Puccini Madama Butterfly

Butterfly – Julie Unwin
Pinkerton – Richard Roberts
Suzuki – Alison Kettlewell
Sharpless – Simon Thorpe
Goro - Alasdair Elliott
Bonze – Henry Waddington
Kate Pinkerton – Susan Parkes
Il Commisario Imperiale – Howard Wong
Yamadori - Seung-Wook Song
Le Madre di Cio-Cio-San - Charlotte Spink
La Zia - Rachel Munro

Opera Holland Park is enjoying a great season and their Madama Butterfly (sung in Italian with English surtitles) was full of interest. The opera's chequered history is fully rehearsed in Sir Hugh Cortazzi's substantial essay in the indispensable programme magazine, charmingly illustrated by Alex Stewart, and quite a collectors' item. With the cast list and synopsis is a note that Dominic Wheeler conducted a new orchestration and edition which restored cuts from Puccini's original version; more detail about that would be welcome.  

Ian Rutherford [see rehearsal picture] had updated the opera in collaboration with with designer Peter Rice to 1946, an era after the war in which the defeated Japanese had welcomed the American victors and liaisons with Japanese women were commonplace. OHP has certainly learned how to make the best of their fixed setting. The occupying forces were even led to believe that radiation around Nagasaki was beneficial and might enhance virility! The scene depicted is appropriately tawdry and the clashes of cultures well depicted.  

Musical values are strong, with Richard Roberts a brash youthful tenor as Pinkerton, and Simon Thorpe a convincing consul who colludes, albeit with misgivings, in the sordid exploitation of impoverished Japanese women for amusement of the occupying troops. Alison Kettlewell's Susuki was believable, listed in the programme as 'a Japanese American'. The minor characters were well cast from strength and the admirable OHP chorus contributed creatively, choreographed by Jenny Weston.  

The real trouble, which caused us to remain dry-eyed throughout, was the casting of Julie Unwin who sang well enough as the eponymous heroine, but never looked a likely Nagasaki bought 'bride', nor a plausible Japanese/American 'wife'. With nowadays in Japan a huge interest in Western music, and the influx of Japanese musicians in European colleges and concert life, Butterfly is a role that should be taken on stage by Japanese native sopranos. There must be many now sufficiently well equipped, and able to suggest that Westernisation could not be so complete as Julie Unwin's under Rutherford's tutelage.

Dominic Wheeler, who is everywhere these days, nurses the City of London Sinfonia in an affectionate account of the lovely score, though following a perfect first act I did become troubled by longeurs in the second and third, and wondered whether less slow tempi at some points might have sustained the inaction more convincingly whilst Butterfly and ourselves were waiting for the inevitable denouemnent, and whether some of the cuts might have been better unrestored?  

OHP should think of this production as promising 'work in progress'; not yet definitive. The Observer succinctly characterises it as a 'wounded Butterfly' and properly criticises Ian Rutherford for having not spent enough time directing his lead singer. It merits revival, as does (in the light of her spectacularly successful Macbeth this year) Olivia Fuchs's Fidelio of treasured memory.

Look for images on OHP's website