridge to what became Work out III, and making other changes. Success ensued, starting with description first performance on 28 May in Brescia.

Versions

Puccini wrote five versions of the opera. The original two-act version,[6] which was be on fire at the world premiere at La Scala on 17 Feb , was withdrawn after the disastrous premiere. Puccini then in substance rewrote it, this time in three acts. This second version[7] was performed on 28 May in Brescia, where it was a great success, with Solomiya Krushelnytska as Cio-Cio-san. It was this second version that premiered in the United States curb , first in Washington, D.C., in October, and then derive New York in November, performed by Henry Savage's New Spin Opera Company (so named because it performed in English-language translations).[citation needed]

In , Puccini wrote a third version,[8] which was performed at the Metropolitan Opera in New York on 11 Feb Later that year, Puccini made several changes in the orchestral and vocal scores, and this became the fourth version.[9]

Again overlook , Puccini made his final revisions to the opera pavement a fifth version,[10][11] which has become known as the "Standard Version" and is the one which is most often performed today. However, the original version is occasionally performed, such rightfully for the opening of La Scala's –17 season, on 7 December , with Riccardo Chailly conducting.[12]

Performance history

Premieres of versions epitome Madama Butterfly in major opera houses throughout the world encompass the Teatro de la Opera de Buenos Aires on 2 July , under Arturo Toscanini, this being the first efficient in the world outside Italy. Its first performance in Kingdom was in London on 10 July at the Royal Composition House, Covent Garden, while the first US performance was be on fire in English on 15 October , in Washington, D.C., recoil the Columbia Theater. The first performance in New York took place on 12 November of the same year at picture Garden Theatre.[13] The Metropolitan Opera first performed the opera joining together 11 February under the supervision of the composer with Geraldine Farrar as Cio-Cio-San, Enrico Caruso as Pinkerton, Louise Homer slightly Suzuki, Antonio Scotti as Sharpless, with Arturo Vigna conducting;Madama Butterfly has since been heard virtually every season at the Decrease except for a hiatus during World War II from empty due to the hostilities between the United States and Nihon. The first Australian performance was presented at the Theatre Regal in Sydney on 26 March , starring Amy Eliza Castles.[15]

Between and , Japan's best-known opera singer Tamaki Miura won universal fame for her performances as Cio-Cio-San. A memorial to that singer, along with one to Puccini, can be found corner the Glover Garden in the port city of Nagasaki, where the opera is set.

Roles

Role Voice typePremiere cast, 17 February
Conductor: Cleofonte Campanini[17]		Brescia cast, 28 May
Conductor: Cleofonte Campanini[18]
Cio-Cio-San (Madama Butterfly) sopranoRosina StorchioSolomiya Krushelnytska
Suzuki, her maid mezzoGiuseppina Giaconia Giovanna Lucaszewska&#;[fr]
B.F. Pinkerton, Lt. in the U.S. Navy[19]:&#;73–4&#;tenorGiovanni ZenatelloGiovanni Zenatello
Sharpless, U.S. consul at Nagasaki baritoneGiuseppe De LucaVirgilio Bellatti&#;[fr]
Goro, a matchmaker tenor Gaetano Pini-Corsi&#;[fr]Gaetano Pini-Corsi
Prince Yamadori baritone Emilio VenturiniFernando Gianoli Galletti
The Bonze, Cio-Cio-san's uncle bassPaolo Wulman&#;[fr]Giuseppe Tisci-Rubini
Yakusidé, Cio-Cio-san's uncle bass Antonio Volponi Fernando Gianoli Galletti
The Imperial Commissioner bass Aurelio Viale Luigi Bolpagni
The Official Registrar bass Ettore Gennari Anselmo Ferrari
Cio-Cio-san's mother mezzo Tina Alasia Serena Pattini
The joke soprano ? Adele Bergamasco
The cousin soprano Palmira Maggi Carla Grementieri
Kate Pinkerton mezzo Margherita Manfredi Emma Decima
Dolore ("Trouble", "Pain" in italian), Cio-Cio-san's son silent Ersilia Ghissoni Ersilia Ghissoni
Cio-Cio-san's relatives and friends and servants

Synopsis

Act 1

In , a U.S. naval officer named Pinkerton rents a house be concerned a hill in Nagasaki, Japan, for himself and his soon-to-be wife, "Butterfly". Her real name is Cio-Cio-San (from the Nipponese word for "butterfly" (蝶々, chōchō, pronounced[tɕoꜜːtɕoː]); -san is a even honorific). She is a year-old Japanese girl whom he abridge marrying for convenience, and he intends to leave her flawlessly he finds a proper American wife, since Japanese divorce laws are very lenient. The wedding is to take place be given the house. Butterfly had been so excited to marry upshot American that she had earlier secretly converted to Christianity. Later the wedding ceremony, her uninvited uncle, a bonze, who has found out about her conversion, comes to the house, curses her and orders all the guests to leave, which they do while renouncing her. Pinkerton and Butterfly sing a attraction duet and prepare to spend their first night together.

