Madama Butterfly Is March 3, 2018, Met Opera Saturday Matinee Broadcast

Summary: The March 3, 2018, Met Opera Saturday matinee broadcast is Madama Butterfly by Italian opera composer Giacomo Puccini.

Albanian soprano Ermonela Jaho sings her signature role in spring performances, including the March 3 Saturday matinee broadcast, of 2017-2018 Met Opera season's staging of Giacomo Puccini's Madama Butterfly: The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Facebook Feb. 20, 2018

Madama Butterfly, a three-act poignant opera about a hope-filled geisha by Italian opera composer Giacomo Puccini (Dec. 22, 1858-Nov. 29, 1924), is the March 3, 2018, Metropolitan Opera Saturday matinee broadcast.

Italian librettists and playwrights Giuseppe Giacosa (Oct. 21, 1847-Sept. 1, 1906) and Luigi Illica (May 9, 1857-Dec. 16, 1919) wrote the Italian libretto. The duo previously collaborated on Puccini’s La Bohème and Tosca.

The libretto’s literary source is a short story, Madame Butterfly, published in the January 1898 issue of Century Illustrated Monthly Magazine by American lawyer and writer John Luther Long (Jan. 1, 1861-Oct. 31, 1927). Long’s short story was inspired by events recalled by his sister, Jennie, from her stay, beginning in 1892, in Japan with her husband, Irvin Correll, a Methodist missionary. Kaga Maki, whose teahouse name was Cho-san (Miss Butterfly) was involved with one of three Scottish brothers in Nagasaki and gave birth Dec. 8, 1870, to their son, Shinsaburo (later renamed Tomisaburo "Tom") Glover.

Chadwick Jenkins, professor of Music History and Theory at The City College of New York, suggests that the structural model for John Long’s short story was Madame Chrysanthème, published in 1887 by French naval officer and exotic novelist Pierre Loti, pseudonym of Louis Marie-Julien Viaud (Jan. 14, 1850-June 10, 1923). Loti’s popular, semi-autobiographical novel concerns the practice of temporary marriages between Japanese females and foreign merchants and military personnel in Nagasaki, Kyushu, southwestern Japan.

American theatrical director/producer and playwright David Belasco (July 25, 1853-May 14, 1931) adapted Long’s short story into a one-act play, Madame Butterfly: A Tragedy of Japan. Belasco’s play premiered March 5, 1900, at New York City’s Herald Square Theatre. Seven weeks later, Belasco’s hit play premiered April 28, 1900, at London’s Duke of York’s Theatre.

In June 1900, Giacomo Puccini attended a performance of Belasco’s play. The Italian opera composer was on a six-week stay in London preparatory to Tosca’s July 12 premiere at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

Puccini’s sixth opera premiered Feb. 17, 1904, at Teatro alla Scala, Milan, Lombardy, northwestern Italy. His original two-act version underwent four revisions and expanded to three acts. Puccini completed the fifth version, now known as the Standard Version, in 1907.

Twelve performances of Madama Butterfly are scheduled for the 2017-2018 Met Opera season. Opening night, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2017, at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, marked the opera’s 869th performance at the Metropolitan Opera. Five additional autumn performances were given: Monday, Nov. 6, at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time; Thursday, Nov. 9, at 7:30 p.m.; Monday, Nov. 13, at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, Nov. 17, at 8 p.m.; Monday, Nov. 20, at 7:30 p.m.

Two late winter performances are scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 22, at 7:30 p.m. and Monday, Feb. 26, at 7:30 p.m.

Four early spring performances begin with the March 3 Saturday matinee broadcast at 1 p.m. The month’s additional three performances take place Thursday, March 8, at 7:30 p.m.; Tuesday, March 13, at 7:30 p.m. EDT; closing night, Friday, March 16, at 8 p.m. Closing night will mark Madama Butterfly’s 881st performance at the Metropolitan Opera.

Estimated run time for Madama Butterfly is 3 hours 14 minutes. Act I runs for 53 minutes. An intermission of 30 minutes follows the first act. Act II scene 1 is timed for 52 minutes. An intermission of 25 minutes follows. Act II scene 2 spans 34 minutes.

Marco Armiliato conducts all winter and spring performances, including the March 3 Saturday matinee broadcast. His birthplace is Genoa, Liguria, northwestern Italy. The Genoese conductor debuted Nov. 9, 1998, in the Metropolitan Opera’s 1,048th performance of Puccini’s La Bohème. In the 2017-2018 Met Opera season, he also conducts two more Puccini operas, La Bohème and Turandot, as well as Il Trovatore by Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi (Oct. 10, 1813-Jan. 27, 1901).

Jader Bignamini conducted the opera’s autumn performances. His birthplace is Crema, Lombardy, northwestern Italy. The Italian conductor’s autumn appearances on the podium marked his Metropolitan Opera debut.

