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Japanese tragedy in three acts
Composer Giacomo Puccini · Libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa
In Italian with English and German surtitles
Saturday, 23. February 2002
07:30 pm – 10:25 pm
Nationaltheater
Duration est. 2 hours 55 minutes · 1. Teil (est. 07:30 pm - 08:30 pm ) · Interval (est. 08:30 pm - 09:00 pm ) · 2. Teil (est. 09:00 pm - 10:25 pm )
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Cast
- Musikalische Leitung
- Jacques Delacôte
- Inszenierung
- Wolf Busse
- Bühne
- Otto Stich
- Kostüme
- Silvia Strahammer
- Cio-Cio-San
- Tatjana Zaharchuk
- Suzuki
- Mihoko Fujimura
- B. F. Pinkerton
- Keith Ikaia-Purdy
- Kate Pinkerton
- Victoria Safronov
- Sharpless
- Alan Opie
- Goro Nakodo
- Ulrich Reß
- Der Fürst Yamadori
- Jan Zinkler
- Onkel Bonzo
- Karl Helm
- Yakusidé
- Rüdiger Trebes
- Der Kaiserliche Kommissär
- Hermann Sapell
- Der Standesbeamte
- Gerhard Auer
- Die Mutter der Cio-Cio-San
- Barbara Rohlfs
- Die Base
- Anja Augustin
- Die Tante
- Barbara Schmidt-Gaden
- Bayerisches Staatsorchester
- Chorus of the Bayerische Staatsoper
Media
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The U.S. Forces show their presence world-wide: American Lieutenant Pinkerton has an affair in Nagasaki with Cio-Cio San, "Madame Butterfly". He sails away. She then has his child. Three years later he returns to Japan – accompanied by his American wife and wants to take the child with him. Butterfly commits suicide.
Act I
The U.S. naval officer Pinkerton, along with a marriage broker named Goro, comes to inspect a house near Nagasaki he has bought to live with the geisha Butterfly, whom he plans to marry according to Japanese law. This law however allows him to abandon his wife whenever he feels like it. He casually brushes off the warnings of the American Consul Sharpless, who has told him that Butterfly takes love and marriage very seriously. Before Butterfly appears, he drinks a toast "to a future marriage with a genuine American woman". Butterfly now appears with her friends, attended by members of her family. Hardly has the marriage ceremony ended when Butterfly's uncle arrives and curses the girl for having renounced the faith of her ancestors. Cast out by all the others, all Butterfly has left is her great love.
Act II
Three years have passed. After a brief period of happiness, Pinkerton has left Butterfly. She lives with her servant Suzuki, confidently waiting for her husband's return, although she has not received a single sign of life from him. The consul comes to visit Butterfly. He explains to her that Pinkerton will never return. He cannot bring himself to tell Butterfly that he has married an American woman. Then she triumphantly shows him Pinkerton's child. Sharpless leaves the house after advising her to marry the rich Yamadori who has been courting her. She however feels bound to Pinkerton and refuses. Then the cannon in the harbor goes off. Butterfly recognizes Pinkerton's vessel. Full of hope, she decorates the room and waits in her bridal gown for her beloved.
Act III
Morning dawns. Butterfly has been waiting in vain all night. Finally she goes into the next room with the child in her arms to get a little rest. Pinkerton and Sharpless arrive. Suzuki finds out the whole story. Lamenting, she promises to prepare Butterfly for the worst. Full of remorse, Pinkerton goes running off. Awakened by the sound of the voices, Butterfly returns to the room: full of hope she looks for Pinkerton. Suddenly a strange woman appears. Butterfly discovers the truth from Sharpless. As if this weren't enough - they want her to turn over her child. All that remains for Butterfly is death.
English translation by Donald Arthur
© Bavarian State Opera
Premiere of Giacomo Puccini's "Madama Butterfly" on June 5, 1973 in the Nationaltheater
Biographies
Ulrich Reß, geboren in Augsburg, studierte Gesang am dortigen Leopold-Mozart-Musikkonservatorium. Sein erstes Engagement erhielt er 1979 an den Städtischen Bühnen seiner Heimatstadt. Seit der Spielzeit 1984/85 ist er Ensemblemitglied der Bayerischen Staatsoper. 1988 debütierte er als David (Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg) bei den Bayreuther Festspielen. Gastspiele führten ihn u. a. nach Hamburg, Berlin, Stuttgart, Dresden, Mannheim, Barcelona, Paris, Straßburg, Nizza, Athen und Japan. 1994 wurde er zum Bayerischen Kammersänger ernannt. (Stand: 2018)
