Content and characters of Puccini's Madama Butterfly. What is Giacomo Puccini's opera Madama Butterfly about?

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

It often happens that a good literary work dies, just born. But sometimes it continues to live for more than one century, finding more and more new ways of realization: in cinema, music, theater. So it happened with a short story by the American J. L. Long. The characters of "Madama Butterfly" turned out to be so tenacious that they withstood the test of time with dignity.

How the story began

At the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, the fashion for everything oriental ruled the world, so a short novel created and published in a magazine by the American writer J. L. Long was to the taste not only of readers, but also of playwright David Belasco. He wrote the play "Geisha" based on this short work, which was of interest to the troupe of the Prince of York Theater in London.

The staged performance was a success with the audience, so Italian opera composer Giacomo Puccini chose it to watch. "Madama Butterfly" (however, at that time the play was called "Geisha") was so liked by the genius of music, who was looking for a plot for his next work, thathe immediately set about implementing the idea.

A lingering dream

Thrilled by history, Giacomo Puccini turned to the best librettists of the time, who were considered L. Illika and G. Giacosa. They also liked the idea, however, the end result was long in coming. The composer himself was to blame for this, who quite often went on tour, then for rehearsals, not only in different cities of Italy, but also on foreign voyages.

Not contributed to the rapid writing of music and another passion of G. Puccini - cars. Buying a car turned a hot Italian into a real racer who traveled around the country's roads without following the speed. However, an accident in which he was in the midst of working on an opera cooled his ardor a little. A broken leg has become a serious argument to drive much more carefully. But, despite the delays, in 1903 the libretto of Madama Butterfly was ready.

To make his work as true as possible, the composer studied Japanese culture and was a frequent visitor to the Roman House of the Japanese Ambassador. His wife, Mrs. Okiyama, enjoyed playing the old national melodies.

Failed Premiere

On February 17, 1904, Puccini's brainchild was presented to the audience at La Scala in Milan. The main part was performed by Rosina Strokio (soprano). She was accompanied by the tenor Giovanni Zenatello (Lieutenant Pinkerton). Despite the fact that the characters of Madama Butterfly were bright and realistic, the audience turned out to be surprisingly ungrateful,booing the premiere. And on the second day, newspaper pages were full of devastating articles by critics.

The composer was depressed, but refused to acknowledge his idea as a failure. He believed that his opera would be successful, writing in a message to K. Bendy: “In the end, you will see - victory will be mine!” Giacomo Puccini listens to the advice of friends and critics. He removes some scenes, divides the second act into two separate acts and invites the Ukrainian opera diva Solomiya Krushelnytska to play the leading role. The libretto "Madama Butterfly" sparkled with new colors. The audience, gathered at the Grande Theater (Brescia) on May 28, 1904, enthusiastically greeted the work. The composer was called to bow more than once.

The tragedy of a woman in love

The action of the opera develops at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries in Nagasaki. This story is about how the young geisha Cio-Cio-san, who was nicknamed "Butterfly" (butterfly) for her beauty and grace, fell in love with the lieutenant of the American Navy Pinkerton. Her feeling was so strong that, contrary to the traditions of her people, she marries him. True, the stupid Butterfly does not even realize that for her chosen one this marriage is just entertainment, he does not take it seriously.

The story of Madama Butterfly is a tragedy of the contact of two worlds: Western and Eastern, male and female. A civilized person actually turned out to be a barbarian who does not consider the spoken words of the vow to be sacred, therefore he easily breaks them. BUTfor a bearer of ancient traditions (which seem quite wild to a Westerner), the words “union”, “fidelity”, “love” weigh more than life. That is why sincere feelings turned into a tragedy for her.

Main characters of Madama Butterfly

• Cio-Cio-san is a beautiful woman of the East. She is a representative of an ancient profession in Japan - geisha. But, despite the seeming fragility, Butterfly showed unprecedented resilience, following her principles to the end.
• Lieutenant Benjamin Pinkerton is an American sailor who, without hesitation, agreed to marry a Japanese beauty, but perceived it as a pleasant addition to the service. His feelings were not deep, which is why he easily terminated the union in order to marry a compatriot.
• Sharpless is an American consul. This is a decent older man who, from the first day of their acquaintance, was worried about Madame Butterfly and hoped that Pinkerton would not offend her. His character is soft and cheerful. The lieutenant's views on life seem rather superficial to him.
• Suzuki is Butterfly's faithful servant. He has a lively disposition and exorbitant talkativeness, which annoys Pinkerton. Tried to save the mistress from suicide but failed.
• Goro is a local matchmaker. It was he who found a “temporary wife” for the lieutenant, and then he tries to bring Butterfly to the prince, but receives a decisive refusal.