Ermonela Jaho appears as Cio-Cio-San, the tragically trusting geisha, in all winter and spring performances, including the March 3 Saturday matinee broadcast. Her birthplace is Tirana, central Albania. The Albanian soprano debuted March 15, 2008, as Violetta in the Metropolitan Opera’s 941st performance of Verdi’s La Traviata.

Ermonela Jaho shares the role with Hui He, who appeared in all six autumn performances. The Chinese operatic lirico-spinto soprano debuted March 26, 2010, in the title role of Verdi’s Aida in the opera’s 1,113rd performance at the Metropolitan Opera.

Update: Inna Dukach sings the title role for the performance Tuesday, March 13, as replacement for Ermonela Jaho, who is ill. Her birthplace is Moscow, northwestern Russia. The Russian American soprano's appearance March 13 marks her Metropolitan Opera debut. (Update via Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera Twitter tweet March 13, 2018.)

Maria Zifchak performs as Suzuki, Madama Butterfly’s maid, in all performances. Her hometown is Smithtown, Suffolk County, North Shore of Long Island, southeastern New York. The American mezzo-soprano debuted Jan. 6, 2000, as Kate Pinkerton in the Metropolitan Opera’s 741st performance of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly. In the 2017-2018 Met Opera season, Maria Zifchak also appears as Gertrude in Roméo et Juliette by French composer Charles-François Gounod (June 17, 1818-Oct. 18, 1893).

Roberto Aronica appears in the March 3 Saturday matinee broadcast as Pinkerton, the U.S. Navy lieutenant who breaks Butterfly’s trusting heart. He appeared as Pinkerton in all six autumn performances. He also performs March 8. His birthplace is Civitavecchia, Metropolitan City of Rome, Lazio, west central Italy. The Italian tenor debuted Dec. 9, 1998, as Alfred in the Metropolitan Opera’s 823rd performance of Verdi’s La Traviata.

Roberto Aronica shares the role with Luis Chapa, who appears in the last two spring performances (March 13; closing night, March 16). His birthplace is Monclova, east central Coahuila, northeastern Mexico. The Mexican tenor’s appearances as Pinkerton mark his Metropolitan Opera debut.

Roberto Frontali appears in the March 3 Saturday matinee broadcast as Sharpless, U.S. consul at Nagasaki. He also appears in both late winter performances (Feb. 22, 26) and in two additional early performances (March 8; closing night, March 16). His birthplace is Rome, Lazio region, west central Italy. The Italian baritone debuted Nov. 14, 1992, as Belcore in the Metropolitan Opera’s 196th performance of L’Elisir d’Amore by Italian bel canto composer Gaetano Donizetti (Nov. 29, 1797-April 8, 1848).

Roberto Frontali shares the role with two other baritones. David Bizic appeared as Sharpless in five autumn performances (opening night, Nov. 2; Nov. 6, 9, 13, 17). His birthplace is Belgrade, Serbia. The Serbian operatic baritone debuted Feb. 18, 2014, as Albert in the Metropolitan Opera’s 74th performance of Werther by French Romantic Era composer Jules Massenet (May 12, 1842-Aug. 13, 1912).

Dwayne Croft has two appearances as Sharpless: Nov. 20 and March 13. His birthplace is Cooperstown, Otsego County, Central New York Region, New York. The American baritone debuted April 18, 1990, as Fiorello in the Metropolitan Opera’s 442nd performance of Il Barbiere di Siviglia by Italian composer Gioachino Antonio Rossini (Feb. 29, 1792-Nov. 13, 1868). In the 2017-2018 Met Opera season, Dwayne Croft also appears as Peter in Hansel and Gretel by German composer Engelbert Humperdinck (Sept. 1, 1854-Sept. 27, 1921); Orest in Elektra by German late Romantic and early modern composer Richard Strauss (June 11, 1864-Sept. 8, 1949); Capulet in Roméo et Juliette by French composer Charles-François Gounod (June 17, 1818-Oct. 18, 1893).

Met Opera’s 2017-2018 staging of Madama Butterfly revives the 2006-2007 Met Opera season’s new production directed by Anthony Minghella (Jan. 6, 1954-March 18, 2008). The Italian film, opera and television director/producer’s new production debuted Sept. 25, 2006, in the opera’s 799th performance at the Metropolitan Opera. Minghella’s widow, Carolyn Choa, heads the production as director and choreographer. The production team also comprises Michael Levine, set designer; Han Feng, costume designer; Peter Mumford, lighting designer.

Minghella’s production also includes two Bunraku puppets to represent Butterfly’s child and Butterfly herself in a dream sequence. London, England-based Blind Summit Theatre, co-founded by Mark Downs and Nick Barnes in 1997, designed the production’s puppets. Bunraku theatre generally requires three puppeteers per puppet.

