Program Notes

Program Notes

by April L. Racana

Fri. July 22 The 882nd Suntory Hall Subscription Concert
Sun. July 24 The 883rd Orchard Hall Subscription Concert

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Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924)

Opera“Madama Butterfly”(concert-style)
In London for the British premiereof Tosca in 1900, Puccini attended theAmerican playwright, David Belasco’s
one-act play, Madame Butterfly, wherethe seeds were first planted for his idea tocompose an opera based on the subject.
Belasco, in turn, had based his play on
the story by John Luther Long of the same
name, whose sister had shared with him
the experiences of a young Japanese girlin Nagasaki when she was there as amissionary. It seems Long may have also
referenced Pierre Loti’s novel Madame
Chrysanthéme, which was popular at thetime and shares a very similar plot-line.

in Milan, Italy where it was received withjeers, apparently from adversaries to thecomposer who from the start wanted
to undermine the success of the opera.
As described in Musice e Musicisti theaudience reaction included: “Growls,shouts, groans, laughter, giggling, [andthe] usual single cries… designed toexcite the public still more; that sums
up the reception which the public of La
Scala accorded the new work by Maestro
Puccini… The spectacle given in theauditorium seemed as well organized asthat on the stage since it began precisely
with the beginning of the opera.”

After returning to Italy, Puccini calledon his librettists, Luigi Illica and Giuseppe
Giacosa, (both of whom had worked withthe composer on his two previous operas,
La Boheme and Tosca), to develop a fulloperatic script, while the composer began
composing the score. Puccini enlisted
the assistance of the wife of the Japaneseambassador to Italy, as well, as he wanted
to become familiar with traditional
Japanese songs and try to incorporate
some of the Japanese melodies and stylethroughout the work.

In addition, there were other problems
with the work, including the length (toolong), as well as the divisions of theacts and the fact that there was no aria
for the tenor, which was unheard of in
operas of the time. Puccini ended up
withdrawing the opera, returning his fee tothe management at that theatre, and went
on to revise the work. The second revision
was premiered in Brescia, Italy in May thatyear where it was received warmly. Thisversion included breaking the production
into three separate acts, rather than thetwo longer acts in the first version, as
well as adding an aria for the tenor in thefinal act. Puccini would go on to revise

