MK Theatre - Madam Butterfly
Review date 28th March 2013
The Welsh National Opera are touring with a trio of operas, one of which is the heart breaking story of Puccini's Madam Butterfly, sung in Italian with English surtitles.
I have been lucky enough to review many operas performed by the WNO, you can feel the passion issuing from the stage with every performance. The WNO profess this passion and their want to share this by way of accessible fully staged award winning productions - and they deliver time and time again.
Set in Nagasaki, Japan - the story is about Cio-Cio-San (better known as Madam Butterfly) - a marriage broker introduces the burly Lieutenant Pinkerton of the United States Navy to the beautiful young geisha, Madam Butterfly. He marries her but promptly leaves to return to America after spending a passionate night with Butterfly.
Cio-Cio-San is left to longingly look out to sea day after day and sings for her American Lieutenant to return to her arms. Three years after he left, she still desperately clings on to the hope that she will be with him again and that he will share in the life of their beautiful son. Pinkerton is made aware of his son's existence. Finally, he returns, but with his new American wife Kate, but they have returned for Cio-Cio-San's son to take him back to America.
The tragedy that follows is what makes Madam Butterfly's tale the most heart-wrenching in Italian opera. Her aria 'One fine day' shows how Puccini masterfully uses every note to wrap his audience in her tragic story.
Lt.Pinkerton (Gwyn Hughes Jones) is commanding in his role, his depth of vocal and stage presence was very strong. Cheryl Barker (Madam Butterfly) was sublime in her role, she had passion and intensity in her vocals and really brought a tear to my eye during her aria.
Director Joachim Herz cleverly brings a sepia tinged production to the stage - it can only be described as looking at a beautiful old photograph, which is brought to life. Madam Butterfly is an extremely moving, stunning production and is a wonderful way to spend an evening at the theatre.
Lily B x
Miss Barr
ReplyDelete- I wasn't sure this was going to be to my taste, as being in Itilian and not sure how easy it would be to pick up the story line, however after taking my husband to see this we had a lovely night.
Thanks
Michelle Green