Organization

Conductor

Antonello Manacorda

Stage director

Anthony Minghella

Set designer

Carolyn Choa

Choreographer

Michael Levine

Costume designer

Han Feng Shui

Lighting designer

Peter Mumford

Singer

Soprano

Sonya Yoncheva

Cio-Cio-San

Mezzo-soprano

Alma Neuhaus

Kate Pinkerton

Tenor

Charles Castronovo

B.F. Pinkerton

Baritone

Boris Pinkhasovich

Sharpless

Andrea Giovannini

Goro

Hiroshi Amako

Prince Yamadori

Bass

Evgeny Solodovnikov

Uncle Yakusidé

Szilvia Vörös

Suzuki

Uncle Bonze

Wiener Staatsoper

Nikita Ivasechko

The imperial commissioner

Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre

English National Opera

The Metropolitan Opera

Madama Butterfly -  (Madame Butterfly)

Vienna

Austria

Madama Butterfly Puccini

Public

Private

Madame Butterfly

Approved

Insight into the rehearsal of »Madama Butterfly«.

The term of the lease for the wedding nest in Nagasaki, which the American naval lieutenant Pinkerton has rented including the geisha, is 999 years, but can be terminated on a monthly basis. Pinkerton is pleased with this flexibility. The American Consul Sharpless, invited as best man, has a finer ear than he does. The voice of the young geisha Cio-Cio-San, called Butterfly, who visited the American consulate the day before, made him sit up and take notice: Real love sounds from her. He warns his compatriot against carelessly "eliciting tones of pain from this voice." Because what is irresponsible play for Pinkerton is existential seriousness for Cio-Cio-San. She broke all ties to her family and culture to dream the American dream as »Madama FB Pinkerton«. After Pinkerton left her, For three years she defends this dream against reality, trusting American marriage law and the child she gave birth to after Pinkerton's departure: a blond, blue-eyed boy whom she calls Dolore ("pain"). Sharpless thinks he is relieving the socially isolated and penniless Cio-Cio-San by persuading Pinkerton, who has since entered into "a real marriage to a real American," to adopt the child. Butterfly agrees to give up the last thing she has left if Pinkerton himself picks it up from her. Then she confronts him with her ritual Japanese suicide, which she performs in the presence of her son. Before that, he was blindfolded. trusting in American marriage law and the child they gave birth to after Pinkerton's departure: a blond, blue-eyed boy whom she calls Dolore ("pain"). Sharpless thinks he is relieving the socially isolated and penniless Cio-Cio-San by persuading Pinkerton, who has since entered into "a real marriage to a real American," to adopt the child. Butterfly agrees to give up the last thing she has left if Pinkerton himself picks it up from her. Then she confronts him with her ritual Japanese suicide, which she performs in the presence of her son. Before that, he was blindfolded. trusting in American marriage law and the child they gave birth to after Pinkerton's departure: a blond, blue-eyed boy whom she calls Dolore ("pain"). Sharpless thinks he is relieving the socially isolated and penniless Cio-Cio-San by persuading Pinkerton, who has since entered into "a real marriage to a real American," to adopt the child. Butterfly agrees to give up the last thing she has left if Pinkerton himself picks it up from her. Then she confronts him with her ritual Japanese suicide, which she performs in the presence of her son. Before that, he was blindfolded. Sharpless thinks he is relieving the socially isolated and penniless Cio-Cio-San by persuading Pinkerton, who has since entered into "a real marriage to a real American," to adopt the child. Butterfly agrees to give up the last thing she has left if Pinkerton himself picks it up from her. Then she confronts him with her ritual Japanese suicide, which she performs in the presence of her son. Before that, he was blindfolded. Sharpless thinks he is relieving the socially isolated and penniless Cio-Cio-San by persuading Pinkerton, who has since entered into "a real marriage to a real American," to adopt the child. Butterfly agrees to give up the last thing she has left if Pinkerton himself picks it up from her. Then she confronts him with her ritual Japanese suicide, which she performs in the presence of her son. Before that, he was blindfolded. when Pinkerton himself picks it up from her. Then she confronts him with her ritual Japanese suicide, which she performs in the presence of her son. Before that, he was blindfolded. when Pinkerton himself picks it up from her. Then she confronts him with her ritual Japanese suicide, which she performs in the presence of her son. Before that, he was blindfolded.
