Mrs Butterfly

Mrs Butterfly ( Madama Butterfly ) is a opera in three acts, represented for the first time at La Scala of Milan on February 17th 1904.

The musical partition is signed Giacomo Puccini, and the booklet is the work of Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica.

Genesis

In 1900, Puccini is with London to direct the repetitions of Tosca to the Royal Opera House. A little by chance, it attends a play of David Belasco, Mrs Butterfly , drawn from a news of the American John Luther Long (1861-1927). It is immediately filled with enthusiasm by the part and wants to buy the rights at once. After rough negotiations, the contract will be finally signed in September 1901 and the librettists Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica put themselves at work.

After successes of Bohemia (1896) and of Tosca (1900), Puccini expected a favorable reception. But, the first representation the February 17th 1904 is a monumental failure. The opera is too long and cutting in two acts breaks with the practices of the Italian lyric art. Puccini learns the lessons from them, it alters the opera and reorganizes it in three better balanced acts. The new version presented to Brescia the May 28th 1904 will be a triumph, is a prelude to with a formidable international career: Buenos Aires, London, New York, Paris… the French version presented to the Op3era Comique on December 28th, 1906 is of Paul Ferrier (1843-1920). The topic of the Geisha marrying an American of passage points out of course Mrs Chrysanthème of Pierre Loti, which was adapted besides to the opera by André Messager in 1893. But the resemblance is very remote. Whereas Mrs Chrysanthème is a cynical Japanese woman, and venal, who counts her money at the beginning of the sailor, Butterfly falls passionately in love with Pinkerton, at the point to sacrifice the social conventions and to disavow its family. And Pinkerton will test remorses with dead of Butterfly, which is not common for the sailors of passage.

Characters

  • Mrs Butterfly, Cio-Cio-San, soprano
  • Suzuki, its maidservant, mezzosoprano
  • Benjamin Franklin Pinkerton, tenor
  • Kate Pinkerton, soprano
  • Sharpless, the consul, bariton
  • Goro, the intermediary, tenor
  • Yamadori, the applicant, tenor
  • Bonzo, the uncle bonze, low
  • Commissario, the officer of civil statue, low

Synopsis

Nagasaki, 1904. A young American officer of passage, B.F. Pinkerton marries a geisha, Madama Butterfly (in Japanese Italianized Ciocio-san , that is to say Mrs Papillon). Simple exotic entertainment for him, the marriage is taken very with serious by the young Japanese woman. After the ceremony and him to have made a child, Pinkerton sets out again. Hoping for its return, it remains to him faithful and refuses many proposals for a marriage. Three years later, Pinkerton returns to Japan with his new American wife. When Butterfly includes/understands the situation, it gives up her child to them and gives itself death by Seppuku (hara-kiri).

Argument

Act I

  • In Nagasaki, in 1904, Goro, intermediary, makes visit with B.F.Pinkerton, American officer of passage, the house that this last has just bought. It introduces its servants to him of which Suzuki, the maidservant of her promised in marriage Mrs Butterfly.
  • Then the American consul Sharpless arrives. Pinkerton explains to him why the leasing agreements, here, are very precarious. One signs for 999 years but one can retract each month! It is similar for the marriage contracts (Air: “ Dovunque Al mundo, lo Yankee vagabondo ”. “Everywhere in the world, the Yankee roves”.)
  • Sharpless the warn and informs it frankness and sincerity of Butterfly. Pinkerton takes this marriage like a pastime and explains to him that he will marry later with a true American wife “ una will vera at the head spoza americana ”
  • Arrivée of Butterfly of a splendid procession with his friends and his parents (Air: “ Ecco! Its giunte ”.) She sings her happiness. Pinkerton is under the charm.
  • criticisms fuse in crowd, humiliating Butterfly, which is dishonoured by marrying a foreigner. Pinkerton takes the marriage with the second degree (“ che burletta ” which joke) in spite of the repeated warnings of Sharpless.
  • They enter the house. It shows him some small objects which it carried, the dagger with which his/her father committed suicide and Ottokés, statuettes symbolizing the hearts of its ancestors. She acknowledges to him to be herself converted to “God of the Americans” by love for him.
  • the imperial police chief celebrates the ceremony of marriage. Everyone clinks glasses and is delighted when suddenly, quasi-supernatural appearance, the uncle bonze emerges! He curses Butterfly (Cio-Cio-San) which disavowed its family and her ancestors. Moment of a great dramatic intensity, Pinkerton defends Butterfly and drives out the bonze.
  • Remained only, it comforts it. The first act is completed on a very beautiful duet of love (“ Vienna will be to it ” “the night approaches”). It only feels “… and disavowed, disavowed… and happy” “ Sola E rinnegata! rinnegata E felice! ” Like the butterfly (“ farfalle ”), it is pinned for the life!

