[Met Performance] CID:50050



Madama Butterfly
Metropolitan Opera House, Thu, February 9, 1911




Madama Butterfly (61)
Giacomo Puccini | Luigi Illica/ Giuseppe Giacosa
Cio-Cio-San
Emmy Destinn

Pinkerton
Hermann Jadlowker

Suzuki
Rita Fornia

Sharpless
Antonio Scotti

Goro
Angelo Bad?

Bonze
Bernard B?gu?

Yamadori
Georges Bourgeois

Kate Pinkerton
Helen Mapleson

Commissioner
Giulio Rossi

Yakuside
Francesco Cerri


Conductor
Arturo Toscanini







Review 1:

Review from unknown critic in unknown newspaper

With Mme. Emmy Destinn as Cio-Cio-San for the first time this season, "Madama Butterfly" was repeated last evening by the Metropolitan Opera Company. A large audience assembled to hear the opera and greet the prima donna's latest effort despite the storm. Mme. Destinn added new vocal laurels to the many with which she has been crowned as the result of her notable achievements in works far more different than Puccini's setting to the pathetically beautiful story of the shrinking but heroic Japanese maiden and the dashing navy lieutenant. She was in superb voice. Her warmth of tone, beauty of lyrical execution and brilliance of interpretation throughout the opera much more than compensated for her lack of ideal physical fitness for the role.

Puccini's works, now that "Madama Butterfly" has become one of the most frequently repeated operas of the season, are certainly maintaining the popularity which many persons have insisted they have deserved. The opera of the previous evening was the same composer's "Tosca," and with "The Girl of the Golden West," at least one of the most conspicuous productions will have been undoubtedly the company's hit of the present season, Puccini chief composer for the year. Mr. Toscanini last night was again the leader for a Puccini score. The perfection of conducting and interpretation of which so much has been said and written after he has led the orchestra, was again manifest; more need not be said.

No waiting for Mme. Destinn's voice to rise superior to any momentary handicaps was required of last night's audience. Glorious tones presented the highly colored score from the [beginning] of the first act, and prolonged applause greeted her efforts after the exquisite duet with Pinkerton at the end of that act. So it was throughout the evening. Hermann Jadlowker as Lieut. Pinkerton gave the tenor counterpart of Mme. Destinn's singing. Melodious, yet vigorous and powerful as to voice, he was also the sprightly, athletic officer whose charms a timid Japanese girl who could not be expected to resist in a lyric drama. His tones were without flaw, the high notes being especially pleasurable to hear. Mr. Scotti, invincible again, sang the role of Sharpless as ably and resonantly as if he had not been almost superhumanly overtaxed vocally all this week.



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