The opera’s setting is Nagasaki, Japan, in the opening years of the 20th century. Three years pass between Act I and Act II.

Madama Butterfly appears as the 14th of the 2017-2018 Met Opera season’s 23 Saturday matinee broadcasts. La Bohème was the season’s 13th Saturday matinee broadcast. La Bohème aired Saturday, Feb. 24, 2018, at 12:30 p.m.

The season’s 15th Saturday matinee broadcast is Rossini’s Semiramide. Semiramide is scheduled for March 10, 2018, at 1 p.m.

Online database Operabase places Giacomo Puccini in third place in a worldwide ranking of 1,281 composers for the five seasons from 2011/2012 to 2015/2016. Eighteenth century Classical Era composer Wolfgang Mozart and 19th century Italian bel canto composer Gioachino Rossini occupy second and fourth places, respectively.

Madama Butterfly occupies sixth place in the worldwide list of 2,658 most popular operas. Fifth and seventh places are held by Puccini’s Tosca and Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia, respectively.

Madama Butterfly's Metropolitan Opera debut took place Feb. 11, 1907. Giacomo Puccini attended the premiere, which featured Italian operatic tenor Enrico Caruso (Feb. 25, 1873-Aug. 2, 1921) Pinkerton and American operatic soprano Geraldine Ferrar (FEb. 28, 1882-March 11, 1967) as Butterfly. The Metropolitan Opera record of the premiere notes the composer's supervision of the production and attendance at rehearsals by playwright David Belasco. Prior to the 2017-2018 Met Opera season, Madama Butterfly's most recent Met Opera performances occurred during the 2015-2016 season.

The Metropolitan Opera’s Repertory Report provides statistics for the opera house’s operatic performances. Madama Butterfly is in seventh place. Sixth and eighth places are occupied by Verdi’s Rigoletto and Gounod’s Faust, respectively.

The takeaway for Madama Butterfly as the March 3, 2018, Metropolitan Opera Saturday matinee broadcast is that the 2017-2018 Met Opera season’s 14th Saturday matinee broadcast presents a compelling musical portrait of a naïve geisha who sacrifices everything, including herself, for an unrequited love in early 20th century Japan.

Late Italian film, opera and theater director Anthony Minghella's staging of Puccini's Madama Butterfly, revived during the 2017-2018 Met Opera season, debuted during the Metropolitan Opera's 2006-2007 season: The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Facebook Feb. 22, 2018

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Albanian soprano Ermonela Jaho sings her signature role in spring performances, including the March 3 Saturday matinee broadcast, of 2017-2018 Met Opera season's staging of Giacomo Puccini's Madama Butterfly: The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Facebook Feb. 20, 2018, @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/posts/10160145938915533

Late Italian film, opera and theater director Anthony Minghella's staging of Puccini's Madama Butterfly, revived during the 2017-2018 Met Opera season, debuted during the Metropolitan Opera's 2006-2007 season: The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Facebook Feb. 22, 2018, @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/a.134969600532.229232.20807115532/10160169578995533/

For further information:

Belasco, David. Six Plays: Madame Butterfly, Du Barry, The Darling of the Gods, Adrea, The Girl of the Golden West, The Return of Peter Grimm. Boston MA: Little, Brown, and Company, October 1928.
Available via Columbia University’s Instructional Technology Center @ http://www.columbia.edu/itc/music/NYCO/butterfly/images/belasco_sm.pdf

"Composers: Composers Ranked by the Number of Performances of Their Operas Over the Five Seasons 2011/2012 to 2015/16." Operabase > Opera Statistics.
Available @ http://operabase.com/top.cgi?lang=en

“Debut: Dwayne Croft.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 300040 Il Barbiere di Siviglia {442} Metropolitan Opera House: 04/18/1990.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=300040

“Debut: Ermonela Jaho.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 352422 La Traviata {941} Metropolitan Opera House: 03/15/2008.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=352422

“Debut: Hui He.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 353447 Aida {1113} Metropolitan Opera House: 03/26/2010.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=353447

“Debut: Jader Bignamini, Kidon Choi.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 356779 Madama Butterfly {870} Metropolitan Opera House: 11/02/2017.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=356779

“Debut: Roberto Aronica.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 331213 La Traviata {823} Metropolitan Opera House: 12/9/1998.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=331213

“Debut: Roberto Frontali.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 310550 l’Elisir d’Amore {196} Matinee ed. Metropolitan Opera House: 11/14/1992.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=310550

“Debuts: Gregory Lorenz, Marco Armiliato.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 331123 La Bohème {1048} Metropolitan Opera House: 11/09/1998.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=331123

"Debuts: Inna Dukach, Luis Chapa." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 356914 Madama Butterfly {880} Metropolitan Opera House: 03/13/2018.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=356914