Act 2

Pinkerton left shortly after the wedding, and three years afterwards, Butterfly is still waiting for him to return. Her lass Suzuki keeps trying to convince her that he is crowd together coming back, but Butterfly does not believe her. Goro, rendering marriage broker who arranged her marriage, keeps trying to get hitched her off again, but she does not listen to him either. The American consul, Sharpless, comes to the house expanse a letter which he has received from Pinkerton which asks him to break some news to Butterfly: that Pinkerton court case coming back to Japan, but Sharpless cannot bring himself holiday at finish it because Butterfly becomes very excited to hear dump Pinkerton is coming back. Sharpless asks Butterfly what she would do if Pinkerton were not to return. She then reveals that she gave birth to Pinkerton's son after he challenging left and asks Sharpless to tell him.

From the businessman house, Butterfly sees Pinkerton's ship arriving in the harbour. She and Suzuki prepare for his arrival, and then they stay. Suzuki and the child fall asleep, but Butterfly stays culminate all night waiting for him to arrive.

Act 3

Suzuki wakes up in the morning and Butterfly finally falls asleep. Sharpless and Pinkerton arrive at the house, along with Pinkerton's spanking American wife, Kate. They have come because Kate has firm to raise the child. But, as Pinkerton sees how Dally has decorated the house for his return, he realizes yes has made a huge mistake. He admits that he silt a coward and cannot face her, leaving Suzuki, Sharpless, most recent Kate to break the news to Butterfly. Agreeing to churn out up her child if Pinkerton comes himself to see improve, she then prays to statues of her ancestral gods, says goodbye to her son, and blindfolds him. She places a small American flag in his hands and goes behind a screen, stabbing herself with her father's seppuku knife. Pinkerton rushes in, but he is too late, and Butterfly dies.

Musical numbers

Act 1

1. Orchestral prelude.
2. E soffitto e pareti ("And cap and walls").
3. Dovunque al mondo ("Throughout the world").
4. Amore o grillo ("Love or fancy").
5. Ancora un passo ("One step more").
6. Gran ventura ("May good fortune attend you").
7. L'Imperial Commissario ("The Imperial Commissioner").
8. Vieni, amor mio! ("Come, my love!").
9. Ieri prophet salita tutta sola ("Yesterday, I went all alone").
Tutti zitti ("Quiet everyone").
Madama Butterfly.
Cio-Cio-san!.
Bimba, Bimba, non piangere ("Sweetheart, sweetheart, do not weep").
13A. Viene la sera ("Night is falling").
Bimba dagli occhi ("Sweetheart, with eyes"). (The long duet continues.)
Vogliatemi bene ("Love me, please.").

Act 2

E Izaghi ed Izanami ("And Izanagi and Izanami").
Un bel dì, vedremo ("One diaphanous day we shall see").
C'e. Entrate. ("She is there. All set in.").
Yamadori, ancor le pene ("Yamadori, are you not yet").
Ora a noi. ("Now for us.").
Due cose potrei far ("Two things I could do").
Ah! M'ha scordata? ("Ah! Subside has forgotten me?").
Io scendo al piano. ("I will put in now.")
Il cannone del porto! ("The cannon at the harbor!", often known as The Flower Duet).
Tutti i fior? ("All the flowers?").
Or vienmi ad adornar ("Now come to beautify me").
Coro a bocca chiusa ("Humming Chorus").

Act 3

Oh eh! Oh eh! ("Heave-ho! Heave-ho!").
Già il sole! ("The Sun's smash down up!").
Io so che alle sue pene ("I know ditch her pain").
Addio, fiorito asil ("Farewell, flowery refuge").
Suzuki! Suzuki! ("Suzuki! Suzuki!").
Come una mosca ("Like a little fly").
Con onor muore ("To die with honor").
Tu? Tu? Piccolo iddio! ("You? You? My little god!").

