Contents and characters of Madama Butterfly Puccini. What is the opera of Giacomo Puccini "Madame Butterfly"

It often happens that a good literary work dies when you are just born. But sometimes it continues to live more than one century, finding more and more new ways of realization: in cinema, music, theater. So it happened with a small novel by American JL Long. The characters of "Madam Butterfly" were so tenacious that they dignified the test of time.

How did the story begin?

At the end of the XIX and the beginning of the XX century, the world rules the fashion for everything eastern, so a small novel created and published in the magazine by the American writer JL Long, appealed not only to readers but also to the playwright David Belasco. He wrote, based on this small work, the play "Geisha", which the troupe of the Prince of York Theater in London was interested in.

The staged performance was a success with the audience, that's why the Italian opera composer Giacomo Puccini chose it for viewing. "Madame Butterfly" (however, at that time the play was called "Geisha") was so popular with the genius of music, who was looking for a story for his next work, that he immediately took up the idea.

A long drawn dream

Excited by history, Giacomo Puccini turned to the best librettists of the time, who considered L. Illik and J. Giacosa. They also liked the idea, however, the final result forced itself to wait. The blame for this was the composer himself, who quite often left for tours, then for rehearsals not only in different cities of Italy, but also in foreign voyages.

Not contributed to the rapid writing of music and another passion of Puccini - cars. The purchase of the car turned the hot Italian into a real rider, who drove, not following the speed, along the roads of the country. However, the accident, in which he was in the midst of work on the opera, a little cooled his ardor. A broken leg became a serious argument to behave behind the wheel much more accurately. But, despite the delay, in 1903 the libretto of the opera "Madame Butterfly" was ready.

To make his work as true as possible, the composer studied Japanese culture and was a frequent visitor at the Roman house of the ambassador of Japan. His wife, Mrs. Okiyama, was pleased to perform ancient national melodies.

Unsuccessful premiere

February 17, 1904 in the Milan theater "La Scala" on the court of spectators was the brainchild of Puccini. The main party was played by Rosina Strokio (soprano). The company was made by the tenor Giovanni Zenatello (Lieutenant Pinkerton). Despite the fact that the characters "Madam Butterfly" were bright and realistic, the audience was surprisingly ungrateful, booed the premiere. And on the second day, newspaper pages were filled with devastating articles by critics.

The composer was suppressed, but refused to recognize his idea as failed. He believed that his opera would be successful by writing in the letter to K. Bendi: "In the end, you will see - victory will be for me!" Giacomo Puccini listens to the advice of friends and critics. He removes some scenes, divides the second act into two separate acts and invites the Ukrainian opera diva Solomiya Krushelnytska to the main role. The libretto "Madame Butterfly" played with new colors. The audience, gathered at the Grande Theater (Brescia) on May 28, 1904, met the work with delight. The composer was repeatedly called to bow.

Tragedy of a woman in love

The opera develops at the turn of the XIX and XX centuries in Nagasaki. This story is about how the young geisha Chio-Cio-san, who was nicknamed butterfly for beauty and grace, fell in love with the lieutenant of the American fleet of Pinkerton. Her feeling was so strong that, contrary to the traditions of her people, she marries him. True, the stupid Butterfly does not even realize that for her chosen one this marriage is only entertainment, he does not take it seriously.

The story of Madame Butterfly is a tragedy of the contact between two worlds: Western and Eastern, male and female. The civilized man actually turned out to be a barbarian who does not consider the words of the vow to be sacred, so he easily breaks them. But for the bearer of ancient traditions (which seem to the Western man to be quite wild), the words "union", "loyalty", "love" weigh more than life. That is why sincere feelings turned into a tragedy for her.

The main characters of "Madame Butterfly"

• Chio-Cio-san is a beautiful woman of the East. She is the representative of the ancient profession in Japan - a geisha. But, despite the seeming fragility, the Butterfly showed unprecedented resilience, following its principles to the end.
• Lieutenant Benjamin Pinkerton is an American sailor, who without hesitation agreed to a marriage with a Japanese beauty, but he perceived it as a pleasant addition to the service. His feelings were not deep, which is why he easily terminated the alliance to marry a compatriot.
• Sharpless is an American consul. This is a decent elder man who, from the first day of his life, was worried about Madame Butterfly and hoped that Pinkerton would not offend her. His character is soft, cheerful. The lieutenant's views on life seem to him rather superficial.
• Suzuki is the faithful servant of the Butterfly. It is characterized by a lively temper and excessive talkativeness, which irritates Pinkerton. Tried to save the mistress from suicide, but she did not succeed.
• Goro is a local matchmaker. It was he who found the "temporary wife" for the lieutenant, and then tries to reduce the Butterfly to the prince, but receives a decisive refusal.

