Season 14 of the 'Metropolitan Opera HD Live' series started off well with 'Turandot', though it did have potential to be better, and 'Manon' was the same apart from less appealing production values. Hopes were high for 'Madama Butterfly' as it is a very moving opera, if occasionally implausible, with some of the most beautiful music that Puccini ever wrote. Also blessed with a very mostly very strong recording and DVD competition.
Also really liked Anthony Minghella's production on first watch, if not quite loved. Over-time watching its revivals, it has gotten better and what perplexed me initially has grown on me generally. Since appearing for the first time as part of this series in 2009, it has been revived twice. One of them being in 2016, an outstanding production, and the other being this production, which is mostly very, very good but could at times have been the extra mile.
Excepting the at times too dark looking Act 3 and the overdone red silks symbolising Cio Cio San's fate, the production looks very striking still. The sets generally were beautifully designed and atmospheric, and made more interesting than they could have been by the clever way they're used (especially with the magical sliding doors and the mirror), the dazzling lighting and the bright sumptuous costuming. The puppetry looks quite a lot more refined visually and the movements more seamless.
The production is staged very compellingly too, immediately striking being how affectingly nuanced the many intimate scenes were (with the final scene being an emotional tour-De-force) and the clever and very stylish choreography that helped solve potential problems in the storytelling. The chemistry between Cio Cio San and Suzuki has a lot of heart, Cio Cio San's entrance is very cinematic and there is a sensuality and genuine love between Cio Cio San and Pinkerton. Have always understood why the puppetry was controversial, and it perplexed me on my first watch just under 10 years ago (the use of it in the final scene struck me as pointless again) but it has grown on me over-time despite not being necessary in the final scene. The choreography is more naturalistic and seems more human, especially in the ballet in Act 3.
Musically, there is very little wrong with it. The orchestral playing is rich and warmly beautiful in tone, while the tenderness, lyrical sweep, dramatic tension, passion and nuances essential for Puccini's ravishing score all come through. The chorus sing ravishingly, with great musicality, phrasing and diction and there are no obvious balance issues. Their stage manner engages and is a long way from static, the Met Chorus over time have grown considerably over time and their acting is much more individual generally. Pier Giorgo Morandi may not have brought much new to the table or been a conducting job that brought out things never heard before, but it is very sensitive and assured. The Humming Chorus standing out here.
Hui He is mostly impressive in the title role. She starts off a bit shaky, her tuning is somewhat awry in some of Act 1 and to me while she sang "Un Bel Di Vedremo" (the most famous part of 'Madama Butterfly' along with the Humming Chorus) very well dramatically it was slightly over-thought. She is a lot better though in the last two acts, her voice is very beautiful and has a warm richness that has presence while not being too mature or heavy. She is very powerful in the final scene, will confess to crying (it takes a lot for me to not cry, Puccini's music alone brings a lump to the throat) in a dramatically touching performance. It is very difficult making one of the most hateable tenor characters in opera Pinkerton likeable and not many tenors succeed in doing so. Bruce Sledge gives a good account of himself vocally and for a practically last minute stand in he impressed a good deal in this regard too, his voice has the right amount of heroism, heft and lyricism and has musicality. He was to me somewhat wanting dramatically, he doesn't make one dislike Pinkerton as there is the danger to but he doesn't fully flesh him out and seemed rather nervous and stolid, also basic.
Elizabeth DeShong is a warm-voiced and sympathetic Suzuki, loved her loyal and loving chemistry between her and Hui He and also her quiet dignity. Found the most fleshed out character of the production to be the voice of reason character Sharpless and Paulo Szot to me gave the most consistent performance too. His vocal production is resonant and warm and dramatically he gives Sharpless a lot of emotional complexity and comes over as the most honourable character. The supporting cast are very good, though Kate for my tastes was a little forgettable.
In conclusion, very good if not outstanding. 8/10
Also really liked Anthony Minghella's production on first watch, if not quite loved. Over-time watching its revivals, it has gotten better and what perplexed me initially has grown on me generally. Since appearing for the first time as part of this series in 2009, it has been revived twice. One of them being in 2016, an outstanding production, and the other being this production, which is mostly very, very good but could at times have been the extra mile.
Excepting the at times too dark looking Act 3 and the overdone red silks symbolising Cio Cio San's fate, the production looks very striking still. The sets generally were beautifully designed and atmospheric, and made more interesting than they could have been by the clever way they're used (especially with the magical sliding doors and the mirror), the dazzling lighting and the bright sumptuous costuming. The puppetry looks quite a lot more refined visually and the movements more seamless.
The production is staged very compellingly too, immediately striking being how affectingly nuanced the many intimate scenes were (with the final scene being an emotional tour-De-force) and the clever and very stylish choreography that helped solve potential problems in the storytelling. The chemistry between Cio Cio San and Suzuki has a lot of heart, Cio Cio San's entrance is very cinematic and there is a sensuality and genuine love between Cio Cio San and Pinkerton. Have always understood why the puppetry was controversial, and it perplexed me on my first watch just under 10 years ago (the use of it in the final scene struck me as pointless again) but it has grown on me over-time despite not being necessary in the final scene. The choreography is more naturalistic and seems more human, especially in the ballet in Act 3.
Musically, there is very little wrong with it. The orchestral playing is rich and warmly beautiful in tone, while the tenderness, lyrical sweep, dramatic tension, passion and nuances essential for Puccini's ravishing score all come through. The chorus sing ravishingly, with great musicality, phrasing and diction and there are no obvious balance issues. Their stage manner engages and is a long way from static, the Met Chorus over time have grown considerably over time and their acting is much more individual generally. Pier Giorgo Morandi may not have brought much new to the table or been a conducting job that brought out things never heard before, but it is very sensitive and assured. The Humming Chorus standing out here.
Hui He is mostly impressive in the title role. She starts off a bit shaky, her tuning is somewhat awry in some of Act 1 and to me while she sang "Un Bel Di Vedremo" (the most famous part of 'Madama Butterfly' along with the Humming Chorus) very well dramatically it was slightly over-thought. She is a lot better though in the last two acts, her voice is very beautiful and has a warm richness that has presence while not being too mature or heavy. She is very powerful in the final scene, will confess to crying (it takes a lot for me to not cry, Puccini's music alone brings a lump to the throat) in a dramatically touching performance. It is very difficult making one of the most hateable tenor characters in opera Pinkerton likeable and not many tenors succeed in doing so. Bruce Sledge gives a good account of himself vocally and for a practically last minute stand in he impressed a good deal in this regard too, his voice has the right amount of heroism, heft and lyricism and has musicality. He was to me somewhat wanting dramatically, he doesn't make one dislike Pinkerton as there is the danger to but he doesn't fully flesh him out and seemed rather nervous and stolid, also basic.
Elizabeth DeShong is a warm-voiced and sympathetic Suzuki, loved her loyal and loving chemistry between her and Hui He and also her quiet dignity. Found the most fleshed out character of the production to be the voice of reason character Sharpless and Paulo Szot to me gave the most consistent performance too. His vocal production is resonant and warm and dramatically he gives Sharpless a lot of emotional complexity and comes over as the most honourable character. The supporting cast are very good, though Kate for my tastes was a little forgettable.
In conclusion, very good if not outstanding. 8/10
