Maria Callas, (1923-1977) sings "Un bel di vedremo" from Puccini's
Madama Butterfly
One of the world's most popular operas, and the number one most performed opera in the United States, Madama Butterfly is partly based on Pierre Loti's novel Madame Chrysanthemum, passionately exploring the consequences of obsessive devotion. Pinkerton, a U.S. Navy officer in Japan (modeled in part on the real Commodore Matthew Perry who opened Japan to the West), contracts what he considers a temporary marriage to Cio-Cio-San, called Butterfly, who renounces religion and family in her adoration for him.
When Pinkerton leaves for America, Butterfly blissfully ignores warnings of his unfaithfulness and awaits his return, even turning down a marriage proposal from Yamadori, a rich Japanese businessman. With all avenues of escape closed to her, she is shattered when Pinkerton returns with an American wife. Butterfly ends her unbearable misery with her father's sword, thus preserving her honor.
Butterfly's aria, Un bel, di vedremo:
One fine day, we will see
Arising a strand of smoke
Over the far horizon on the sea
And then the ship appears
And then the ship is white
It enters into the port, it rumbles its salute.
Do you see it? He is coming!
I don't go down to meet him, not I.
I stay upon the edge of the hill
And I wait a long time
but I do not grow weary of the long wait.
And leaving from the crowded city,
A man, a little speck
Climbing the hill.
Who is it? Who is it?
And as he arrives
What will he say? What will he say?
He will call Butterfly from the distance
I without answering
Stay hidden
A little to tease him,
A little as to not die.
At the first meeting,
And then a little troubled
He will call, he will call
"Little one, dear wife
Blossom of orange"
The names he called me at his last coming.
All this will happen,
I promise you this
Hold back your fears -
I with secure faith wait for him.
A note about Maria Callas' voice:
Maria Callas' voice was always controversial, even before it began to prematurely deteriorate. It is simply not a sweet, beautiful voice. Nevertheless, as I made my selections for this blog I often kept coming back to Callas performances -- and wondered why. Here are two comments by opera critics that begin to explain it:
"The timbre of Callas' voice, considered purely as sound, was essentially ugly... yet I really believe that part of her appeal was precisely due to this fact. Why? because for all its natural lack of varnish, velvet and richness, this voice could acquire such distinctive colours and timbres as to be unforgettable."
"I've seen over 1000 operas, and the 9 times I saw Maria Callas are etched in my memory. She was the most exciting and thrilling performer I ever saw on an opera stage and, curiously enough, even when she was not in top vocal form!"
The Humming Chorus from Madama Butterfly
Vogliatemi bene (“Love me, please.”) Butterfly pleads with Pinkerton to “Love me, please.” She asks whether it is true that, in foreign lands, a man will catch a butterfly and pin its wings to a table. Pinkerton admits that it is true but explains, “Do you know why? So that she’ll not fly away.” He embraces her and says, “I have caught you. You are mine.” She replies, “Yes, for life.”
Madama Butterly premiered at the famous La Scala in Milan,
built during the American Revolutionary War
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