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Madam Butterfly casts a spell over the Royal Albert Hall
By B Evans
This is the sixth revival of David Freeman’s enchanting production of Madam Butterfly at the Royal Albert Hall since it was first staged in 1998, and it is not difficult to see why it has proved so popular. This is a limited two week run, ending on 15th March, and I would recommend that you see it if you can.
David Roger has achieved everything he set out to with his stunning design. Staging the opera in the round brings the audience closer to the performers, without the barrier of the orchestra, pit and proscenium, creating an intimacy that is quite an achievement in such a vast venue. The flooding of the playing space to create a Japanese water garden on which a delicate house floats is spectacular, and highlights Butterfly’s isolation from her community and culture, which is deftly represented by the supporting cast walking and praying on the encircling walkways. In the second act, the water is drained to reveal the relative brutality of a stone Zen garden, and the set again symbolically supports the action as Butterfly’s hope evaporates. However, perhaps the most impressive thing about Roger’s design is its restraint. It is comprised of simple, clean lines, which draw the eye in to focus on the performer. Rather than overshadowing the humanity, as some flashy West End sets can, it places it centre stage. Andrew Bridge’s lighting design also deserves a special mention. It is nothing short of magical. The transition from day to night at the end of the first act, and the arrival of dawn at the start of the third act combine with the music to evoke such deep emotion, it took my breath away. The additional use of lanterns and floating candles is also undeniably effective.
I felt in very safe hands with Jeffrey Gwaltney as Pinkerton. He gave an assured performance, with excellent articulation, which meant I understood a far larger percentage of his words than those of any other character. Hyeseoung Kwon as Butterfly was astonishing. I couldn’t understand the majority of what she said, which was a real shame, as what I did catch of Amanda Holden’s English translation sounded very good. However, the emotion she carried through her voice was unmistakeable. Her tone is gorgeous. Her first entrance is through the auditorium, and as she stood a few seats away from me, calling to her new life, the high notes were heart-piercing. For me the most beautiful moments though, were when she pulled back the power. The quieter sections had me leaning in, holding my breath to hear the subtlety and vulnerability. This was also when the words were clearest.
I was particularly impressed with how convincing and compelling I found the love scene between Pinkerton and Butterfly. This is something I struggled with when watching Anthony Minghella’s production for the ENO. It was also visually arresting, in a very different way, but there was a total lack of chemistry between Pinkerton and Butterfly, which made her love, and thus her heartbreak, difficult to empathise with. In this iteration of David Freeman’s production (there are 3 rotating casts) there is a palpable connection between the two leads. Butterfly is afraid, and she allows Pinkerton to see her fear. He assures her that it is foolish, telling her (with devastating dramatic irony) ‘love doesn’t kill you.’ Butterfly is very young (only 15 years old) and desperately naive. She has loved a father and lost him, and when Kwon sang ‘I want you to love me like a baby’ I saw a girl who needs looking after, and dares to hope that this man will care for her, because it is her only hope. Gwaltney ‘s Pinkerton is beguiled by her open innocence, and naturally responds with tenderness. He is old enough to know better than to encourage her devotion, and his wilful ignorance in choosing to enjoy the moment without considering the consequences is unforgiveable. However, Gwaltney does not allow us to demonise his character. When he flees in the final act, we see a coward – not a two dimensional villain, but a flawed human who has made terrible choices and caused much pain. This makes Butterfly’s suffering all the more affecting for the audience. Her love and faith were not ridiculous; he encouraged them, before abandoning her.
Freeman's staging is generally strong, and makes good use of the entrances through the audience afforded by the in the round setting. The procession of white faced women beneath elegant umbrellas upon Butterfly's arrival is beautifully heralded by a chorus of female voices floating in from offstage. Kwon's voice reaches out from the cacophony to make contact with us and her husband to be. This is powerfully mirrored in reverse by the mass rejection of Butterfly following the revelation that she has converted to Christianity. The huge numbers of family and community members who have gathered for the wedding pour out of every exit in a well choreographed single movement, and their disappointed refrain of 'Oh Cio-Cio-San!' can be heard ringing out after the stage has been emptied, leaving our lead looking very small and alone at it's centre. The slow undressing sequence at the end of the first act is utterly captivating, and is effectively mirrored at the end of the second act, as Butterfly prepares for Pinkerton's return. There are some weaker moments in the third act, when Kwon addresses much of her most emotive singing to her little boy. I understand this as a truthful character choice, however it excludes the audience from her private sorrow. Kwon was crouched over, with her back to swathes of the audience, and her face all but buried in the boy's, for so long that it broke the emotional connection. Unable to see her face or understand her words, I actually got a bit bored. This was hugely disappointing, and somewhat undermined the climax of the tragic ending. Given the power of her voice, I am confident this could have been avoided by simply opening out the blocking.
However, niggles aside, this is a beautifully accomplished production of a beloved opera, and I enjoyed it very much.
Info and tickets here:
