Puccini: Madama Butterfly

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In many respects Gheorghiu's singing reminds me of Callas's: in Act I they both adopt a 'little girl' voice, and in Act II they both sound more mature… so that by the tragic climax they present... — BBC Music Magazine, April 2009, 4 out of 5 stars More…

Release Date: 2nd Mar 2009
Catalogue No: 4562152
Label: Warner Classics
Length: 2 hours 14 minutes

Presto Recording of the Week

2nd March 2009
Gramophone Awards

2009

Winner - Opera
Opera

April 2009

Recording of the Month
Building A Library

March 2024

Recommended Recording

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Puccini: Madama Butterfly

Work length2:14:53

$59.80

$78.20

Jonas Kaufmann (tenor), Massimiliano Tonsini (tenor), Maria Chiara Chizzoni (soprano), Gregory Bonfatti (tenor), Cristina Reale (soprano), Fabio Capitanucci (baritone), Angela Gheorghiu (soprano), Fabrizio Di Bernardo (baritone), Enkelejda Shkosa (mezzo-soprano), Raymond Aceto (bass), Simonetta Pelacchi (mezzo-soprano), Roberta De Nicola (soprano), Roberto Valentini (baritone), Norbert Balatsch (director), Massimo Simeoli (baritone)
Coro dell'Accademia Nazionale Di Santa Cecilia, Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia
Antonio Pappano

E soffitto ... e pareti ... (Pinkerton / Goro)

Track length2:59

$1.30

$1.70

Sorride Vostro Onore? (Suzuki / Pinkerton / Goro / Sharpless)

Track length3:18

$1.30

$1.70

Dovunque al mondo (Pinkerton / Sharpless)

Track length3:13

$1.30

$1.70

Ed è bella la sposa? (Sharpless / Goro / Pinkerton)

Track length2:02

$1.30

$1.70

Ler l'altro il Consolato (Sharpless / Pinkerton / Goro / Le amiche di Butterfly)

Track length2:06

$1.30

$1.70

Ah! Quanto cielo! Quanto mar! / Ancora un passo or via (Le amiche / Butterfly / Sharpless)

Track length3:23

$1.30

$1.70

Gran Ventura (Butterfly / Le amiche / Pinkerton / Sharpless)

Track length3:42

$1.30

$1.70

L'imperial Commisario (Goro / Pinkerton / Parenti, amici ed amiche di Butterfly / Butterfly / La cugina / La madre / La zia / Yakusidé / Sharpless)

Track length2:59

$1.30

$1.70

Vieni, amor mio! (Pinkerton / Butterfly / Goro)

Track length2:45

$1.30

$1.70

Leri son salita tutta sola (Butterfly)

Track length1:57

$1.30

$1.70

Tutti zitti! (Goro / Il commissario / Le amiche / Butterfly)

Track length1:41

$1.30

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Auguri molti (Il commissario / Pinkerton / Sharpless / L'ufficiale / Le amiche / La cugina / La madre)

Track length1:39

$1.30

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Cio-cio-san! Abbominazione! (Bonzo / Butterfly / Parenti, amici ed amiche / Goro / Pinkerton / Yakusidé)

Track length2:17

$1.30

$1.70

Bimba, non piangere (Pinkerton / Le amiche / Butterfly / Suzuki)

Track length2:02

$1.30

$1.70

Viene la sera (Pinkerton / Butterfly / Suzuki)

Track length3:36

$1.30

$1.70

Bimba dagli occhi pieni di malia (Pinkerton / Butterfly)

Track length3:35

$1.30

$1.70

Madama Butterfly, Act 1: "Vogliatemi bene, un bene piccolino" (Butterfly / Pinkerton)

Track length7:15

$1.30

$1.70

Orchestra

Track length1:13

$1.30

$1.70

E lzaghi ed lzanami (Suzuki / Butterfly)

Track length5:51

$1.30

$1.70

Un bel di vedremo (Butterfly)

Track length4:28

$1.30

$1.70

C'è. Entrate (Goro / Sharpless / Butterfly)

