“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 The first performance on February 17, 1904, in Milan was poorly received and, as a result, the opera was withdrawn from the repertoire.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)

 

 

ROLES AND PERFORMERS

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