Patricia Racette as Cio-Cio San and Stefano Secco as Pinkerton. Photo: Michael Cooper
Reviewed by James
Karas
The Canadian Opera Company has revived its 2003 production of Madama
Butterfly in what can best be described as a mixed blessing. Brian
Macdonald’s production was last seen at the Four Season Centre in 2009 and it
has not fared well with the passage of time.
The best part of the production is soprano Patricia Racette’s
performance as Cio-Cio San. It is a role that requires a huge emotional and a significant
vocal range and Racette does a superb job as Butterfly, the 15-year old
Japanese girl who marries, Pinkerton, a despicable American naval officer. She goes
from blissful infatuation, to deep love, to desperation, to eternal hope, utter
despair and finally suicide. Racette captures all those emotions in her bravura
performance.
The most disappointing performance was that of tenor Stefano Secco as
Pinkerton. His voice was not strident but it fell well short of the tone of the
passionate lover of the first act. He was simply unconvincing either as a lover
or a cad. To my great surprise, the audience did not take to him at all and a
substantial number of usually polite Canadians booed him. An average
performance does not deserve that kind of treatment.
Mezzo-soprano Elizabeth DeShong was an affectionate and dramatic Suzuki
and gave an impressive performance. Baritone Dwayne Croft was a sympathetic
Sharpless, the humane American Consul. His resonant voice stood him in good
stead and he provided fine contrast to Pinkerton.
Macdonald’s and Set Designer Susan Benson’s conception seemed flat and
indeed almost drab. Half a dozen screens on a raised platform were practically
the sum total of the set. In the background we see a faded mountain presumably
on the other side of Nagasaki Harbour. The sky is gray, the sides of the stage
are gray and the costumes seem unimaginative. What was simple and even
attractive a few years ago no longer satisfies and we need a more imaginative
production but do keep Patricia Racette.
The directing seemed careless. The Pinkerton-Butterfly duet in Act I is
an ardent expression of love but physically they almost never get even close to
each other. “You are the centre of the universe,” “you are mine,” “yes, for
life” they sing in passionate bliss. You can’t very well have them in each
other’s arms for the duration of the duet singing into each other’s dental work
but the staging was decidedly awkward. There has to be sexual electricity
between the two even if they are apart because they are about to have their
honeymoon.
Racette rises to the occasion in the final scene when she says farewell
to her child and kills herself. The libretto calls for Pinkerton to sing
“Butterfly! Butterfly! Butterfly” offstage and he and Sharpless rush onto the
stage. Pinkerton is supposed to fall on his knees in a possible gesture of
repentance. In this production, they are not seen at the end at all. They are
not needed. Racette carries the scene all by herself.
_____
Madama Butterfly by
Giacomo Puccini opened on October 10 and will be performed twelve times
until October 31, 2014 at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, 145 Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario. Tel: 416-363-6671. www.coc.ca
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