Florida Grand Opera, Miami, November 17th, 2001

Madama Butterfly 

by Giacomo Puccini

The production by Bliss Herbert (State Director), Robert Oswald (Set Designer) and Allen Charles Klein (Costume and Lightning Designer) is very beautiful. It consists of a single set, the Japanese house of Butterfly, on the backdrop the sky and a tree (no sight of the sea). The doors fold and unfold when required, and the house is surrounded by trees that in Act 2 when Butterfly and Suzuki sing the Spring duet, the pink flowers blossom . The singers were very well directed and everybody seemed inside their roles.

Maria Gravilova was Cio-Cio-San (Madama Butterfly). She is a remarkable singer, her voice is large but firmly under control. Unlike most Russian singers she has control of her voice and can sing forte to piano without any problem. She did have problems in Act 1, mainly the entrance lacked purity of tone and she did not take the unwritten high D, but sang the C although not in piano as required. In the duet she could not deliver any pianissimo and the high notes were short. But from Act 2 onwards, she improved greatly, her "Un bel di" could have been better if the conductor did not rush things. In Act 3, she was really great, specially when she discovers Pinkerton is leaving her, and delivered a very good "Tu, tu, piccolo Iddio".

Scott Piper was a disappointment. He has no problems with high notes (he even took the high C in the duet) but the voice production is too nasal, the middle and lower registers sound thin and constrained. His acting was good though and he certainly cuts a good figure on stage.

John Hancock was excellent as Sharpless. He is very tall and also has a good figure on stage. His singing was excellent, the voice is large, and he had no problems with the role. His acting was very good.

Jane Gilbert was a good Suzuki and Pierre Lefebvre was a good Goro too.

Stewart Robertson disappointed in the conducting. His speeds were too fast, the music never really took fire. Butterfly is a very difficult opera to conduct and unfortunately it showed.