Trieste Verdi’s first South Korean tour came to an end Sunday, after four consecutive performances before a full, enthusiastic house. Director Giulio Ciabatti’s rendition of Puccini’s ``Madame Butterfly’’ impressed local fans with its talented singers, tasteful video art-inspired stage set and a modern approach to the Orientalist love story.Each evening, some 3,000 people crowded the Grand Theater of Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, in downtown Seoul, and the usually tame Korean audience did not refrain from shouting ``bravo’’ for the original cast of the Italian theater.
Sopranos Raffaella Angeletti and Mina Yamazaki alternately played heroine Cio-Cio San, depicting the character transformations with great finesse, from a blushing _ though not completely innocent _ 15-year-old that knows how to steal a man’s heart to the anguish of a woman scorned. In spite of the alluring leading ladies, mezzo-soprano Cinzia De Mola shined through with her compelling performance as the faithful servant Suzuki.
Tenor Roberto De Biasio, with his dashing youth and clear, ringing voice, was charming _ and despicable _ as Pinkerton, while Mario Malagnini gave a more weighty, charismatic interpretation. The Trieste Verdi Theater Chorus and the Gyeonggi Philharmonic, led by Lorenzo Fratini, provided top-notch acoustics.
The very distinct, Zen minimalist stage was marked by a splash of bright colors, ornate costumes and creative video art backdrops _ giving the production an elegant glow. In particular, the video art, inspired by the works of the late Korean artist Paik Nam-june, was subtle in defining the ambiance without dominating it, and provided a more organic narrative flow among the three acts of the second half of the production.
While it was slightly disappointing to see that the latter half featured the same images that appeared in the former, the ``recycling’’ created a more cohesive look. Video art is a great alternative to prevent the blizzard-like snow effects that reportedly marred the Vienna State Opera’s recent performance of ``Eugen Onegin’’ _ beautiful virtual cherry blossom petals provide a magical aura rather harmlessly.
In addition to the music and visuals, Ciabatti made a commendable effort to provide a more universal story about the pathos of betrayed love. The original opera, in contemporary American parlance, can be described as an impoverished prom queen who, with her innate charms being her singular asset, opts to marry a rich Japanese businessman. She falls head over heals for him and even after he leaves her with an unlikely promise to return, she refuses to give up hope while raising their child and rejecting the advances of a young J.F. Kennedy. When she finally learns of his betrayal, she kills herself.
But of course, the opera is set in early 20th-century Japan, and tells the story of a geisha’s unconditional love for an American naval officer. She gives him everything, including converting to Christianity, at the cost of losing her family and friends.
But of course, the opera is set in early 20th-century Japan, and tells the story of a geisha’s unconditional love for an American naval officer. She gives him everything, including converting to Christianity, at the cost of losing her family and friends.
One can argue that, putting aside Western Orientalist fantasies about Asian feminity, such self-sacrificing love continues to inspire near and far. But recent examples like the Hollywood film ``Original Sin’’ justify self-sacrifice by featuring a femme fatale. Here, Pinkerton is nothing like an alluring Angelina Jolie that can bewitch Cio-Cio San. It is merely her (imagined) Japanese-ness, her subservient attitude that allows such blind, tragic romance. Despite the best of attempts, the inherent flaws in the piece remain.
*Photos courtesy of Sejong Center/Trieste Verdi Theater
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