Act II

  • Three years were passed since the departure of Pinkerton and Butterfly always awaits it. Meanwhile, the financial position of Butterfly was degraded. Suzuki requests Bouddha so that Butterfly ceases crying, but without much hope: “one considering a foreign husband to return forever to the nest”, while Butterfly requests American God. She hopes for the return of Pinkerton to the “season when the robins make their nest” as he had promised to him. Very beautiful and concerning aria of Butterfly: “ beautiful a dì vedremo… ” “one beautiful day…”
  • Goro and Sharpless returns visit in Butterfly. Goro introduces rich person applicants to him, of which prince Yamadori. But it gets rid of them all because it is still regarded as bride.
  • Sharpless starts to read a letter to him where Pinkerton announces to him that it is finished, but he does not dare to finish. Upset, she promises that she will commit suicide if he does not return. Then, it introduces her child to him, whose Pinkerton is unaware of the existence (Aria sad: “ Che killed veined dovrà ”.) She prefers to die rather than to become again geisha. Sharpless is withdrawn, promising to warn Pinkerton. During this time, Goro grinds around the house, spreading the rumor which the child does not have of father.

Act III

  • Blow of gun! The boat “Abraham Lincoln” of Pinkerton enters to the port and Butterfly sees it with its telescope. What a happiness! Butterfly and Suzuki decorate the house with all the flowers with the garden. Butterfly gets dressed as at the first day to accommodate Pinkerton.
  • Butterfly takes care all during the night with his/her child and in the small hour she falls asleep exhausted.
  • Pinkerton and Sharpless arrives then at the house with Kate, the new American wife of Pinkerton. He asks Suzuki to entrust the child to him to ensure his future. Sharpless repeats its reproaches to him: “ Ve dissi ” “I had said it well to you”. Tragedy trio between Pinkerton, Suzuki and Sharpless. Pinkerton tests a great sincere remorse (Air: “ addio, fiorito asil ” “Good-bye flowered asylum”.) Then he flees loosely.
  • Kate requires the child of Suzuki and promises to take care of it. Butterfly awakes, sees Kate and includes/understands the truth. Despaired, she agree to give her son to Pinkerton provided that he comes to seek it itself.
  • Butterfly is killed with a dagger on which these words are engraved: “that which cannot live in the honor dies with honor”. Outside, one hears the calls moved by Pinkerton, seized by the remorse: “ Butterfly, Butterfly, Butterfly… ”

Famous arias

The most famous arias are:
  • beautiful a dì, vedremo (Butterfly), with the second act,
  • idiot onor muore (Butterfly), at the end of the third act.
  • Che killed veined dovrà (Butterfly), with the second act,
  • Vienna will be to it (duet Butterfly, Pinkerton), with the first act.
One can also quote:
  • Dovunque Al mondo (Pinkerton, Sharpless), with the first act,
  • Ecco! Its giunte (Goro, friends of Butterfly), with the first act,
  • Addio, fiorito asil (Pinkerton, Sharpless), with the third act.

Discography

One can quote, among the great adaptations discographics:

Adaptations to the theater

  • 1988 : The adaptation of David Henry, Mr. Butterfly , which tells the history but with a French diplomat and a Chinese singer of opera, is denounced to have depicts Butterfly like Asian subjected, according to the Western stereotype.
  • 1989 : Musical the Miss Saigon, which takes the poster with Broadway, is partly inspired Mrs Butterfly. The history is camped with the Viet nâm and in Thailand, with like decoration the Guerre of Vietnam and the fall of Saigon.

Catalog of films

References in the popular culture

  • the group Rock Weezer took as a starting point Mrs Butterfly for its second disc Pinkerton , which contains references to the work of Puccini and its characters, particularly on the last piece of the album, " Butterfly". A fictitious chart of the world included in the small pocket of the disc also contains references to Sharpless and Cio-Cio-San. Lastly, an extract of the opera, in Italian is registered around the Compact disk even.

See too

External bonds

  • the English and Italian booklet
  • the original work of John Luther Long (English)
  • complete Recording in MP3 (Creative Commons)

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