Composer: Giacomo Puccini
Libretto: Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica
Director: Ellen Kent
Conductor: Vasyl Vasylenko
Three performances at Bradford Alhambra marked the beginning of a massive three-opera tour (finishing in May) by Ellen Kent’s Opera International in association with Senbla. The advance publicity rang alarm bells, with posters stressing non-musical attractions: an Andalusian stallion in Carmen, towering marble pillars in Tosca and an exquisite Japanese garden in Madama Butterfly.
In the event any alarm was unjustified. This is a production with solid musical virtues (and one outstanding performance) and the garden set is indeed very attractive, even if the lack of an interior is unhelpful in one or two scenes. Ellen Kent now directs her own productions with casts of mostly Eastern European singers and pursues a resolutely traditional approach. Opera lovers can argue over the pros and cons of this forever, but even those who find this less involving must concede that Butterfly is an opera that sits particularly well in its traditional setting.
Between the fan-twirling and bowing and the tiny little steps of traditional Japonaiserie and old-style operatic gestures there is little room for subtle characterisation, but everything makes sense and there is plenty of good singing. The character of Lieutenant Pinkerton poses a moral question: do we regard him as a romantic young man or just a cad? Vitalii Liskovetskyi sings the part with precision, good taste and ringing top notes and leaves it to us to decide. Similarly the Suzuki of Katerina Timbaliuk is admirably assured, but makes less claim on our sympathy than many Suzukis.
Consul Sharpless always has a direct line to the audience’s sympathy and the excellent Moldovan baritone Vladimir Dragos is no exception. With an easy stage manner and a rich and flexible baritone, he is as likeable (and as troubled by Pinkerton’s insensitivity) as he should be. One or two of the minor parts, notably Ruslan Pacatovici’s fussy Goro, are a mite underpowered, but certainly not Valeriu Cojocaru’s explosive Bonze.
The style of production thrusts extra importance on Cio Cio San, Madam Butterfly herself, and Korean soprano Elena Dee is magnificent, a real star turn. Her voice production is beautifully even throughout her range, her triumphant top notes a natural development, not a one-off challenge. After a glorious Un bel dia the later stages, though superbly sung, are less involving, maybe for reasons of staging.
Madama Butterfly is an opera that relies very little on the chorus, except for the haunting Humming Chorus which works well with limited numbers. Thus the small size of the singing chorus (there were also supernumeraries – locally recruited?) is no problem. The Orchestra of the Ukrainian National Opera and Ballet Theatre plays well for its conductor Vasyl Vasylenko who takes no risks and generally keeps a good balance between stage and pit.
Unsurprisingly, given the busy performance schedule, all the principal parts are double-cast for the tour, so readers booking for York, for instance, may not hear the same singers.
Touring the UK and Ireland
The Reviews Hub Score
Traditional
