Cheap Madama Butterfly (La Scala) (Video) (Teatro Alla Scala) Price

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Customer Reviews of Madama Butterfly (La Scala)

Buena la interpretacion, pero regular el canto
Esta es una 'Madama Butterfly' buena en el terreno escenico, para empezar por la interesante creacion actoral que del papel titular hace YOSUKO HAYASHI, convincente en escena. Pero vocalmente el papel la supera con creces, y por muy aplaudida que sea es una 'CioCioSan' muy corriente en lo vocal. La línea de canto inestable por momentos del tenor PETER DVORSKY lo convierten en un muy discreto 'B.F. Pinkerton', que ademas actua de forma bastante pobre. Como 'Sharpless', GIORGIO ZANCANARO se convierte en lo mas interesante de la velada, rindiendo a gran nivel, tanto vocalmente como escenicamente. H. N. KIM dota a 'Suzuki' de una acertada personalidad escenica, pero solo esta suficiente vocalmente. El largo etcétera de comprimarios (donde encontramos por ejemplo a una jovencisima ANNA CATERINA ANTONACCI en el brevisimo papel de 'Kate Pinkerton') es muy discreto, a excepcion del correcto 'Goro' de ERNESTO GAVAZZI. Los conjuntos estables de la Scala, cumplen de manera satisfactoria a las ordenes de LORIN MAZZEL.
La produccion de KEITA ASARI esta muy basada en el teatro japones, y aunque aporta muchos momentos de gran belleza plastica e inteligencia escenica puede ser acusada por momentos de algo monotona, lo que le resta algun interes. Pero de todas formas es una produccion muy interesante.
En resumen, a nivel actoral se ha conseguido un trabajo muy digno, y a nivel vocal suficiente ¿Basta con que una 'Madama Butterfly sea solo suficiente para que satisfaga totalmente? En mi opinion no. Busquen la version de Raina Kabaivanska en Verona y disfruten de una 'Madama Butterfly' emocionante hasta el maximo grado imaginable.

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Madama Butterfly at 15 Should be Younger and Slimmer
Different people have different opinion. Even for the same opinion, they may have different justifications. I rather like this version, despite the fact that the part of Madama Butterfly is not the best one could expect. The reasons are:

1) we have an excellent team here and particularly the director/ costumes/sets. Right from the beginning, viewers are, visually at least transcended to another world. We have a Japanese house by the side of some paddi fields with two farmers in Japanese costumes separately tilting and plodding rather stoically in the typically Japanese way, with their heads lowered to make sure that they won't give the story away. In other scenes, the same approach is used with the faces of the pedestrians/pinic goers substantially covered by Japanese umbrellas-- and also note that even the way they moved about or gestured are all Japanese. And then the modern lighting effect is so artistically well employed. It's quite a sensation altogether.

2) talking about music, we have a first rate orchestra and chorus from Milan conducted by Lorin Maazel, one of the most celebrated conductors of our time. For the leading parts, they are all taken by not too familiar voices/faces, so that there isn't much cliche and so that the viewers can better concentrate on the drama itself. Needless to say, both the musica and singing are all marvelous including the part of Madama Butterfly herself. The orchestra under the baton of Maazel does compare favourably with Vienna Philharmonic under Karajan. So is the acting as a whole, save the part of Madama Butterfly which is in any event almost as good.

But some how the orchestra sounds as though it comes from a distant land, a bit too soft. But there's full support for the singing and for the conveyance of Puccini's music. I don't like the cover photo of Hayashi either. Fortunately or unfortuntely, it's not the typical sight of her part thoughout. Often she is in robes else wearing shawls or the like, we don't actually see the size of Madama Butterly which, according to the play is supposed to to be as "light as nothing". Other than these trivialities, it's a Puccini which is worth all your money and all your while.

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Good Production and Singing, But My Least Favorite
I think my title says it all. I like the authentic Japanese feel of the production, and the singing is mostly very good. But I consider this the weakest of the "Madama Butterfly" film versions, because I just don't like Yasuko Hayashi as Butterfly. Sure, she's actually Japanese, and her voice is near perfect for the role, but Butterfly is a role that requires good acting, and I think Hayashi falls short in that department. If you think Japaneseness (is that a real word?) is the most important thing in a "Madama Butterfly," get this one, but if you want a good dramatic performance with a convincing actress in the title role, I reccomend either the Ponnelle film with Mirella Freni, or the Mitterand film with Ying Huang.