Madam Butterfly

Synopsis

A beautiful staging of a favourite opera brings Puccini's Madame Butterfly back to The Royal Opera repertory. The story of a Japanese geisha's love for an American naval officer moved Puccini to compose music of rare and sensual beauty, but also of heartrending power as the tragedy unfolds to its devastating conclusion.

Andris Nelsons conducts one of the most ravishing of scores, which features such wonderfully lyrical passages as Cio-Cio-San's first entrance, Pinkerton's seduction of her, the famous Humming chorus, and of course Butterfly's 'un bel di vedremo'.

Patricia Racette appears as the Butterfly of the title, Cio-Cio-San, a role for which she is acclaimed worldwide - and James Valenti makes an especially dashing Pinkerton, whose thoughtless toying with love is the catalyst for this classic tragic story.

The second Puccini opera of the summer, this revival offers the drama, the musical richness and the sheer enjoyment of great performance that makes The Royal Opera world class.

SUNG IN ITALIAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES

Our Review:

26 June 2011

Although only eight years’ old, Patrice Caurier and Moshe Leiser’s traditional staging of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly was returning to The Royal Opera for the fourth time. The director-duo were on hand to supervise this revival and it showed in the detailed performances that virtually the entire cast gave. Christian Fenouillat’s sets just about stay the right side of saccharine, but the noisy blinds whose whirring often drowns the music need returning to IKEA as soon as possible. Let’s hope he still has the receipt.

At Saturday’s first night things took a while to warm up. Act One was good but mainly hampered by James Valenti’s over-parted Pinkerton. True, he looked every inch the American naval officer (he is after all American) but his dry, pinched singing became something of an endurance as the night wore on. He failed to project the voice and top notes were constrained, resulting in an overall sound that was far from pleasant. Given his lacklustre showing in last s...

Read more of the review

Latest User Review

Peter Hodgson - 28 June 2011:

I've seen Butterfly a dozen times and this was the finest - Kristine Opalais is simply staggering - I can't believe I have never heard of her. The tenor, James Valenti was poor, verging on dreadful and deserved every boo he got on the first night. If Covent Garden really does consider itself a "World Stage" and dares charge £200 a seat, why are the engaging tenth raters like Valenti who would be lucky to be allowed to sing in a provincial German house?...

Read more and add your own review