“Madama Butterfly”
2020 / 2021 Main Hall the 8th Season
30 March * Tuesday * 7:00 pm
Giacomo Puccini
Madama Butterfly
Opera in 2 acts
Libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa
PRODUCTION GROUP:
Music Director and Conductor –Alan Buribayev, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan, Laureate of the State Prize of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Conductor: Ruslan Baimurzin
Director:Lorenzo Amato
Set Designer:Ezio Frigerio
Costume Designer:Franca Squarciapino
Choirmaster: Yerzhan Dautov, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan
Costume Consultant:Junko Kamohara
Lighting Designer:Vincenzo Raponi
Opera Company Director: Azamat Zheltyrguzov, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan
Assistant Director: YerenakToikenov
Assistant Costume Designer: Arassel Dosmuratova
Accompanist: Irina Kurguzkina
The opera “Madama Butterfly” (“Cio-Cio-san”) is based on the American writer John L. Long’s short story, which was dramatized by D. Belasco. Puccini saw it when he was in London and the true-to-life story excited him. He suggested that librettists L. Illica and D. Giacosa write an opera libretto based on the drama. Music was soon composed. The first performance on February 17, 1904, in Milan was poorly received and, as a result, the opera was withdrawn from the repertoire. The audience did not understand its content and was outraged by the duration of the second act.
Puccini revised the opera, having shortened some pieces and splitting the second act into two separate acts. Performed with these minor changes three months later, the opera was a resounding success and quickly gained a solid reputation as one of the most popular contemporary operas.
The life story from faraway Japan responded to popular in the European arts of the late 19th and early 20th centuries attraction to exotica and artists’ desire to enrich their palette with new colours. However, Puccini did not set himself a special task to represent the national Japanese colour in the music. To represent a person's drama was the most important for him. The composer managed to not only keep but also deepen the content of the literary source while embodying this drama.
Running time: 2 hours 25 minutes (including one interval)
Madama Butterfly – Zhannat BAKTAY, Honoured Artist of Kazakhstan
Pinkerton– Medet CHOTABAYEV, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan
Suzuki– Gulzhanat SAPAKOVA
Sharpless– Talgat MUSSABAYEV, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan
Goro– Ramzat BALAKISHIYEV
Prince Yamadori– Talgat GALEYEV
Kate Pinkerton– Saltanat MURATBEKOVA
The Bonze– Zhanat SHYBYKBAYEV, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan
The aunt– Yelena GANZHA
Cio-Cio-san’s mother– Madina ISLAMOVA
The cousin– Assem SEMBINA
Yakuside– Khaidar MUSTAPIN
The Commissioner–Nurlybek KOSPARMAKOV
The Official Registrar– Samat ZHARYLKASYNOV
Performed in Italian
(accompanied by synchronised Kazakh and Russian supertitles)
Management reserves the right to substitute performers