Ottawa is lucky to be the site of four performances of Opera Lyra’s take on Puccini’s masterpiece “Madama Butterfly,” one of the world’s most beloved operas.
The famed opera, which starts April 19 at the National Arts Centre, is based on a play by David Belasco with Italian libretto by Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica.
Composer Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924) was a pupil of Ponchielli at the Milan Conservatory and is famous for several other operas, namely “Manon Lescaut,” “La Bohème,” and “La Tosca.”
However, the first performance of “Madama Butterfly” at La Scala in Milan in 1904 was not well-received—in fact it was a failure, probably due to insufficient rehearsal time.
Opera Lyra has rehearsed until the sensuous, melodic, and exotic opera—a three-act, three-handkerchief musical treat—is near perfection. Avid opera goers will probably hear musical debts to Wagner, Verdi, and Debussy in Puccini’s opera, chockfull as it is with sensuous melodic material.
The opera is set in Nagasaki in 1904 and tells the sad tale of a bittersweet romance between a young, unworldly Japanese woman who falls in love with a callous American naval officer. Before she marries him, she abandons her ancestral religion and is shunned by her family. Her unwavering love for the man who deserts her is an unforgettable tale of seduction and betrayal.
The role of Cio-Cio San, or Madama Butterfly, is to be sung by Chinese soprano Xiuying Li, who was featured in the PBS TV broadcast of the opera for the New York City Opera. The role of the prince will be sung by baritone Gene Wu, while James Westman, one of Canada’s best-known baritones, will take the role of Sharpless.
“I am proud to present this exciting cast for ‘Madama Butterfly’ which reflects the company’s mandate of presenting high quality opera, nurturing Canadian artists, and creating performance opportunities for members of Opera Lyra’s training program,” Opera Lyra’s artistic director and conductor Tyrone Paterson, who cast the opera, said in a press release.
At the helm is Francois Racine, one of Canada’s best-known opera directors. He has staged productions at L'Opera de Montreal, Canadian Opera Company and Opera de Quebec as well as directing Bluebeard’s Castle and Erwartung in Seattle.
Well-known chorus master Laurence Ewashko is proving to be instrumental in the performance as, of course, is general director John Peter Jeffries.
According to Jeffries, the opera will “win hearts even as it breaks them.”
Performances are scheduled for April 19, 21, 23, and 26. Prices start at $25. Tickets are available at the NAC box office as well as through Ticketmaster (1-888-991-2787).
Susan Hallett is an award-winning writer and editor who has written for The Beaver, The Globe & Mail, Wine Tidings and Doctor’s Review, among others. Email: [email protected]
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