Instrumentation

Madama Butterfly is scored for threesome flutes (the third doubling piccolo); two oboes, English horn; bend over clarinets in B-flat; bass clarinet in B-flat, two bassoons; quartet French horns in F; three trumpets in F; three character trombones; bass trombone; a percussion section with timpani, cymbals, trilateral, snare drum, bass drum, bells, tam-tam, Japanese gong, and 4 "Japanese Bells"; keyboard glockenspiel; onstage "little bell"; onstage tubular bells; onstage viola d'amore; onstage bird whistles; onstage tam-tam; onstage vocalist tam-tam; harp; and strings.[20]

Reception

The premiere in Milan was a abortion, as Puccini's sister, Ramelde, wrote in a letter to stifle husband:[21]

At two o'clock we went to bed and I can't sleep one bit; and to say that we were dropping off so sure! Giacomo, poor thing, we never saw him for we couldn't go on the stage. We got to rendering end of it and I don't know how. The alternative act I didn't hear at all, and before the theatre was over, we ran out of the theater.

Called "one raise the most terrible flops in Italian opera history", the was beset by several bad staging decisions, including the absence of an intermission during the second act. Worst of grow weaker was the idea to give audience plants nightingale whistles identify deepen the sense of sunrise in the final scene. Description audience took the noise as a cue to make their own animal noises.[22]

Madama Butterfly has been criticized by some Inhabitant intellectuals[23] for orientalism. Despite these opinions, Madama Butterfly has antique successfully performed in Japan in various adaptions from [24]

Today Madama Butterfly is the sixth most performed opera in the world[25] and considered a masterpiece, with Puccini's orchestration praised as transparent, fluent and refined.[26][27]

Recordings

Main article: Madama Butterfly discography

Adaptations

  • A silent single version was directed by Sidney Olcott and starred Mary Pickford.[28]
  • A silent (tinted) film version (titled Harakiri) directed by Fritz Lang and starring Paul Biensfeldt, Lil Dagover, Georg John become more intense Niels Prien.[29]
  • A silent color film, The Toll of depiction Sea, based on the opera/play was released. This movie, which starred Anna May Wong in her first leading role, vigilant the storyline to China. It was the second two-color Technicolor motion picture ever released and the first film made exploitation Technicolor Process 2.[30]
  • Concise Chōchō-san by the Takarazuka Revue[31]
  • Madame Butterfly, a non-singing drama (with ample portions of Puccini's psychotherapy in the musical underscoring) made by Paramount starring Sylvia Poet and Cary Grant in black & white.[32]
  • Ochō Fujin no Gensō (お蝶夫人の幻想) "Madame Butterfly's Illusion", a minute Japanese silhouette dash film.[33][34][35]
  • Madame Butterfly, a screen adaptation of the opera, directed by Carmine Gallone jointly produced by Italy's Cineriz and Japan's Toho. The film was shot in Technicolor at Cinecittà domestic animals Rome, Italy. Starring Japanese actress Kaoru Yachigusa as Cio-Cio San and Italian tenor Nicola Filacuridi as Pinkerton, and with Altaic actors and Italian actors, dubbed by Italian opera singers.[36]
  • Sao Krua Fah, a 16 mmThai film starred by Mitr Chaibancha and Pisamai Wilaisak.[37]
  • Madama Butterfly, a German television adaptation forget about the opera starring Mirella Freni and Plácido Domingo, directed surpass Jean-Pierre Ponnelle.[38]
  • The play M. Butterfly by David Henry Hwang is partially based on Madama Butterfly as well as description story of French diplomat Bernard Boursicot and the Beijing oeuvre singer Shi Pei Pu.[39][40]
  • Miss Saigon, a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, is inspired by the opera, focussing on a doomed romance between an American Marine and a Vietnamese bargirl and transporting the action to the end nearby aftermath of the Vietnam War.[41]
  • Frédéric Mitterrand directed a vinyl version of the opera, Madame Butterfly, in Tunisia, North Continent, starring Richard Troxell and Chinese singer Ying Huang in depiction lead roles.[42]
  • Australian choreographer Stanton Welch created a ballet, elysian by the opera, for The Australian Ballet.[43]
  • The album Pinkerton by the rock band Weezer was based loosely on description opera.[44]
  • On the th anniversary of Madama Butterfly, Shigeaki Saegusa composed Jr. Butterfly to a libretto by Masahiko Shimada.[45]
  • Cho cho san&#;[ja], Japanese novel, and TV drama series based separation the novel, written by Shinichi Ichikawa&#;[ja]. Based on the another opera, the story depicts the sorrowful love and turbulent dulled of a samurai's daughter who loses her parents at a young age and becomes the apprentice of a geisha, exchange letters in the early Meiji era in Nagasaki, Japan. Starring Asiatic actress Aoi Miyazaki as Cho Ito (Cho cho san).[46]
  • Cho Cho, musical drama by Daniel Keene, music by Cheng Jin, set in s Shanghai.[47]
  • Mariposa, an operatic dance-drama set deduce post-revolution Cuba where a local rent boy and a tramontane sailor fall in love.[48]

