Review: MADAMA BUTTERFLY at Santa Fe Opera

On June 30, 2018, Santa Fe Opera continued the season begun the night before with a revival of the 1904 Brescia Version of Giacomo Puccini's tragic MADAMA BUTTERFLY. The late Lee Blakeley put together the original 2010 production with simple visual lines and a bold structure. Eight years later, Matthew Ozawa restated it poetically for a new audience.

Using Saturday evening's gorgeous sunset that was visible at the open back of the stage, the opera opened with servants bringing panels to close in the sides of Pinkerton's rental house for Butterfly. Scenic designer Jean-Marc Puissant made use of a slow moving turntable to change scenes and display different sides of the home. Rick Fisher's lighting designs showed the audience the times at which actions took place.

In the first act, many Japanese workers brought colorful furnishings to the new home up until the arrival of the wedding guests. Dressed in Brigitte Reiffenstuel's elaborate, colorful kimonos, the wedding party and their guests provided the audience with a great deal of eye candy. Thanks to choreographer Nicola Bowie, Butterfly's relatives moved in graceful Japanese style.

A. J. Glueckert, was a huge voiced Pinkerton and Nicholas Pallesen a resonant Sharpless. Together they sang of whiskey and their love of "America," with little understanding of the country they were visiting. Sharpless warned Pinkerton that Butterfly was taking their marriage seriously, but the groom thought his bride would forget him as soon as he left. Although their words did not produce a meeting of the minds, Sharpless and Pinkerton's musical harmonies were true. Pallesen's elegant baritone brought depth and emotional impact to the role of Sharpless. Glueckert used his heroic tenor to show a certain degree of charm and a great deal of arrogance. Only upon seeing her child attempting to awaken Butterfly's dead body at the opera's finale, did Pinkerton realize the mayhem he had brought about. At the very end, he seemed totally crushed by the weight of his guilt.

Kelly Kaduce, who looked radiant in her wedding kimono, sang with a strong voice as she tried to introduce her mother and other relatives to an uninterested Pinkerton. Only when he asked where her father was, did the audience begin to realize that the bride had already experienced tragedy. Although Kaduce's entrance was a bit rocky, her technique was solid for the rest of her taxing role. She sang "Un bel di" with great emotional punch and her bloody, realistic death scene brought tears to many eyes. Kaduce gave a performance filled with beautiful tone quality, exquisite phrasing, and dramatic conviction.

Megan Marino was a most dutiful Suzuki who moved with seamless Japanese gestures. Her movements included details such as an idiomatic hand gesture for releasing the flower petals. She had a smooth but stentorian mezzo with significant low tones. Her interpretation of the role involved absolute fidelity to her employer. She also brought about some comic relief when she beat Goro until he ran away in terror. An excellent actress, she communicated much of the opera's tragic story with her actions, and prepared the audience for Butterfly's inevitable suicide.

Goro, the marriage broker, is an annoying character and Matthew DiBattista turned in an excellent performance of the part. As the Bonze who breaks up the wedding party when he discovers that Butterfly is becoming a Christian, Solomon Howard sang with command and strode the stage as though he owned it. Howard is a most promising young singer who should make a fine career.

In this performance, numerous apprentices filled the small parts. Kenneth Stavert was a thoroughly spoiled Prince Yamadori who was transported in a litter carried by two supers. Erik van Heyningen sang the Imperial Commissioner with dark colors. Kaitlyn McMonigle was a retiring Mother and Benjamin Taylor an energetic Yakuside. Colin Ramsey was a proper Registrar and Hannah Hagerty a clear, strong-voiced Kate Pinkerton whom I would like to hear again.

Susanne Sheston's choral group gave listeners a sensitive wedding scene and a beautiful Humming Chorus. Conductor John Fiore led the orchestra with a lyrical style but occasionally covered some of the singers' lines in Act One. He lowered the decibel level considerably in Act Two. Fiore dealt effectively with the evocative Asian melodies and impressionistic sounds that Puccini associated with Butterfly. He also brought out the brassier tones of Pinkerton's music. This was a well-integrated production that received thunderous applause at its end.

Since the other three opera to be presented, John Adams's DR. ATOMIC, Gioachino Rossini's L'ITALIANA IN ALGERI and Richard Strauss's ARIADNE AUF NAXOS, are still in rehearsal, I will come back to Santa Fe Opera on July 25, 27, and 28 to see the rest of the season. Thus far it has been a resounding success, so I can't wait to return.

Photo by Suzy Gorman

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