"Debuts: Sara Erde, Sophie Koch, David Bizic . . ." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 355319 New Production Werther {74} Metropolitan Opera House: 02/18/2014.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=355319

“Debuts: Sylvie Valayre . . . Maria Zifchak . . .” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 332300 Madama Butterfly {741} Metropolitan Opera House: 01/6/2000.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=332300

Jenkins, Chadwick. “The Original Story: John Luther Long and David Belasco.” Columbia University > Instructional Technology Center > Music Humanities > New York City Opera Project: Madama Butterfly.
Available @ http://www.columbia.edu/itc/music/NYCO/butterfly/luther.html

Long, John Luther. “Madame Butterfly.” The Century; A Popular Quarterly, vol. 55, issue 3 (January 1898): 374-393.
Available via Cornell University Libraries’ Making of America @ http://ebooks.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=cent;idno=cent0055-3

Loti, Pierre. Madame Chrysanthème. Livre audio gratuity publié le 13 avril 2010. Read by (donneur de voix) René Depasse.
Available via Litterature audio.com @ http://www.litteratureaudio.com/livre-audio-gratuit-mp3/loti-pierre-madame-chrysantheme.html

Loti, Pierre. Madame Chrysanthème. Paris, France: Calmann-Lévy, 1888.
Available via InLibroVeritas @ http://www.inlibroveritas.net/oeuvres/7641/madame-chrysantheme#pf1

Loti, Pierre. Madame Chrysanthème. Translated by Laura Ensor. London, and Manchester, UK; New York, New York: George Routledge and Sons, Limited, 1897.
Available via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/details/madamechrysanth02lotigoog

Marriner, Derdriu. “2017-2018 Met Opera Season Premiere of Madama Butterfly Is Nov. 2.” Earth and Space News. Monday, Oct. 23, 2017.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2017/10/2017-2018-met-opera-season-premiere-of_23.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “La Bohème Is Feb. 24, 2018, Met Opera Saturday Matinee Broadcast.” Earth and Space News. Monday, Feb. 19, 2018.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2018/02/la-boheme-is-feb-24-2018-met-opera.html

May, Thomas. “Puccini’s Theatrical Sensibility in ‘Madama Butterfly.’” San Francisco Opera > 2016-17 Season > Madame Butterfly.
Available @ https://sfopera.com/1617-season/201617-season/madame-butterfly/puccinis-theatrical-sensibility-in-madama-butterfly/

Meet Me At The Opera @MMATOpera. "Plans in #NewYork tonight? Anthony Minghella’s stunning production #MetOpera GIACOMO PUCCINI Madama Butterfly." Twitter. Nov. 17, 2017.
Available @ https://twitter.com/MMATOpera/status/931562053504061440

The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. "Albanian soprano Ermonela Jaho grew up hoping to one day sing Cio-Cio-San. Not only did she get her wish, but the role has become a signature for Jaho. Madama Butterfly returns Feb 22." Facebook. Feb. 20, 2018.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/posts/10160145938915533

The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. "Cio-Cio-San is one of the defining roles in opera, requiring the soprano to convey an astounding array of emotions and characteristics while remaining on stage for most of the performance. Puccini's Madama Butterfly returns tonight, Feb 22, starring Ermonela Jaho in the title role. Learn more: bit.ly/2rVBmYf Photo by Ken Howard/Met Opera." Facebook. Feb. 22, 2018.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/a.134969600532.229232.20807115532/10160169578995533/

Metropolitan Opera ‏@MetOpera. "For this evening’s (3/13) performance of Madama Butterfly, Inna Dukach sings Cio-Cio-San replacing Ermonela Jaho, who is ill. #CastChange." Twitter. March 13, 2018.
Available @ https://twitter.com/MetOpera/status/973626714399092737

"Metropolitan Opera Premiere: Madama Butterfly." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 38830 Metropolitan Opera Premiere In the Presence of the Composer Madama Butterfly {1} Metropolitan Opera House: 02/11/1907.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=38830

“New Production: Madama Butterfly.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 351555 New Production Madama Butterfly {799} Metropolitan Opera House: 09/25/2006.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=351555

"Performances Statistics Through October 31, 2016.” MetOpera Database > The Metropolitan Opera Archives > Repertory Report.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/Database%20Opera%20Statistics.xml

“Production of Puccini’s ‘Tosca’ in London.” The Manchester Guardian. July 13, 1900.
Available @ https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2010/jul/14/archive-production-of-puccinis-tosca-1900

van Rij, Jan. Madame Butterfly: Japonisme, Puccini, & the Search for the Real Cho-Cho-San. Stone Bridge Press, 2001.

van Rij, Jan. “Was There a Real Madame Butterfly?” Playbill > Classic Arts Features. July 22, 2005.
Available @ http://www.playbill.com/article/was-there-a-real-madame-butterfly