For the musical representation of Japan in conflict with its forced opening and westernization by the American Navy in 1853, Puccini alienated his musical language by enriching it with material from original or mediated Far Eastern sources: In addition to borrowing from transcriptions of Japanese music by the Bruckner student Rudolf Dittrich, he used melodies from an in music box made in Switzerland for export to China, used a percussion system expanded to include Japanese instruments and was also inspired by a Kabuki theater performance. The latter points to an important aspect of the main character. Because as a geisha, Cio-Cio-San is trained to entertain a man through their conversation no less than through artistic performances such as singing, dancing and pantomime. Again and again it seems questionable whether her self-portrayal can be assessed as authentic or whether she rather presents her partners – and the audience – with elaborate masquerades. For example, when she – with the most famous aria of the piece “Un bel dì vedremo”, “One day we see” – plays for her confidante Suzuki, using her body and her voice, the longed-for return of her American husband, when she writes a humorous one for the consul improvised dialogue before an American divorce court or brought to mind the degrading fate of a street dancer for her son. The supposed naivety of the title character thus proves to be an abysmal and often broken one. The exoticism in Puccini's »Butterfly« score is more and different than a folkloristic decoration. He staged a critique of colonialism
After the two-act work failed at the premiere in 1904 at the Milan Scala, it conquered the stages of the world in a revised three-act form from Brescia and is still one of Puccini's most-performed operas. In the poetic production, which works with Japanese stylistic elements, by Hollywood director Anthony Minghella, who died in 2008 and became known worldwide for his films »The English Patient« and »The Talented Mr. Ripley«, the soprano Asmik Grigorian makes her state opera debut: not as the voice owner, but as a singer as a singing actress who sets standards with the dramatic penetration of each of her roles. The Viennese audience will be able to experience her in what is perhaps the most challenging and dazzling female role of Puccini, both vocally and scenically. Under the baton of Philippe Jordan, who is conducting this work in Vienna for the first time, Freddie De Tommaso also makes his house debut as Pinkerton. Virginie Verrez returns to the Staatsoper ensemble with the role of Butterfly's confidante Suzuki. Boris Pinkhasovich, known to Viennese audiences as Onegin and "Barbers" - Figaro, sings Consul Sharpless. For the third series of performances, Philippe Jordan will pass the baton to Joana Mallwitz, current Music Director of the Staatstheater Nürnberg, who was voted Conductor of the Year in the 2019 critics' survey of the magazine »Opernwelt«. After almost 100 Viennese appearances in 15 operas, Roberto Alagna made another important State Opera role debut under her direction: Pinkerton. also makes his house debut as Freddie De Tommaso as Pinkerton. Virginie Verrez returns to the Staatsoper ensemble with the role of Butterfly's confidante Suzuki. Boris Pinkhasovich, known to Viennese audiences as Onegin and "Barbers" - Figaro, sings Consul Sharpless. For the third series of performances, Philippe Jordan will pass the baton to Joana Mallwitz, current Music Director of the Staatstheater Nürnberg, who was voted Conductor of the Year in the 2019 critics' survey of the magazine »Opernwelt«. After almost 100 Viennese appearances in 15 operas, Roberto Alagna made another important State Opera role debut under her direction: Pinkerton. also makes his house debut as Freddie De Tommaso as Pinkerton. Virginie Verrez returns to the Staatsoper ensemble with the role of Butterfly's confidante Suzuki. Boris Pinkhasovich, known to Viennese audiences as Onegin and "Barbers" - Figaro, sings Consul Sharpless. For the third series of performances, Philippe Jordan will pass the baton to Joana Mallwitz, current Music Director of the Staatstheater Nürnberg, who was voted Conductor of the Year in the 2019 critics' survey of the magazine »Opernwelt«. After almost 100 Viennese appearances in 15 operas, Roberto Alagna made another important State Opera role debut under her direction: Pinkerton. known to Viennese audiences as Onegin and "Barbers" - Figaro, sings Consul Sharpless. For the third series of performances, Philippe Jordan will pass the baton to Joana Mallwitz, current Music Director of the Staatstheater Nürnberg, who was voted Conductor of the Year in the 2019 critics' survey of the magazine »Opernwelt«. After almost 100 Viennese appearances in 15 operas, Roberto Alagna made another important State Opera role debut under her direction: Pinkerton. known to Viennese audiences as Onegin and "Barbers" - Figaro, sings Consul Sharpless. For the third series of performances, Philippe Jordan will pass the baton to Joana Mallwitz, current Music Director of the Staatstheater Nürnberg, who was voted Conductor of the Year in the 2019 critics' survey of the magazine »Opernwelt«. After almost 100 Viennese appearances in 15 operas, Roberto Alagna made another important State Opera role debut under her direction: Pinkerton.

