Madama Butterfly Three-act opera by Giacomo Puccini

Libretto by Luigi Ilica and Giuseppe Jacosa

                                                                                                        

Conductor IVAN KOZHUHAROV

Directed by ALEXANDER TEKELIEV

 

Choir Conductor MARIELA CHOLAKOVA

Set design by Boris Stoynov

Costume Designer TSVETANKA PETKOVA-STOYNOVA

Concertmaster YORDAN KOVACHEV

 

Assistant Director DARINA GLAVANAKOVA-BAKARDZHIEVA

Prompter DORA FARTUNOVA

Subtitles SREBRINA SLAVOVА

Tutors:

STANKA ARGIROVA - APOSTOLOVA, OLGA DICHEVA, BILYANA GEORGIEVA, MARGARITA PETRANOVA, MIGLENA SLAVOVA

 

Contributors to the production:

Production manager and theater master IVAN FARTUNOV

Head of artistic lighting KIRIL KARADIMOV

Lighting fixtures NINA NEDELCHEVA, TANYA STAVREVA

Head of sewing studio KICHKA GROZEVA

Tailors KICHKA GROZEVA, MAGDA GALCHEVA, DIMKA RUSEVA

Wardrobe manager DIMKA RUSEVA

Hair and makeup NADEZHDA TANEVA

Artistic sound system VESELIN PENCHEV

Multimedia and photo studio NEDYALKO BAMBEKOV

Advertising and public relations YANITA VODENICHAROVA

 

Creation history:

Puccini originally wrote the opera Madame Butterfly in two acts. The composer discovered the plot of his sixth opera during his pesto in London. There he watched David Belasco's one-act play Geisha, inspired by the novel by Madame Chrysanthème (1887) and the story of Madame Butterfly by John Luther Long (1898). , occurred in Nagasaki around 1890.

Puccini wrote five versions of the opera. The premiere of the original work, which is in two acts, a version on February 17, 1904 at the Scala in Milan and surprisingly failed, despite the presence of singers of the rank of soprano Rosina Storcio, tenor Giovanni Zenatello and baritone Giuseppe Di Luca in the lead roles. This happens not only because of the very long second act, but also because of the insufficient time for rehearsals. Puccini reworked the opera, dividing Act II into two and making some more changes. On May 28, 1904, this version of "Butterfly" was staged in Brescia and its success was triumphant. Two years later, Puccini wrote a third version of the opera, presented at the New York Metropolitan Opera, and a year later, in 1907, the composer made new changes to the score, and this fourth adaptation of "Madame Butterfly was performed in Paris. . That same year, the composer edited the opera for the fifth, last time, and this is the so-called "standard version", in which "Madame Butterfly" is usually performed on world opera stages.

Madame Butterfly takes place in the Japanese city of Nagasaki. The most popular Japanese singer Tamaki Miura gained world fame precisely with her incarnation in the role of Cho-Cho-San; today, a statue of her as Butterfly, along with a statue of Puccini, can be seen at the Glover Gardens in Nagasaki.

 

Actors:

Cho-Cho-San (Madame Butterfly)

Suzuki, her maid

Benjamin Franklin Pinkerton, American naval officer

Kate Pinkerton, his wife

Sharples, US Consul in Nagasaki

Goro, matchmaker

Prince Yamadori

Uncle Bonzo

Imperial Commissioner

Notary

Cho-Cho-San's mother

Cho-Cho-San's aunt

Cousin of Cho-Cho-San

The action takes place in Nagasaki, Japan, in 1904.

First action:

