A beloved opera of lyric theatres around the world, Madama Butterfly returned last summer to the impressive floating stage of the Bregenz Festival, one of Austria’s most prestigious cultural institutions, with the internationally renowned young soprano Barno Ismatullaeva from Uzbekistan. The role of Suzuki is performed by mezzo Annalisa Stroppa, and the role of Pinkerton by tenor Edgaras Montvidas, both important representatives of the new generation of lyric singers. They are accompanied by the Vienna Symphony Orchestra under the Italian conductor Enrique Mazzola, a conductor deeply committed to the operatic repertoire and world-renowned for his inspiring interpretations of the bel canto. Also participating are the choirs of the Bregenz Festival and the Prague Philharmonic.
A setting like a sheet of delicate Japanese paper
Against the backdrop of the breathtaking natural landscape of Lake Constance in Austria, award-winning set designer Michael Levine designed a stage set for Madama Butterfly that resembles delicate Japanese paper, on which the moving story of Cho-Cho-San is played out. The performance was directed by Andreas Homoki [Andreas Homoki], artistic director of the Zurich Opera House, bringing out the exoticism of Giacomo Puccini’s masterpiece through atmospheric projections. The costumes, dominated by colour tensions and contrasts and the coexistence of the Far East and the West, were designed by Antony McDonald.
Expectation and vain hope
The young Japanese geisha Cho-Cho-San, who goes by the name Butterfly, dreams of a different life in the far western world, although she knows that realising her dream will lead her into conflict with her family and with the traditional values of Japanese society. She is overwhelmed with joy when she is married to the American naval officer Pinkerton, but shortly after their wedding he will leave for his homeland. There, Pinkerton, believing that he no longer has any commitment to Cho-Cho-San, will find a new, American wife and resume his life in the United States. Butterfly, always in love with him, continues to wait for him for three years, raising alone the son she has with him. However, everything will be turned upside down when Pinkerton returns to Japan accompanied by his new wife. Then, Cho-Cho-San will not hesitate to make the hardest decision of her life…
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Events at the Megaron Garden are held on the green. Spectators are welcome to bring pillows or throws.