The premiere for Madama Butterfly
came on February 17th, 1904 at La Scala29

Program Notes

the opera again in 1905 for the Covent
Gardens performance, and even furtherrevisions in 1906 for the Paris premiere,
which has become the standard version
most often presented. The TPO will bepresenting this work for this concert series
in two extended Acts, combining Act II
and Act III into the final act.
In Act I an American Naval Lieutenant,Benjamin Franklin Pinkerton, has arrived
in Nagasaki, where he is arranging tolease a house from Goro-san, who is alsoa marriage broker and has arranged fora Japanese-bride, Butterfly (Cio-Cio-san— pronounced Cho-Cho-san) as well.
Pinkerton is accompanied by Sharpless,the American consul, and while talking,brags about the perceived temporary
nature of this type of marriage. Sharplesswarns him that his Japanese bride may
take the commitment more seriously.
However, Pinkerton continues with hisbrash ways, going on to state how he will
one day return to America and have a‘real’ wife there.
In the meantime, Butterfly arrives witha great processional of friends and family.
She shares with Pinkerton some of her
most cherished belongings, including
the dagger her father used to commit
hara-kiri. She tells her new husband-tobe that she has converted to Christianity
for his sake and is willing to give up thebeliefs of her own family in order to bewith him. Immediately following thewedding ceremony, Butterfly’s uncle
arrives and renounces her for abandoning
her religion, calling on the rest of thefamily to do the same. Pinkerton steps
in and demands that the uncle leaves,with the rest of the family and friends
following him out. Comforting his newbride, the pair sing their first (and longest)
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love-duet “Bimba, Bimba, non piangere”(Sweetheart, sweetheart, do not weep) to
close the first act.
Act II (Part 1) opens after three years
have passed. Butterfly has been waitingpatiently for the return of Pinkerton, while
caring for their son. Suzuki, her maid,tells Butterfly that she is worried thatthey are running out of money and tries
to warn her mistress that often Americanhusbands do not return to Japan once
they have left. Butterfly is adamant that
Pinkerton’s ship will soon arrive andsings of his imagined return in one ofthe opera’s most well-known works “Un
bel di Vedremo” (One beautiful day, wewill see). Sharpless enters with a letterfrom Pinkerton, that tells of his returnwith his American wife. However before
he can share the news with Butterfly, hetries to convince her to accept an offer
of marriage from a Japanese Prince,
Yamadori, which has been proposed byGoro-san. She refuses, firmly committed
to her ‘marriage’ to Pinkerton.
The sound of a cannon from the harbor
can be heard in the distance, indicating
the arrival of Pinkerton’s ship. Butterfly,
still unaware of the circumstances ofher husband’s return, orders Suzuki tohelp decorate the house with blossoms,
singing “Scuoti quella fronda”.
Throughout the night Butterfly waits andwatches for Pinkerton’s return, during
which the Humming Chorus is performedby the operatic chorus members in thebackground.
Act II (Part 2) opens at dawn. Suzuki
is the first to notice the arrival of Sharplesswith Pinkerton and his American wife. In atrio ensemble, Suzuki and the two men singof how best to handle the situation and tolet Butterfly know of the new wife, as wellas what to do about their son. Sharplesscriticizes Pinkerton for putting Butterfly insuch a difficult circumstance and especiallyfor the hurt he has caused her. Pinkerton
sings briefly of his regret in “Addio fiorito”(Farewell, flowery refuge of happinessand love), before leaving, unable to face
the Japanese wife he had abandoned so
callously. Kate, the American wife, asks
Suzuki to suggest to Butterfly that perhaps
her son would be better off with them inAmerica.
Butterfly enters the garden from thehouse, looking for her husband andwondering who the American woman
is. Sharpless finally informs her andonce she realizes the gravity of things,
sends them all away, telling them to have
Pinkerton return in half an hour to claim
his son. She returns to the house andtakes out the dagger her father had used,reading the inscription which states: “Inhonor dies he who cannot live in honor.”
Suzuki senses the dire circumstances andsends the son into the house to interrupt
his mother. Butterfly then sings “PiccoloIddio!” as a fond farewell to her son
before sending him away. She then kills
herself just as Pinkerton arrives, callingout her name “Butterfly”.
Puccini’s musical setting incorporates
intonations from both Japan and America.
Melodies from both countries’ national
anthems are incorporated into the scoreat key points in the action. “The Star
Spangled Banner” is heard within the tune
“Dovunque al mondo” (Throughout theWorld) in Act I to highlight the American
perspective of Pinkerton. Later the melody
for the American anthem can be heard

again when Butterfly sings of her devotion
to Pinkerton after she spots his ship
arriving in the harbor in Act II (Part 1).
In addition a number of Japanesetraditional folk song melodies were used.
For example, in Act II (Part 1), when Gorosan is presenting the wealthy Japanese
Prince Yamadori to Butterfly, one can hear
the melody for the Japanese folk song
“Miyasan” as part of the processionalmusic. Also the Japanese folk song
“Jizuki-uta”, (a work song) is believedby some scholars to have inspired themelody for one of Butterfly’s arias. These
were interspersed along with melodies
Puccini composed in a Japanese style,including instrumental sounds fromthe orchestra’s bells, gongs and wind
instruments to lend an air of authenticity
to the scenes.

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With Puccini’s mastery of the subtle useof timbres and sonorities in the orchestra,
as well as his sparing use of the chorus
only when needed, (at the entrance offamily and friends in Act I and again at
the end of Act II (Part 1) with the ethereal
Humming Chorus), all set the scenes
with great musical skill. These together
with the memorable melodies sung by
the soloists all gave new life to this sadstory of unrequited love, and allowed it
to become one of the most well-known
operas performed, in spite of such aseemingly catastrophic premiere.
Instrumentation: 3 flutes (3rd doubling on piccolo),
2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet,
2 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones,
cimbasso, timpani, percussion (snare drum, bassdrum, triangle, cymbals, glockenspiel, chimes,
Japanese bells, Japanese tam-tam, tam-tam,bird whitsles), harp, strings

April L. Racana / please refer to p.28

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