GIACOMO PUCCINI (1858-1924)
Includes full libretto in Italian and English. Recorded in 1955. MONO Recording.
MADAMA BUTTERFLY Maria Callas soprano
Lucia Danieli mezzo-soprano
Nicolai Gedda tenor
Mario Borriello bassChorus & Orchestra of the Teatroalla Scala di Milano
conducted by Herbert von KarajanEMI Classics CDS5 56298-2
2 discs [128'37"] full-priceby Ng Yeuk Fan
At its premiere, Puccini had expected Madama Butterfly to be a success. Unfortunately for him, that day (February 17, 1904), Puccini's enemies had filled the La Scala audience with their own kind, who proceeded to deliberately boo and jeer at the music. Some say that the original version had its problems anyway, musically speaking. Puccini withdrew the opera, even returned the fee to the theatre, revised the work and re-premiered it two months later to great acclaim. Sometimes, enemies force you to become better.
Despite the many disagreeable stacked chords ringing through brassy bells, the artistry of Puccini is evident if you note his ability to create drama with simple musical tools. One only needs to hear CD1 track 2, at 0'19" on "amorosa" to be convinced of that. On the word "amorosa", which means "amorous", Puccini alters the nuance of the musical line to inflect the meaning of the word. The subtle pizzicato bass ushers in the tender change of mood, as it were, as the word is sung.
Further, the particularly successful "Humming Chorus" (CD2 track 10), which accompanies Cio Cio San’s all-night vigil in Act II creates a certain expectant tension. By cleverly using no words, since none may be appropriate, this music is immediately calming yet in its subtle way, foreboding, hinting of Cio Cio San’s imminent misery. As we wait in our seats in anticipation for Pinkerton's arrival, we are confronted with the knowledge of Butterfly's innocent passions and that her entire world is built on her only hope - one which we know will be dashed at daybreak.
Thus, the dramatic difference between the cheerful flower scene before and the ironic twist in the story to come becomes heightened manifold. This scene, a challenging one for lighting designers, is representative of the finest dramatic conceptions good opera is famous for. The meditative wait of the "Humming Chorus" - Butterfly for her husband; and us, for dramatic development - binds us to Butterfly inseparably. It primes us for unrestrained sympathy for this tiny heroine.
MARIA CALLAS (1923-77) did not shine from the beginning of this recording. In many operas, the waiting for and hearing of Callas’ first note is an undeniable pleasure. Here, Butterfly makes her appearance from afar and this, added to the less-than-ideal acoustics involved in this recording, decreased that miraculous sensation somewhat. Her greatest moments in this recording are the scene with the Counsel and her suicide scene. However, all in all, this recording did little to demonstrate the powers of Callas (right). Even at her best, theatrically speaking, her vocal quality was uneven throughout this performance. Though there are many beautiful lines, one wishes for a better version of Callas' Cio Cio San. The words "Uno, due, tre e tutti giu..." at CD1 track 7, 2'18" are the equivalent of Callas' now famous utterance of the word "Quanto?" in Verdi's Tosca, where she dealt supreme hate and unrivaled despise for Scarpia, the evil police chief - in one single word. This picturesque Butterfly scene, when set to the backdrop of a hundred Kimono-clad relatives and clansmen, with the unison bowing, etc., is always a sight worth looking out for on stage. This recording is no exception. Callas' delivery produces magnetic imagery, equally impressive, and not without the tenderness of a 14-year-old bride to be. Surely Callas' art is that of unparalleled common sense, art that evades only the most consummate of artists.
Gedda makes for a believable Pinkerton, very average at once and absolutely detestable. Puccini intends for a phallocentric Pinkerton which leaves one to wonder whether his idea of the average American is exactly that. Gedda's portrayal is efficient without being brilliant. His voice is ordinary and at times even poor. This belies the great Gedda voice which he is famous for. Having said that, I would rather have a second-rate Pinkerton than a bright, heroic and righteous tenor voice.
The reading by Karajan is this recording's greatest merit. Thanks to Walter Legge's perfectionist habits, the orchestra is heard with remarkable clarity for a mono recording of 1955. Very little needs to be left to the imagination as the shimmering strings sound above the acoustic dirt and the lack of stereo effortlessly.
Puccini's fascination for oriental themes become evident to the opera fan who is familiar with Turandot. It is known now that the Butterfly theme first introduced at CD1 Track 5, with Cio Cio San's entrance, is based on one of several authentic Chinese tunes which Puccini (right) obtained from a few early recorded LPs imported from China. These tunes include the "Hâo yì dûo méi lì dè mùo lì huã" ("What A Beautiful Jasmine Flower" - Mandarin hanyu pinyin tones approximated in some cases. Sorry. - Ed.) a famous Chinese song adapted for use in his other orientalist opera Turandot, and more recently in Tan Dun's Symphony 1997.
The whole opera ends on a enigmatic incomplete cadence. I wonder why.
Der Fliegende Inkpot
Ring of DramaIn Singapore, this set is available at or can be ordered from Sing Discs (Raffles City), Tower Records (Pacific Plaza & Suntec City), or HMV (The Heeren).
Ng Yeuk Fan is not your typical pot-bellied tenor.
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177: 18.5.98; up.21.3.1999 ©Ng Yeuk Fan
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