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Puccini’s tragic love story set
in turn of the century Japan, near Nagasaki, tells the story of one Japanese
woman’s devotion to her American husband and the eventual fall out which
follows. Cio-Cio San, the titular Madama Butterfly (performed by the exquisite
soprano, Elena Dee) a young and impressionable girl is married to the brash and
immature American naval officer, Benjamin Franklin Pinkerton (tenor, Vitalii
Liskovetskyi). Abandoned by Pinkerton, whose career in the Navy takes him away
from Japan, and growing maturity makes him realise the impossibility of the
situation, Cio-Cio San raises their child, Sorrow, with the help of her maid,
Suzuki (mezzo-soprano, Natalia Mateeva) in the vain hope that Pinkerton’s ship
will arrive back in Nagasaki bay. When the Abraham Lincoln finally does drop
anchor, it is revealed that Pinkerton is now married to an American woman and
wishes to take their child. In an attempt to shield the still fragile Cio-Cio
San from the truth, Suzuki and the American consul, Sharpless (baritone, Olexandr
Forkushak) try to delicately approach the situation, however it is to no avail,
and with devastating consequences.
The story is simple in its
premise, however its satirical undertones in the perception of the growing power
of the United States, combined with the music and performance, make ‘Madama
Butterfly’ a far more intricate and interesting story that one may first realise.
This work may be Puccini’s most delicate and heartfelt; it may be his crowning
achievement. Even if one is not familiar with opera or the music of Puccini,
‘The Humming Chorus’ which transitions the last act from night to day, will be
familiar to you. A beautifully innocent and pure piece, which really makes
great use of the lack of sung dialogue and captures the emotion and tone of the
entire show. ‘Un Bel Di Vendremo’ is the other standout piece, and the
glistening jewel that sits atop the encrusted crown that is ‘Madama Butterfly’.
Beautifully performed by Dee, the song captures the heartbreak of our main
character and is a great display of vocal prowess and emotional performance.
The set design and costumes
really add to the overall genuine feel of the opera. Ellen Kent has a keen eye
for detail and a dedication to presenting ‘Madama Butterfly’ as in intended
when it first premiered over one hundred years ago. It is this eye and
dedication, which makes these productions some of most luxurious and eye
catching there are. To put it simply, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! It is a
problem which splits people down the middle, you have the traditionalists who
like things to be presented in the way which they were intended, and then the
modernist-mixer-uppers (to phrase it elegantly) who have to tweak things here
and there, changing the settings and periods in an attempt to alter the
underlying themes or messages. The traditional presentation is what makes the
opera this grand spectacle that you look forward to seeing and leave, counting
down the days until you can see your next one. It’s one of the many things this
production gets right. Many will read this either nodding or shaking their heads.
‘Madama Butterfly’ has of course
influenced many remakes, adaptations so on and so forth. The hit musical ‘Miss
Saigon’ is probably the most successful of these, however it cannot come close
to what ‘Butterfly’ offers. The audience experiences a vast range of emotions
from humour to sorrow and pain, with a particular plot point warranting a very
audible gasp from the crowd being a memorable moment.
To not compare too much to last
year, but the best was saved for last when this was performed on the last
night, following two other very good shows. It begs the question, how great
must this run of shows be if they’re starting off with ‘Madama Butterfly’? The
performance certainly sets the bar incredibly high.
Ellen Kent has worked wonders to
get the entire Ukrainian Opera and Ballet Theatre (based in Kyiv) through
warzones and across the continent to the United Kingdom. Her efforts must be
commended as well as the stellar work by the theatre itself so far from a war
torn home. The respect and love was mutual as the crowd stood for ‘Schne Ne Vmerla
Ukrainy I Slava, I Volia’, the Ukrainian national anthem, followed by rapturous
applause towards the gesture, the cast and crew with the biggest cheer saved
for Madame Butterfly herself, Elena Dee. Whose performance captivated the
entire opera house and gave us all goose bumps.
Puccini’s ‘La Boheme’ and Verdi’s
‘Aida’ will follow on the 27th and 28th respectfully. The
audience tonight showed that ‘Madama Butterfly’ can still command an audience, signifying
its reputation in the 21st Century. Furthermore it also shows that
the people of Greater Manchester love this highbrow, cultured art form. The
troupe will be touring all around the country and Ireland between now and
summer.
Reviewer - Daryl Griffin
on - 26.1.23
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