MADAMA BUTTERFLY

Information

Japanese tragedy in three acts - 1904

Composer Giacomo Puccini · Libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa
In Italian with English and German surtitles

Friday, 27. February 2004
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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Dates & Tickets

October 2020

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Cast

Musikalische Leitung: Myron Romanul
Inszenierung: Wolf Busse
Bühne: Otto Stich
Kostüme: Silvia Strahammer

Cio-Cio-San: Tatjana Zaharchuk
Suzuki: Mihaela Ungureanu
B. F. Pinkerton: Mario Malagnini
Kate Pinkerton: Elena Belakova
Sharpless: Paolo Gavanelli
Goro Nakodo: Ulrich Reß
Der Fürst Yamadori: Christian Rieger
Onkel Bonzo: Steven Humes
Yakusidé: Rüdiger Trebes
Der Kaiserliche Kommissär: Nikolay Borchev
Der Standesbeamte: Gerhard Auer
Die Mutter der Cio-Cio-San: Chorsolo
Die Base: Chorsolo
Die Tante: Chorsolo

Bayerisches Staatsorchester
Chorus of the Bayerische Staatsoper

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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

Biographies

Myron Romanul

Ulrich Reß

Christian Rieger

Steven Humes

Nikolay Borchev

Myron Romanul was born in Baltimore, studied in Boston and had his Debut as piano Soloist with the Boston Symphony Orcherstra at age of 11.

Performed as a Soloist and member of Boston Symphony Orchestra and Boston Pops Orchestra with Seiji Ozawa, Kurt Mazur, Arthur Fiedler, John Williams and others. Won Grammy Award with New England Conservatory Ragtime Ensemble in 1973 for Best Classical Chamber Music.

Assistant Music Director, Boston Lyric Opera
Principal Conductor Boston Ballet
Conductor & Solo Pianist, Stuttgart Ballet, 1985-1990
2. Kapellmeister & Assistant GMD, Badische Staatstheater Karlsruhe, 1990-1994
1. Kapellmeister & Stellvertreter GMD, Staatstheater Mainz, 1994-1997
1. Kapellmeister, Aalto Theater Essen
Music Director, Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival, since 1985
Principal Guest Conductor, Central Massachusetts Symphony Orchestra, since 1985
Guest Conductor, Ankara State Theater, since 1999
Also plays Cimbalom (Hungarian dulcimer), performed with Pierre Boulez & Speculum Musicae, and recorded film score to Gorky Park
Guest Conductor at the Opéra national du Rhin and in Metz, both in France and at the His Majesty's Theater in Perth, Australia.

Myron Romanul has been conducting performances at both the Bayerische Staatsoper and the Bayerisches Staatsballett since 1987. At the Bayerisches Staatsballett Romanul conducted, amongst others, The Taming of the Shrew, Onegin, Don Quijote, Balanchines Brahms-Schönberg Quartett, Jacopo Godanis After Dark, The Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet, Raymonda, Alice´s adventures in Wonderland, Portrait Wayne McGregor and La Bayadère. He also took over the musical direction of numerous premieres such as Die Silberne Rose, Bombana/Simon/Godani and Le Corsaire, Helden, Der gelbe Klang and Le Sacre du printemps.