Basel Opera: Puccini’s 'Madame Butterfly' til 4 Jan 2010

The Sunday performance was sold out, with a queue outside for returns. Is this something to do with Basel winning the title of ‘Opera House of the Year’, or because Puccini’s Madame Butterfly is a favourite with opera goers, reflecting contemporary taste for high drama?

Synopsis: A US naval officer, Pinkerton, based in Nagasaki marries the 15 year old Butterfly. Shortly after their wedding, he returns to the US. Butterfly awaits his return with longing, cherishing their son who was born after Pinkerton’s departure. Butterfly is convinced of her husband’s fidelity and his eventual return. When Pinkerton’s ship returns years later, he’s accompanied by his American wife Kate. Pinkerton and Kate visits Butterfly while she sleeps, but he isn’t able to face her and exits. Butterfly’s handmaid Suzuki and the Consul inform Butterfly that Kate is Pinkerton’s wife. Faced with poverty or returning to a Geisha’s life, Butterfly agrees to give up her son if Pinkerton will collect him. As Pinkerton re-enters Butterfly stabs herself.

Soloists: The voices of soloists Svetlana Ignatovich playing Madame Butterfly, and Eung Kwang Lee playing the Consul Sharpless were the highlights of the opera with their versatile voices and dramatic skill. In particular, Svetlana’s rendition of Butterfly’s painful death in the Finale was beautiful and moving. Butterfly’s handmaid, Suzuki played by Valentina Kutzarova was gives a strong performance. However, the voice of tenor playing Pinkerton (Richard Troxwell) sounded strained and thin, albeit there was some recovery in the final trio. Nonetheless, he’s convincing in the role of the callously detached American inflamed by Butterfly’s beauty, but later quashed by his own cowardice.

Staging: The director sadly deflates a dramatic highlight by having Butterfly’s son on stage before the crucial point; albeit this provides visual entertainment while the arias are sung – as the child plays at Indians with his carers. The child’s existence can’t possibly come as a surprise to Sharpless, because his presence is obvious and the room is full of a child’s toys and paintings. The staging was somewhat disappointing, given the originality of past productions, and our now our high expectations of Basel Theatre as ‘Opera house of the Year’. This performance lacked that sparkle which arises out of lateral thinking in the production concept. There is surprisingly little reference to anything Japanese, excepting the costumes of the chorus at the wedding. Generally the costumes comprised an assortment of modern dress: jeans, long shirts, 1940s gangster outfits. This detracted from the allusion to Butterfly’s fragility in the 2^nd and 3^rd Acts – she seemed a modern-day woman unlikely to pine for years over a departed good-for-nothing husband.

Overall, it was a good performance and worth seeing. There’s great pleasure in Puccini’s memorable melodies. The performance was well executed, but not one of those which surprise you - something we’ve come to expect from Basel Theatre.

The opera is sung in Italian with subtitles in German. Further performances on: 15 Nov., 1/3/6/23/27 Dec. and 2/4 Jan.

www.theater-basel.ch