House with garden in Nagasaki. US Navy Lieutenant Benjamin Franklin Pinkerton fell in love with the young Japanese Cho-Cho-San, called Butterfly, and decided to marry her. The professional Japanese matchmaker Goro shows him the house with a garden rented for the future spouses. Consul Sharples in vain wants to protect his friend from the reckless step. But the lieutenant does not listen to his advice. With a glass of whiskey, he explains his philosophy: "Cut flowers where you can." So he decided to marry the Japanese woman according to the customs of the country. Here is the wedding procession descending the hill. When she meets Cho-Cho-San, the consul realizes that she comes from an impoverished noble family, which forced her to become a geisha. She lives alone with her mother and is 15 years old. The girl is accompanied by her mother and several relatives. The whole commotion makes Pinkerton laugh. Sharples tries again to dissuade him, but in vain. Cho-Cho-San with childlike innocence shows him some items she has brought to her new home - handkerchiefs, a pipe, a mirror, a fan, a vase and a long narrow box. When Pinkerton asked to see what was in the box, the girl refused in an impatient tone. However, the approaching Goro whispers that this is the sword with which her father committed suicide at the "invitation" of the Emperor. Just before the ceremony began, Cho-Cho-San confided to Pinkerton that she had been in the Mission the day before to convert to Christianity. The ceremony drags on, and Pinkerton becomes increasingly impatient because he wants to be alone with Butterfly. And just then the voice of Uncle Bonzo is heard, who has realized that the girl has changed her faith. He cursed her. Curse her and all her relatives. The girl suffers, but, flattered by her husband's tender words, she gradually calms down and the two indulge in the bliss of the first wedding night.

 

Second action:

Butterfly's house. Faithful Suzuki prays in front of a statue of Buddha Cho-Cho-San not to cry anymore. Three years have passed. Shortly after the wedding, Pinkerton left with a promise to return in the spring. Abandoned by her husband and repulsed by her relatives, Butterfly lives with her maid Suzuki and her young son, whose existence Pinkerton does not even suspect. Goro and Sharples, who received a letter from Pinkerton, come. With this letter, he asks his friend to prepare Cho-Cho-San for bad news: he has married an American woman. Butterfly greets him happily, and Sharples fails to read the letter to the end. When she hears that her husband is healthy and will soon arrive in Nagasaki, Cho-Cho-San interrupts him with shouts of joy. Prince Yamadori arrives, whom the matchmaker Goro is trying hard to marry Cho-Cho-San. But after she politely but relentlessly refuses to do so, the prince is forced to resign. Consul Sharples advised her to accept Prince Yamadori's offer, hinting that Pinkerton might not return at all. Nothing can dissuade the girl. A cannon shot is heard - the American ship with which Pinkerton is to arrive enters the port. Enraged by Goro's continuing exhortations, Butterfly calls her faithful maid Suzuki to send Sharples away. Then she runs into the house and returns with her child: if Pinkerton had forgotten her, could he have remained indifferent at the sight of his own son? The consul promises to inform her husband that she has a son. Immediately afterwards, Butterfly took binoculars out of his box, with the help of which he could read the name of the ship - "Abraham Lincoln". Her joy is immeasurable. He orders Suzuki to pick flowers and decorate the house. Then she dresses in her most beautiful clothes and with the child in her arms remains waiting for her lover. Little by little the night fades and dawns.

Third action

The second and third acts of the opera flow smoothly into each other with a magnificent melody (silent chorus). Exhausted by the night vigil, Butterfly is inclined to retire to her rooms only after Suzuki promises her that as soon as her husband arrives, he will call her immediately. Shortly afterwards, Pinkerton arrives, accompanied by the consul and his young American wife, who remains waiting for him in the garden. Pinkerton came to persuade Cho-Cho-San to entrust him with the child he wanted to take to America. When he learns from Suzuki how long the girl has been waiting for him all these years, he realizes what he has done. Trying to decide what to do, the lieutenant goes outside. At that moment, Butterfly enters the room, who, seeing the consul, anxiously goes down to look for her husband. But then he sees Kate and, overwhelmed with anticipation, begins to question Suzuki. Kate approaches and asks her forgiveness, promising to take good care of the child. Cho-Cho-San replies that he will entrust the child only to "him" if he dares to appear before him. He then calls Suzuki, orders her to close the windows and retire to the next room with the child. Then he takes out a white veil and reverently draws his father's sword, which is engraved: "Con onor muore chi non puo serbar vita con onore" ("He who cannot live with honor dies with honor"). The maid immediately understands what her mistress has decided and pushes the kid into the room. Butterfly goes down to the boy and hugs him passionately, then blindfolds him and makes him sit on the side, placing an American flag on his lap. Then, with his sword in hand, he retreated behind the screen in the room and committed suicide. Just then, filled with remorse, Pinkerton enters the room, kneeling in tears in front of his Japanese wife's breathless body.