Madama Butterfly Study Guide - Pacific Opera Victoria

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Message from the Artistic Director Like the other most popular opera in the world – Carmen – Madama Butterfly was a fiasco on its opening night. The soprano was visibly pregnant (a rumour had been spread that the conductor – Toscanini – was the father); an anti-Puccini clique, fuelled by jealousy and resentment of the composer’s successes, was prepared to disrupt things at every turn with boos and catcalls….it was a humiliating evening. Puccini withdrew the score for revision, and at least, unlike poor Bizet, lived to see his opera eventually become a universal favourite. An aspect of Puccini’s genius which has always fascinated me is his astonishing ability, using much the same orchestra, in each of his mature works to create, to conjure, a specific, musically-induced atmosphere. If Bohème includes some real gaîeté parisienne, if in Tosca we catch a whiff of old incense in the dark of the stony cathedral, with Madama Butterfly we are transported to a place at once familiar and strange. The folk song “Sakura”, together with other fragments and echoes, as a sort of objet trouvé puts Japanese music right in the foreground. But the delicate web of melodic contours and above all the harmonies (augmented triads pervasive here) and gentle touches of harp and percussion maintain a sense of “otherness” – almost an exotic perfume. Puccini’s control of the minutest details in his scores impresses those who admire craftsmanship (Anton von Webern was a big fan), and his lyric inspiration, providing wave after wave of gorgeously grateful singing lines, is at its peak. He entrusted a friend, Panizza, to prepare a reduction of the large romantic orchestration for smaller theatres. This was accomplished with sensitivity and to the composer’s satisfaction, and is the version we use with this production. It is our fourth presentation of this masterpiece. Our goal is to rediscover the many beauties and ambiguities in the piece: to avoid a clichéd, “touristic” treatment of its setting, yet to suggest its enchantment; to show the harsh realities of the central relationship, yet to allow you to decide on the moral framework within which you experience the events. Many great soprano names are associated with the title role. We present with honour and delight Sally Dibblee in her debut performances. Those who remember her first Violettas from a few seasons ago know to expect something very special. Kurt Lehmann (Pinkerton) and Bruce Kelly (Sharpless) are great and always welcome friends of POV. We introduce with pride our resident artists in important supporting roles. François Racine, who returns to direct, has grown over the many years of our collaboration into a true master. Our very young designer, Elli Bunton, has in her POV debut met a great challenge with resourcefulness and marvellous invention. We welcome back to the podium our very own Maestro Giuseppe Pietraroia. I hope your experience this evening will encourage you to book seats for the last production of our season – a Canadian premiere: Mark Blitzstein’s Regina, based on Lillian Hellman’s play The Little Foxes. Meanwhile, I wish you as always a great night with us in the theatre! ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Pacific Opera Victoria Study Guide for Madama Butterfly 2008 3
Synopsis Act 1 In 1904, Benjamin Franklin Pinkerton, an American naval officer posted in Nagasaki, Japan, arranges with the marriage broker Goro to lease a house – along with a pretty young wife. Both deals may be cancelled on a month’s notice. The American consul, Sharpless, warns Pinkerton that the girl may not take such a casual view of this marriage. Pinkerton is unconcerned; for now he is entranced by the girl nicknamed Butterfly – but he drinks to the day he will wed “in real marriage a real American wife.” The girl, Cio-Cio-San, is an innocent, trusting 15-year-old, who has had to earn her living as a geisha after her father committed suicide by order of the Mikado. Already passionately in love with Pinkerton, Butterfly is ecstatic as she arrives for the wedding. After the brief ceremony, her uncle, the Bonze, interrupts the festivities and denounces Cio-Cio-San for renouncing her religion and turning to Christianity. Her family join the Bonze in condemning and shunning the devastated girl. Pinkerton comforts Butterfly, and they sing a love duet in their new home. Intermission Act 2 Three years later, Butterfly is living alone with her servant Suzuki and the child that Butterfly bore after Pinkerton’s return to the US. The two women are nearly out of money, and Suzuki doubts that Pinkerton will ever come back. Butterfly, however, believes with steely resolve that she, her husband, and their baby will be together one day. Goro has been presenting a succession of suitors to Butterfly; the latest is Prince Yamadori, but Butterfly insists she is still married to Pinkerton and will not consider his offer. When Sharpless brings Butterfly a letter from Pinkerton, he doesn’t have the courage to read it to her. Instead he asks what she would do were Pinkerton never to return. Butterfly tells him she would have but two choices – to go back to the life of a geisha or to die. Sharpless advises her to accept Prince Yamadori’s offer of marriage. Butterfly is horrified, and then triumphant as she shows Sharpless her son, Trouble, who will be renamed Joy on his father’s return. Sharpless leaves, promising to tell Pinkerton about the child. Pinkerton’s ship, the Abraham Lincoln, arrives in the harbour, and Butterfly joyfully decorates the house with flowers, then keeps vigil through the night, awaiting Pinkerton. Act 3 Early the next morning Sharpless arrives with Pinkerton and his new American wife, Kate. They want Butterfly to give them the child and try to persuade Suzuki to break the news to her. Guiltridden, Pinkerton cannot bear to face Butterfly and flees the scene. As soon as she sees Kate, Butterfly understands the situation. She agrees to give up the child, but only if Pinkerton comes in person to fetch him. Kate and Sharpless go to find Pinkerton. Butterfly embraces the child, sends him away to play, and then, like her father before her, kills herself — as Pinkerton rushes in, calling her name. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Pacific Opera Victoria Study Guide for Madama Butterfly 2008 4
Page 1 and 2: Madama Butterfly Giacomo Puccini St
Page 3: MADAMA BUTTERFLY Dress Rehearsal Fe
Page 7 and 8: The Personality of Giacomo Puccini
Page 9 and 10: Butterfly’s Music: Giving a Voice
Page 11 and 12: Orchestration While melody provides
Page 13 and 14: original words to the songs didn’
Page 15 and 16: Giuseppe Zenatello and Giuseppe De
Page 17 and 18: About POV’s Production The set an
Page 19 and 20: For Grades 4-6 Read Naomi’s Road
Page 21 and 22: Japanese Canadian Timeline • 1877
Page 23: Teacher’s Comments Your comments

Madama Butterfly Study Guide - Pacific Opera Victoria

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