Week of March 31 - April 7, 2016

PUCCINI

Madama Butterfly

LIVE in HD*

Kristine Opolais as Madama Butterfly, opposite Roberto Alagna as Pinkerton

The title character of Madama Butterfly—a young Japanese geisha who clings to the belief that her arrangement with a visiting American naval officer is a loving and permanent marriage—is one of the defining roles in opera. Anthony Minghella's breathtaking production has thrilled audiences ever since its premiere in 2006. Kristine Opolais reprises her acclaimed portrayal of the title role, opposite Roberto Alagna as Pinkerton, the naval officer who breaks Butterfly's heart. Ana María Martínez, Latonia Moore, Roberto De Biasio, and Gwyn Hughes Jones star in a second set of performances. Karel Mark Chichon conducts.

Synopsis: http://www.metopera.org/Discover/Synopses/Madama-Butterfly/

*Look at the column to the right for information re: Seeing the MET HD Simulcasts

This week on Rhode Island Public television,

WSBE:  (Comcast 294, Cox 808, Full Channel 109, and Verizon 478) 
 *all links are live

Saturday, April 2, 2016, 8:00pm

Sunday, April 3, 2016 3:00am

Monday, April 4, 2016, 12:00am

Great Performances at the Met

CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA/ PAGLIACCI

Savor an opera double-header. Eva-Maria Westbroek joins Marcelo Alvarez in Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana. Patricia Racette sings with Alvarez in Leoncavallo's Pagliacci. Fabio Luisi conducts both operas.
Synopsis: http://www.metopera.org/Discover/Synopses/Cav-Pag/

News from Around the World of Music

A Night (and Many Days) Backstage at the Metropolitan Opera

By JAMES ESTRIN and MICHAEL COOPER

MARCH 29, 2016

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/30/arts/music/a-night-and-many-days-backstage-at-the-metropolitan-opera.html

Other views of Madama Butterfly

Opera expert says Puccini's Butterfly is 'racist'

By Amy Iggulden12:01AM GMT

14 Feb 2007

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1542633/Opera-expert-says-Puccinis-Butterfly-is-racist.html

Opera's Old-Fashioned Race Problem

If the art form wants to stay alive today, it might do well to get rid of centuries-old ethnic stereotypes.

http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/07/its-time-to-stop-using-exoticism-as-an-excuse-for-operas-racism/374900/

Different Opera Productions as Mirrors of Modern Society:

Madama Butterfly as a Case Study

Miho Morioka

Associate Professor, Faculty of Economics, Chuo University

Area of Specialization: Opera production criticism, English literature

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/adv/chuo/dy/opinion/20140324.html

(This is a review of last year's production of Madama by the late Anthony Minghella. Soprano Opalais also stars in this one, but  tenor James Valenti is Pinkerton. The current Met HD live simulcast features Roberto Alagna as Pinkerton.)

Full-Throttle Emotions and Blind Faith

‘Madama Butterfly’ Stars Kristine Opolais at the Met

By VIVIEN SCHWEITZER

APRIL 6, 2014

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/07/arts/music/madama-butterfly-stars-kristine-opolais-at-the-met.html?_r=0

(Roberto Alagna also stepped in to sing Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly when Jonas Kaufmann canceled due to illness. Lucky us.)

Better Call Roberto: Alagna Steps In to ‘Manon Lescaut’

By MICHAEL COOPER

FEB. 10, 2016

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/11/arts/music/better-call-roberto-alagna-steps-in-to-manon-lescaut.html

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WQXR

Living and Learning with 'Madama Butterfly'

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

By Fred Plotkin

Fred Plotkin examines the way in which certain operas change and grow on us as time passes. He remembers how Madama Butterfly changed for him.

http://www.wqxr.org/#!/story/living-and-learning-madama-butterfly/

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OPERA ON THE INTERNET 

WITH  

DAVE  D' AGUANNO

The big news this Saturday is the LIVE HD-transmission from the Met of Puccini's "Madame Butterfly." Soprano Kristine Opolais is featured in the title role and is partnered again (as she was in the recent "Manon Lescaut" HD-transmission) with tenor Roberto Alagna. The opera can also be heard on most internet radio stations.

(www.wrti.org/)

In the days ahead, there are actually TWO free live audio-streams coming to us from the Met. The first one is scheduled for Friday (April 1) at 7:25 pm, when tenor/baritone Placido Domingo can be heard in the title role of Verdi's "Simon Boccanegra." Then on Monday (April 4), we are given another chance to hear Donizetti's "Roberto Devereux" with the all-star cast that is scheduled to appear in the HD-transmission on April 16 (Matthew Polenzani, Sondra Radvanovsky, Elina Garanca, & Mariusz Kwiecien).

(www.metopera.org/)

In a decidedly lighter vein, there's a broadcast of Domenico Cimarosa's most popular opera -- "Il Matrimonio Segreto" (1792) -- in a performance on Radio 4 (the Netherlands).

(http://oe1.orf.at/)

Plus, Wagner enthusiasts may be interested in the LIVE performance coming to us (today!) from the Vienna State Opera: It's a FREE video-stream of "Parsifal" on The Opera Platform. Please rest assured that, if you miss it today (since it starts this morning at 11 am), you can access it at any time you'd like in the next several months.

(video link: http://www.theoperaplatform.eu/en/opera/wagner-parsifal)

Enjoy!

DAVE

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The Met Saturday afternoon
 radio broadcast 

Saturday, April 2, 2016, 1:00 pm.   

Madama Butterfly

PUCCINI

Chichon; Opolais, Zifchak, Alagna, Croft

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No opera on

WGBH this week!

Diva Sandra Radvanovsky