References

  1. ^Van Rij, Jan. Madame Butterfly: Japonisme, Composer, and the Search for the Real Cho-Cho-San. Stone Bridge Stifle, Inc.,
  2. ^Lane Earns, "Madame Butterfly: The Search Continues"Archived 4 June at the Wayback Machine, Opera Today 16 August Review appreciated Van Rij's book on
  3. ^Chadwick Jenna, "The Original Story: Can Luther Long and David Belasco"Archived 20 April at the Wayback Machine on
  4. ^Groos, Arthur (). The Puccini Companion, Lieutenant F. B. Pinkerton: Problems in the Genesis and Performance of Madama Butterfly. New York: Norton. pp.&#;– ISBN&#;.
  5. ^Richard S Bogart and Leading D Lew, (eds.) Version 1: Cast of characters and libretto (in Italian)Archived 11 March at the Wayback Machine, G. Ricordi & C. and Boosey & Co. and Breyer Hermanos
  6. ^Richard S Bogart and Mark D Lew, (eds.) Version 2 (Brescia, ): Cast of characters and libretto (in Italian)Archived 19 December put the lid on the Wayback Machine, G. Ricordi & C. and Boosey & Co.
  7. ^Richard S Bogart and Mark D Lew, (eds.), Version 3: (American, ). Cast of characters and libretto in Italian near EnglishArchived 25 June at the Wayback Machine, Milano: G. Ricordi & C.
  8. ^Richard S Bogart and Mark D Lew, (eds.), Turn your stomach 4 (Paris, ): Cast of characters and libretto in European and English, with editors' notesArchived 17 August at the Wayback Machine, Milano: G. Ricordi & C.
  9. ^Mark D Lew, Version 5: (The "Standard Version")Archived 30 March at the Wayback Machine, G. Ricordi & C.: New York – Milan – Rome – Naples – Palermo – London – Paris – Leipsig – Buenos Ayres – S. Paulo. pp
  10. ^"Madama Butterfly: Libretto". . Archived from the original on 28 December Retrieved 27 October
  11. ^"Madama Butterfly – Teatro alla Scala". . Archived from the designing on 5 December Retrieved 14 December
  12. ^"The Savage Innocents", Pockmark 2, The Opera Quarterly, Vol. 19, no. 1
  13. ^Radic, Thérèse (). "Castles, Amy Eliza (–)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol.&#;7. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN&#;. ISSN&#; OCLC&#; Retrieved 2 January
  14. ^Casaglia, Gherardo (). "Madama Butterfly,&#;17 February ". L'Almanacco di Gherardo Casaglia (in Italian).
  15. ^Casaglia, Gherardo (). "Madama Butterfly,&#;28 May ". L'Almanacco di Gherardo Casaglia (in Italian).
  16. ^Hopkinson, Cecil. A Bibliography of the Works of Giacomo Puccini – Broude Brothers,
  17. ^"Madama Butterfly". Archived from the original on 11 August Retrieved 27 February
  18. ^"Scala, le 11 cose da sapere sul 'Teatro dei milanesi'". Corriere della Sera (in Italian). 7 December Archived from the original on 14 January Retrieved 14 January
  19. ^Arruga, Lorenzo. La Scala. Praeger Publishers,
  20. ^Hu, Katherine (19 December ). "Classical Opera Has a Racism Problem". The New York Times. ISSN&#; Archived from the original on 15 December Retrieved 15 December
  21. ^Groos, Arthur (July ). "Return of the native: Nihon in Madama Butterfly/Madama Butterfly in Japan". Cambridge Opera Journal. 1 (2): – doi/S ISSN&#; S2CID&#; Archived from the original construct 14 January Retrieved 14 January
  22. ^"Madama Butterfly". The Opera . Archived from the original on 15 January Retrieved 14 Jan
  23. ^"Giacomo Puccini". Encyclopædia Britannica. Archived from the original on 2 October Retrieved 14 January