Track length3:28

$1.30

$1.70

Non lo sapete insomnia (Butterfly / Sharpless / Goro / Yamadori)

Track length5:48

$1.30

$1.70

Ora a noi (Sharpless / Butterfly)

Track length3:10

$1.30

$1.70

Due cose potrei far (Sharpless / Butterfly)

Track length2:06

$1.30

$1.70

Ah! m'ha scordata? (Butterfly Sharpless)

Track length2:00

$1.30

$1.70

Sai cos'ebbe cuore di pensare ... Che tue madre dovrà (Butterfly / Sharpless)

Track length3:17

$1.30

$1.70

Io scendo al piano (Sharpless / Butterfly)

Track length1:39

$1.30

$1.70

Vespa! Rospo maledetto! (Suzuki / Goro / Butterfly)

Track length1:40

$1.30

$1.70

Una nave da guerra (Butterfly / Suzuki)

Track length2:22

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$1.70

Scuoti quella frona di cillegio (Butterfly / Suzuki)

Track length4:57

$1.30

$1.70

Or vienmi ad adornar (Butterfly / Suzuki)

Track length3:11

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Nello shosi or farem tre forellini (Butterfly)

Track length2:05

$1.30

$1.70

Coro a bocca chiusa / Humming Chorus

Track length2:57

$1.30

$1.70

Orchestra

Track length4:53

$1.30

$1.70

Oh eh! oh eh! (Marinai)

Track length0:59

$1.30

$1.70

Orchestra

Track length1:41

$1.30

$1.70

Gia il sole! (Suzuki / Butterfly)

Track length1:56

$1.30

$1.70

Povera Butterfly (Suzuki / Sharpless / Pinkerton)

Track length2:57

$1.30

$1.70

Io so che alle sue pene (Sharpless / Pinkerton / Suzuki)

Track length2:00

$1.30

$1.70

Non ve l'avevo detto? (Sharpless / Pinkerton)

Track length1:42

$1.30

$1.70

Addio fiorito asil (Pinkerton / Sharpless)

Track length1:47

$1.30

$1.70

Glielo dirai? (Kate / Suzuki / Butterfly)

Track length4:36

$1.30

$1.70

Vespa! Voglio che tu risponda (Butterfly / Suzuki / Sharpless / Kate)

Track length3:45

$1.30

$1.70

Come una mosca progionera (Suzuki / Butterfly)

Track length3:29

$1.30

$1.70

Tu? tu piccolo Iddio! (Butterfly)

Track length1:59

$1.30

$1.70

Va, gioca, gioca! (Butterfly / Pinkerton)

Track length2:28

$1.30

$1.70

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Favourites, Giacomo Puccini

James has a lovely time revelling in the wealth of magnificent Puccini recordings on offer, and selects some of his personal favourites.

Recording of the Week, Angela Gheorghiu in Puccini's Madama Butterfly

2nd March 2009

The Romanian soprano assumes the role of the tragic teenage geisha for the first time, with Jonas Kaufmann as the American naval officer who abandons her, and Antonio Pappano conducting.

Madama Butterfly appears on EMI Classics for the first time in many years in a new studio recording. The role of Cio-Cio-San is stunningly performed by Angela Gheorghiu, partnered by the exciting young German tenor Jonas Kaufmann as her lover Pinkerton, both making their debuts in these roles. Suzuki is sung by Enkelejda Shkosa, Sharpless by Fabio Capitanucci and Goro by Gregory Bonfatti. Antonio Pappano conducts the Orchestra e Coro dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in the two-act opera. The recording took place in the Santa Cecilia Hall of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome in July 2008, the year commemorating the 150th anniversary of Puccini’s birth.

Angela Gheorghiu, commenting at the conclusion of the recording sessions, said, “It is the culmination of a long-held dream for me to record the role of Cio-Cio-San. Puccini’s music always touches me very deeply. In Madama Butterfly, as in all his operas, Puccini shows a great understanding of how human beings, and especially women, think and feel. Working together with Tony Pappano, Jonas Kaufmann and the rest of the cast in this recording has been a great joy.”