These are the key characters of the opera "Madama Butterfly", the content of which is focused on their experiences. To characters who appear on stage infrequently, you cancarry: Uncle Bonz (curses Butterfly for her desire to change the religion of her ancestors), Prince Yamadori (asks for the hand of Cio-Cio-san after Pinkerton's betrayal), Dolore (son of a lieutenant and a geisha), Kate (Benjamin's wife).

Opera Madama Butterfly. Contents of the first act

The action takes place in the new house of Lieutenant Pinkerton, which he rented. Benjamin is completely satisfied with life: he has just married a charming Japanese geisha. Unburdened by moral principles, he chuckles at Consul Sharpless's warnings not to break a girl's heart.

Followed by the acquaintance of the bride and groom. Cio-Cio-san tells the lieutenant about herself, about her kimono, in the sleeve of which she wears the "souls of the ancestors", confesses her love to the chosen one and promises to change religion for him.

The marriage ceremony is interrupted by a visit from Uncle Butterfly, who curses his niece for being willing to give up her ancestral faith for a man. The wedding is hopelessly ruined, all guests and relatives of the bride are removed. An upset newly-made wife calms down only in the arms of her husband.

Second act. Action one

It's been three years. Pinkerton abandoned his Madama Butterfly. The content of the first act is completely concentrated on the main character. Maid Suzuki tries to convince her mistress that her husband has abandoned her forever. Cio-Cio-san's resentment results in the famous aria "Desired on a clear day", in which there is a hope that the beloved will return.

Consul Sharpless comes to Butterfly's house with a letter saying that Benjamin got married in America. Their conversation is interrupted by the appearance of Goro and Prince Yamadori, who wants to take Butterfly as his wife. Having received a refusal, the visitors are removed. Sharpless advises accepting the prince's proposal and reveals that Pinkerton has married. The woman's first thought is suicide, but she pulls herself together and asks the consul to tell her husband about her son.

After some time, an American ship enters the harbor. Cio-Cio-san knows that he is wearing a loved one. She dresses up, decorates the house and waits for him, but neither in the evening nor at night does he appear.

Act two

The characters of "Madama Butterfly" in the final part of the opera turned out to be very emotional. Pinkerton and Sharpless came to visit Cio-Cio-san. Benjamin's wife remained in the garden. The maid was the first to guess everything, and the lieutenant, seeing her tears, runs away so as not to participate in the scene.

Butterfly who came in instantly understood everything. The Consul tells her that Pinkerton's legal wife is willing to take care of their child. Butterfly understands that there is no way out, and asks her husband to come in an hour for the child. This is enough time for her to commit suicide.

During the lady's preparatory prayer, the maid pushes her son into the room, hoping it will stop her. After giving the child a toy and blindfolding him, Cio-Cio-san stabs himself behind the screen. When Pinkerton and Sharpless appeared in the room, the unfortunate Butterfly only had the strength to point her hand at their son.

Immortality of opera

This work was the main brainchild of G. Puccini. "Madama Butterfly" was appreciated not only by the Italian public, but also by foreign music fans. There was not a single failed production of the opera. The composer turned out to be absolutely right when he decided to breathe a second life into his offspring, changing its structure and inviting the incomparable Solomiya Krushelnitskaya to perform the main part.

Residents of France, England, Russia, USA, Argentina and many other countries still go to the theater with pleasure, seeing the name of the opera on the posters. They empathize with the unfortunate Cio-Cio-san, are angry at Pinkerton, and worry about the fate of the baby. Every opera singer considers it an honor to perform the part of the legendary Japanese Butterfly, which was ruined by love for an unworthy person.

Giacomo Puccini created a real masterpiece that gained immortality on the theater stage. Madama Butterfly is still considered one of the best operas in the world.