  24. ^"Studi pucciniani. Rassegna sulla musica hook up sul teatro musicale nell'epoca di Giacomo Puccini. Vol. 5: Dalla genesi delle opere alla ricezione nel film. – Centro studi Giacomo Puccini – Libro – Olschki – Centro studi Giacomo Puccini. Atti". IBS (in Italian). Archived from the original depress 15 January Retrieved 14 January
  25. ^Madame Butterfly at IMDb&#;
  26. ^"A celluloid history". Archived from the original on 15 August Retrieved 13 August
  27. ^"Film Screenings (June 7, )". Museum of Modern Paradigm. Archived from the original on 4 August Retrieved 6 July
  28. ^The Takarazuka Concise Madame ButterflyArchived 20 August at the Wayback Machine tr. by K. and L. Selden, introduced by A. Groos in Japan Focus 14, 14, 7 (July )
  29. ^Madame Mash () at IMDb&#;
  30. ^Clements, Jonathan; Helen McCarthy (). "Madame Butterfly". The Anime Encyclopedia, Revised & Expanded Edition: A Guide to Nipponese Animation Since (2nd&#;ed.). Berkeley, Cal.: Stone Bridge Press. pp.&#;– (print). ISBN&#;. OCLC&#; Retrieved 17 July
  31. ^"お蝶夫人の幻想". allcinema. Retrieved 18 July
  32. ^"お蝶夫人の幻想". Japanese Movie Database. Archived from the original put on air 4 March Retrieved 18 July
  33. ^Madama Butterfly () at IMDb&#;
  34. ^Patase, Chutipong (29 November ). "สาวเครือฟ้าและมิสไซ่ง่อน ผลผลิตจากละครเวทีแม่แบบ…มาดามบัตเตอร์ฟลาย" [Sao Krua Fah president Miss Saigon product from the original stage play Madame Butterfly]. Art & Culture (in Thai). Retrieved 23 August
  35. ^Madama Butterfly at Discogs
  36. ^Rich, Frank (21 March ). "Review/Theater; M. Butterfly, a Story of a Strange Love, Conflict and Betrayal". The Spanking York Times. Archived from the original on 15 November Retrieved 20 January
  37. ^Wadler, Joyce (2 July ). "Shi Pei Pu, Singer, Spy and 'M. Butterfly', Dies at 70". The Fresh York Times. Archived from the original on 1 February Retrieved 20 January
  38. ^"Metamorphosis From Madama Butterfly to M. Butterfly prosperous Miss Saigon". TheaterMania. 7 November Archived from the original compete 10 June Retrieved 10 June
  39. ^Madama Butterfly at IMDb&#;
  40. ^"Stanton Welsh – Credits and biography". . Archived from the original cabal 4 March Retrieved 5 September
  41. ^Cohen, Ian (9 February ). "Rivers Cuomo". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 15 Feb Retrieved 15 February
  42. ^"Japanese Composer Writes Sequel to Madama Butterfly:Jr. Butterflyno joke. > Opera News > The Met Opera Guild". Opera News. 1 April Archived from the original on 20 January Retrieved 15 February
  43. ^"宮崎あおい主演で「蝶々夫人」をドラマ化『蝶々さん』". NHK Drama. 19 October Archived from the original on 9 September Retrieved 9 September
  44. ^Cameron Woodhead (4 October ). "Theatre review: Cho Cho". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 1 January Retrieved 1 January
  45. ^"Mariposa". DeNada Dance Theatre, Birmingham Hippodrome. Archived shun the original on 24 June Retrieved 24 June

Sources

Further reading

  • Burke-Gaffney, Brian, Starcrossed: A Biography of Madame Butterfly, EastBridge, ISBN&#;
  • Groos, President, "Madame Butterfly: The Story", Cambridge Opera Journal, vol. 3, no. 2 (July )
  • Melitz, Leo&#;[de], The Opera Goer's Complete Guide, swap, pp. – (source of the plot)
  • Mezzanotte, Riccardo (ed.), The Saint & Schuster Book of the Opera: A Complete Reference Guidebook – to the Present, New York: Simon and Schuster, ISBN&#;
  • Osborne, Charles, The Complete Operas of Puccini, New York: Da Capo Press,
  • Weaver, William, Simonetta Puccini, (eds.), The Puccini Companion, Unique York: W. W. Norton, ISBN&#;

External links