Reviews

April 2009

In many respects Gheorghiu's singing reminds me of Callas's: in Act I they both adopt a 'little girl' voice, and in Act II they both sound more mature… so that by the tragic climax they present a strong personality in full possession of her destiny. This is Gheorghiu's greatest achievement on disc. Jonas Kaufmann as the winning, faithless Pinkerton is on tremendous form, too...

May 2009

Jonas Kaufmann makes Pinkerton an attractive creature of instinct and youth rather than a callous egotist.

March 2009

Gheorghiu somehow conveys not only the depth of Butterfly's love but also her inner knowledge that, in fact, her belief in Pinkerton's devotion is hopeless. This is a mature interpretation which suggests strength above all, so that the touches of vulnerability are added with subtlety. ...Jonas Kaufmann is an ardent Pinkerton... Enkelejda Shkosa is a vivid Suzuki and Fabio Capitanucci the sympathetic Sharpless. ...Antonio Pappano takes a less driven and melodramatic way with the score than Karajan in his three recordings; it's nearer in mood to Barbirolli... though there is no lack of passion at the great climaxes - just listen to the spine-tingling moment of the sighting of the ship.

2011 edition

a resounding success. Pappano's natural feeling for the phrasing and dynamic shading of Puccini's great melodies is here enhanced by having an Italian chorus and orchestra...Un bel di has rarely been so richly or securely sung in a complete Butterfly...[Kaufmann] seems totally comfortable in the Italian text and, like Gheorghiu, brings out many detailed subtleties...an excellent choice in a very competitive field.

2009

Gheorghiu sings beautifully with a lovely softness about her voice, which means that she can create the vulnerability and fragility of the role very effectively. She also seems to have balanced the deep love that her character has for Pinkerton, with the inner knowledge that such devotion is ultimately hopeless. The rest of the cast are equally excellent with Jonas Kaufmann’s Pinkerton particularly outstanding, and all are superbly supported by conductor Antonio Pappano and the Accademia di Santa Cecilia.

July 2014

For me, the main attraction of this set, wonderfully conducted by Antonio Pappano, is Jonas Kaufmann as Pinkerton. Glorious of tone throughout, his duet with Angela Gheorghiu at the end of Act One is ravishing. Gheorghiu herself is wistfully emotional in Un bel dì and affectingly tragic in Tu, tu piccolo Iddio.

9th August 2009

A German tenor might have been a controversial choice for the caddish Lieutenant Pinkerton in Puccini’s Japanese tragedy, but Kaufmann’s dark, ringing tenor gives greater substance than usual to this shadowy, unsympathetic role, and his Italian is idiomatic.

13th March 2009

...an epoch-making performance from Jonas Kaufmann as Pinkerton - psychologically the most complete on disc...Antonio Pappano stresses the tense, irresolute quality of the score by following a dangerously erotic account of the first act with an implacably bleak performance of the second. It won't be to everyone's taste, though Kaufmann is essential listening.

2nd March 2009

A highly polished performance of Puccini's sublime masterpiece made in Rome over 12 days in the old slow-burn, multi-take style. It is very impressive in many respects, not least because of the ideal clarity and warmth of the sound engineering. Antonio Pappano conducts the Santa Cecilia Orchestra with red-blooded passion, never letting the pace slip but remaining attentive to the finer orchestral detail on the way.

6th March 2009

You can't fault her diligence, nor the rest of the cast's dramatic flair. Jonas Kaufmann's husky Pinkerton is excellent; if he skimps on ardour, that's because Butterfly's fake husband is more in lust than love. Enkelejda Shkosa contributes a moving Suzuki; Fabio Capitanucci a more spontaneous and less censorious Sharpless than usual. But Pappano is the icing on the cake.

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Puccini: Madama Butterfly

2 CDs

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Favourites, Giacomo Puccini

Recording of the Week, Angela Gheorghiu in Puccini's Madama Butterfly

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