These are key characters in the opera Madama Butterfly, the content of which is focused on their experiences. The characters that appear on the stage infrequently include Uncle Bonza (damning the Butterfly for her desire to change the religion of her ancestors), Prince Yamadori (asks Chio-Cio-san's hands after Pinkerton's betrayal), Dolore (the son of a lieutenant and a geisha), Kate (wife Benjamin).

Opera «Madame Butterfly». Contents of the first act

The action takes place in the new house of Lieutenant Pinkerton, which he rented. Benjamin is completely satisfied with life: he just married a charming Japanese geisha. Not burdened by moral principles, he chuckles at the warnings of Consul Sharpless: do not break the girl's heart.

Then follows the acquaintance of the bride and groom. Chio-Cio-san tells the lieutenant about himself, about his kimono, in the sleeve of which she wears "the souls of her ancestors", confesses to the chosen one in love and promises to change religion for him.

The marriage ceremony is interrupted by the visit of Uncle Butterfly, who curses her niece for being ready to give up the faith of her ancestors because of the man. The wedding is hopelessly spoiled, all guests and relatives of the bride are removed. The frustrated new wife calms down only in the arms of the spouse.

The second act. Action first

Three years passed. Pinkerton threw his Madame Butterfly. The content of the first action is completely concentrated on the main heroine. The maid of Suzuki tries to convince the mistress that her husband left her forever. Resentment Cio-Cio-san pours out the famous aria "On a clear day, desired," in which the hope that the beloved will return.

Consul Sharpless comes to the Butterfly's house with a letter stating that Benjamin married in America. Their conversation interrupts the appearance of Goro and Prince Yamadori, who wants to take the Butterfly into his wife. Having been denied, visitors are deleted. Sharpless advises to accept the offer of the prince and informs that Pinkerton got married. The woman's first thought is suicide, but she pulls herself together and asks the consul to tell her husband about her son.

After some time, an American ship enters the harbor. Chio-Cio-san knows that he is loved. She dresses up, decorates the house and waits for him, but neither in the evening nor at night he does not appear.

The second action

The characters "Madam Butterfly" in the final part of the opera turned out to be very emotional. Pinkerton and Sharpless came to visit Cio-Cio-san. Benjamin's wife stayed in the garden. The servant first guessed everything, and the lieutenant, seeing her tears, runs away, so as not to participate in the scene.

The entered Butterfly instantly understood everything. The Consul tells her that Pinkerton's legal wife agrees to take care of their child. Butterfly understands that there is no way out, and asks her husband to come in an hour after the child. This time is enough for her to commit suicide.

During the preparatory prayer of the mistress, the servant pushes her son into the room, hoping that this will stop her. Handing the child a toy and tied his eyes, Chio-Cio-san stabs himself behind the screen. When Pinkerton and Sharpless appeared in the room, the unfortunate Butterfly had enough strength to point only at their son.

The immortality of the opera

This work became the main brainchild of G. Puccini. "Madame Butterfly" was appreciated not only by the Italian public, but also by foreign music fans. There was not a single failed production of the opera. The composer was absolutely right when he decided to breathe a second life into his offspring, changing his structure and inviting the incomparable Solomiya Krushelnytska to perform the main party.

Residents of France, England, Russia, the United States, Argentina and many other countries still go to the theater with pleasure, seeing the name of the opera on the posters. They empathize with the unhappy Chio-Cio-san, angry at Pinkerton, worry about the fate of the baby. Each opera singer considers it an honor to perform the party of the legendary Japanese Butterfly, which was destroyed by love for an unworthy person.

Giacomo Puccini created a real masterpiece, which gained immortality on the stage. "Madame Butterfly" is still considered one of the best operas in the world.