Having listened to classical music for a long time I had never been attracted to the Puccini CD's which I constantly knew were there in the stores. It wasn't until I saw the film Heavenly Creatures (a definite watch) that I discovered the true impact of Puccini's works. Using the Humming chorus from Madame Butterfly to powerful effect I was driven to buy a CD of his best works.
--Puccini--
FULL NAME - Giacomo Puccini NATIONALITY - Italian BORN - 1858 DIED - 1924 MAJOR WORKS - Manon Lescaut, La Boheme, Tosca, Madame Butterfly, Turandot.
---PRICE---
At £5 a go, buying and getting hold of Puccini's music is no problem at all and is available in most high street music chains (HMV, Virgin etc) Again like many of my other classical CD's I recommend the NAXOS label for quality and price.
---MADAME BUTTERFLY---
The Madame Butterfly opera is in 3 acts (in the revised version) with the music by Giacomo Puccini and it was first performed in 1904 in Milan. On the Naxos best of compliation, Madame Butterfly is in three parts. Bimba dagli occhi pieni di malia (3min37secs), Un bel di vedremo (4min35secs) and the Humming chorus (2min45secs).
--Plot--
Madame Butterfly is quite different from most other operas. It is intimate, taking place completely within one house in the Japanese city of Nagasaki (which I'm sure we all know for worse reasons). It involves an American officer and a Japanese girl in a fairly straightforward but intense love plot. They both fall in love, she loses him and then sadly she commits suicide.
--Music Analysis--
The first piece (and my least favourite)on the CD is Bimba dagli occhi pieni di malia. It is like a disscusion between the two lovers and is quite slow at times, however it acts as a foundation for the next two much stronger pieces, which manage to put across much more emotive feelings. Un bel di vedremo is a much more passionate piece and to those not knowing Puccini is even recognisable, involving a solo from the woman in the opera it builds up more and more power expressing the woman's feelings. Finally and my personal favourite we have the Humming chorus. This piece is quiet throughout and puts across a very reflective felling.
---CONCLUSION---
Un bel di vedremo and the Humming chorus are by far the most popular of the three discussed Madame Butterfly songs on the CD and any purchase should defintely include them. Unless your a large fan of Puccini I would only recommend getting Madame Butterfly as part of a compliation CD like the Naxos one as then you can appreiciate the rest of Puccini's works.
Pictures of Puccini: Madama Butterfly
Madame Butterfly
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Perhaps it is because I have just this week finished my dissertation on Madama Butterfly, but I unfortunately didn't find this review helpful. I thought the plot synopsis was too general and simplistic, failing to acknowledge the more complex issues of race, culture, gender etc. (perhaps this is just me). I also disagree with the three tracks you seem to regard as the most prominent, or rather, I think there are others that also deserve recognition: the trio in act three (Suzuki, Sharpless, Pinkerton) is divine, as is 'Amore addio,' the Flower Duet (which I have just performed in an exam), and Butterfly's entrance in act one (as are many other moments). I appreciate this opera can seem difficult to enjoy at first, but my Mum (for example) is not musical at all, and from the first time she ever heard it she adored it. This was entirely due to the music as she didnt understand a word of Italian!
Advantages: Scotto very good, overall strong cast, conducting not too fierce, well recorded Disadvantages: not as 'special' as some other sets, cast not very memorable even if able
operalover2000 15.03.2009 (15.03.2009)
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