Germany Puccini, Madama Butterfly (live performance efficiency): Soloists, Rundfunkchor Berlin (chief conductor: Gijs Leenaars), Berliner Philharmoniker / Kirill Petrenko (conductor). Broadcast stay from the Berlin Philharmonie (directed by Michael Beyer) on the Digital Live performance Corridor, 27.4.2025. (JPr)
Relying on the place you’re on this planet present newspaper headlines – maybe extra on-line lately than in print – have been to the fore within the Berlin Philharmonic’s live performance efficiency of Madama Butterfly. Their return to the Berlin Philharmonie adopted their look at Baden-Baden’s Easter Pageant accompanying Davide Livermore’s new manufacturing (assessment right here). I’ve all the time discovered the toasts – nonetheless ironic Puccini may deliberately or in any other case have been – to the greatness of America unduly irksome. The interpretation on-line talked about how ‘The Yankee travels all the world, he enjoys, he negotiates … if he fails, he tries once more. America for ever!’ Who involves thoughts while you learn that? Additionally, it’s the acceptance of the ‘pleasures’ of intercourse tourism which is especially worrying if dwelt on too lengthy on this opera, with the geisha Cio-Cio-San (aka Butterfly) suggesting how at 15 she is ‘already outdated’!
Matthew Hunter (Berlin Philharmonic violist) in a pre-recorded interval interview spoke to Eleonora Buratto (Cio-Cio-San) and Jonathan Tetelman (B. F. Pinkerton) and raised the problems of the ‘poisonous relationship’ and ‘abusive energy’ and Tetelman’s response was ‘let the viewers resolve how you can understand it.’ In 2025 that’s in all probability greatest; the blatant misogynist, racist and sexist parts of Madama Butterfly is Puccini shining a 1904 mirror on little one exploitation and the world he exhibits us in his opera and telling a tragic story as related to us now as in his day.
Fortunately, any ideas of racial and cultural stereotyping – the priority of the opera director – could be additional distanced by the truth that this was a live performance efficiency with almost everybody dressed formally. Since all of the soloists have been ‘off the guide’, their interplay undoubtedly introduced parts of what was seen in Baden-Baden to Berlin.
The sound from my audio system and the closeups of conductor Kirill Petrenko on the display screen revealed how he inspired a remarkably virtuosic efficiency from these round him. Petrenko was regularly smiling as if he was having fun with all of it immensely (though the orchestra appeared reasonably glum) and relying on the music may both be ‘waltzing’ on the rostrum or launching himself up and down on it. There have been great contributions from particular person orchestra members, together with concertmaster Noah Bendix-Balgley, Emmanuel Pahud’s flute, Jonathan Kelly’s oboe, Yun Zeng’s horn, amongst so many others.
Petrenko lashed into the brief orchestral prelude at the beginning and later the chicken calls which greeted the daybreak in Act III have been very evocative while watching the livestream. Petrenko relished each minute element, and he totally deserved the apparent assist he elicited from the soloists, refrain and his orchestra. There was a beguiling rendition of the ‘Buzzing Refrain’ which proved an particularly meditative interlude with simply the fitting whiff of cherry blossom. Nonetheless, each right here and within the earlier ‘O Kami! O Kami!’ Act I refrain, Rundfunkchor Berlin (changing the refrain who sang in Baden-Baden) sounded an excessive amount of as in the event that they have been singing Bach. Petrenko clearly has the utmost respect for the theatricality of Madama Butterfly – whether or not within the opera home or on the live performance platform – and he created an intense ambiance stuffed with drama and rigidity.
Eleonora Buratto is an impressive Cio-Cio-San and among the best of the very many interpreters of the position I’ve seen and heard, albeit not ‘stay’ on this event. From her arrival on the platform she charmed together with her portrayal of Cio-Cio-San’s cultivated manners and naiveté. It was potential to consider in her story of how she was from a noble household lowered to penury (we hear how her father dedicated suicide on the request of the emperor) and so wanted to earn a dwelling as a geisha. We additionally consider – as a result of she does – in her longed-for glad ever after by way of ‘marrying’ U.S. Navy Lieutenant Pinkerton and altering her faith to his; although this causes her to be renounced by household, associates and society. Quickly we settle for how deluded Cio-Cio-San turns into earlier than the realisation ‘dawns’ that she has been abandoned by Pinkerton and left with their son, Sorrow. When he ultimately returns together with his American spouse to take his son away, there is just one recourse left for Cio-Cio-Cio. Each – and I imply each – emotion her character goes by way of was etched on Buratto’s face and we lived Cio-Cio-San’s story by way of her (‘Un bel dì vedremo’ was a spotlight after all). And if that wasn’t distinctive sufficient, it was allied to Buratto’s nice vocal appearing and flawless approach which encompassed beautiful floated excessive notes to the visceral cry of anguish when Cio-Cio-San lastly suspects she might need been deserted.
Believability – even for a live performance efficiency – was helped by the truth that Jonathan Tetelman may be very tall, and it made an excellent match for Buratto’s smaller Cio-Cio-San, and you can settle for them as a ‘couple’. Tetelman sees Pinkerton as ‘a younger man’ who ‘makes errors’, he was ‘unsure he’s a foul man, only a bit cowardly as a result of he’s younger.’ Tetelman had a sturdy and ardent sound with excessive notes that have been reasonably tight to start with however impressed in his open-throated Act III ‘Addio, fiorito asil’ stuffed with regret and despair.
Close to-perfectly acted and sung vignettes from the remainder of the forged (many not identified to me prior to now). These included Tassis Christoyannis as a gruff, realizing and anxious U.S. Consul Sharpless, Teresa Iervolino’s devoted, caring and anxious maid Suzuki, Didier Pieri’s scheming, mercenary matchmaker Goro, Aksel Daveyan’s lovelorn Prince Yamadori and Giorgi Chelidze’s Bonze, the uncle who vehemently denounces Cio-Cio-San.
Fairly distinctive stagecraft (such because it was!) and music-making from all involved in a Madama Butterfly that I’ll bear in mind fondly for a really very long time.
A remaining phrase: many shall be acquainted how Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber’s music owes one thing of a debt to Puccini, however what about Puccini himself? With the orchestra centre stage, borrowings in Madama Butterfly develop into extra apparent: I clearly heard the affect of Wagner and doesn’t the Act I ‘Love Duet’ sound like Verdi’s one in his 1887 Otello and the Act II ‘Flower Duet’ like Delibes’s in his 1883 Lakmé?
Jim Pritchard
Featured Picture: Curtain name for Madama Butterfly on the Berlin Philharmonie © Berlin Philharmonic
Forged:
Eleonora Buratto – Cio-Cio-San
Teresa Iervolino – Suzuki
Jonathan Tetelman – B. F. Pinkerton
Tassis Christoyannis – Sharpless
Didier Pieri – Goro
Aksel Daveyan – Prince Yamadori
Giorgi Chelidze – The Bonze
Jasurbek Khaydarov – Imperial Commissioner
Georg Streuber – The Official Registrar
Lilia Istratii – Kate Pinkerton / Cio-Cio-San’s cousin
Benjamin Šuran – Yakusidé
Natalie Jurk – Cio-Cio-Sans’s Mom
Eunsoo Lee – Cio-Cio-Sans’s Aunt