English

Die Laufzeit des Mietvertrags für das Hochzeitsnest in Nagasaki, das der amerikanische Marineleutnant Pinkerton inklusive Geisha angemietet hat, beträgt 999 Jahre, ist aber monatlich kündbar. Diese Flexibilität erfreut Pinkerton. Ein feineres Ohr als er hat der als Trauzeuge geladene amerikanische Konsul Sharpless. Ihn ließ die Stimme der jungen Geisha Cio-Cio-San, genannt Butterfly, die am Vortag das amerikanische Konsulat besucht hat, aufhorchen: Aus ihr klinge echte Liebe. Er warnt seinen Landsmann davor, »dieser Stimme« leichtfertig »Töne des Schmerzes zu entlocken«. Denn was für Pinkerton verantwortungsloses Spiel ist, ist für Cio- Cio-San existenzieller Ernst. Sie hat alle Brücken zu ihrer Familie und Kultur abgebrochen, um als »Madama F.B. Pinkerton« den amerikanischen Traum zu träumen. Nachdem Pinkerton sie verlassen hat, verteidigt sie diesen Traum drei Jahre lang gegen die Realität, im Vertrauen auf das amerikanische Eherecht und das gemeinsame Kind, das sie nach Pinkertons Abreise zur Welt gebracht hat: ein blonder, blauäugiger Knabe, den sie Dolore (»Schmerz«) nennt. Sharpless vermeint, die gesellschaftlich völlig isolierte und mittellose Cio-Cio-San zu entlasten, indem er Pinkerton, der in der Zwischenzeit »eine echte Ehe mit einer echten Amerikanerin« eingegangen ist, dazu überredet, das Kind zu adoptieren. Butterfly erklärt sich bereit, das Letzte was ihr geblieben ist, herzugeben, wenn Pinkerton selbst es bei ihr abholt. Dann konfrontiert sie ihn mit ihrem rituellen japanischen Freitod, den sie in Anwesenheit ihres Sohnes vollzieht. Zuvor wurden ihm die Augen verbunden.
Zur musikalischen Darstellung Japans im Konflikt mit seiner durch die amerikanische Marine 1853 erzwungenen Öffnung und Verwestlichung verfremdete Puccini seine Musiksprache, indem er sie durch Material aus originalen oder vermittelten fernöstlichen Quellen anreicherte: Neben Anleihen bei Transkriptionen japanischer Musik des Brucknerschülers Rudolf Dittrich verwendete er Melodien einer in der Schweiz für den Export nach China hergestellten Spieluhr, setzte ein um japanische Instrumente erweitertes Schlagwerk ein und ließ sich auch von einer Kabuki-Theater-aufführung inspirieren. Letzteres verweist auf einen wichtigen Aspekt der Hauptfigur. Denn als Geisha ist Cio-Cio-San geschult, einen Mann durch ihre Konversation nicht weniger als durch künstlerische Darbietungen wie Gesang, Tanz und Pantomime zu unterhalten. Immer wieder erscheint es fraglich, ob ihre Selbstdarstellung als authentisch einzuschätzen ist oder ob sie ihren Partnern – und dem Publikum – nicht vielmehr kunstvolle Maskeraden präsentiert. So etwa wenn sie – mit der berühmtesten Arie des Stücks »Un bel dì vedremo«, »Eines Tages sehn wir« – ihrer Vertrauten Suzuki unter Einsatz ihres Körpers und ihrer Stimme die ersehnte Rückkehr ihres amerikanischen Gatten vorspielt, wenn sie für den Konsul einen humoristischen Dialog vor einem amerikanischen Scheidungsgericht improvisiert oder für ihren Sohn das entwürdigende Los einer Straßentänzerin vergegenwärtigt. Die vermeintliche Naivität der Titelfigur erweist sich so als eine abgründige und vielfach gebrochene. Der Exotismus in Puccinis »Butterfly«- Partitur ist mehr und anderes als ein folkloristisches Dekor. Er setzt eine Kolonialismuskritik in Szene, die das Werk für postkoloniale Fragestellungen und Lektüren fruchtbar macht.
Nachdem das zweiaktig konzipierte Werk bei der Uraufführung 1904 an der Mailänder Scala durchgefallen war, eroberte es in überarbeiteter dreiaktiger Form von Brescia aus die Bühnen der Welt und ist bis heute eine der meistgespielten Opern Puccinis. In der poetischen, mit japanischen Stilelementen arbeitenden Inszenierung des 2008 verstorbenen Hollywoodregisseurs Anthony Minghella, der durch seine Filme »Der englische Patient« und »Der talentierte Mr. Ripley« weltweit bekannt wurde, gibt die Sopranistin Asmik Grigorian ihr Staatsoperndebüt: nicht als Stimmbesitzerin, sondern als singende Schauspielerin, die mit der darstellerischen Durchdringung jeder ihrer Rollen Maßstäbe setzt. Das Wiener Publikum wird sie in der vokal und szenisch vielleicht anspruchsvollsten und schillerndsten Frauenrolle Puccinis erleben können. Unter der Stabführung von Philippe Jordan, der dieses Werk erstmals in Wien dirigiert, gibt auch Freddie De Tommaso als Pinkerton sein Hausdebüt. Mit der Rolle von Butterflys Vertrauter Suzuki kehrt Virginie Verrez ins Ensemble der Staatsoper zurück. Boris Pinkhasovich, dem Wiener Publikum als Onegin und »Barbiere«- Figaro bekannt, singt Konsul Sharpless. Für die dritte Aufführungsserie reicht Philippe Jordan den Dirigentenstab an Joana Mallwitz weiter, derzeitige Musikdirektorin des Staatstheaters Nürnberg, die bei der Kritiker-umfrage der Zeitschrift »Opernwelt« 2019 zur Dirigentin des Jahres gewählt wurde. Unter ihrer Leitung gibt Roberto Alagna – nach fast 100 Wiener Auftritten in 15 Opern – noch ein wichtiges Staatsopern-Rollendebüt: den Pinkerton.

Deutsch

Madame Butterfly by Puccini, From (2023/2023), Directed by Anthony Minghella,, Conductor Antonello Manacorda, Wiener Staatsoper, Vienna, Austria

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