Review: MADAMA BUTTERFLY, Grange Park Opera

Grange Park Opera has opened its new season with a crowd-pleaser. Giacomo Puccini's Madama Butterfly remains problematic, with its story of a Japanese teenage geisha, impregnated and cruelly abandoned by an American lieutenant. However, it is still wildly popular, mainly due to its ravishing score.

It's always a stretch of imagination to see Cio-Cio-San as a fifteen year-old at the beginning of the production and there is no change in that here. The rigours of the role of Madama Butterfly are legendary. However, South Korean soprano Hye-Youn Lee gives a truly outstanding performance, which saves the weaker parts of this production.

Her rendition of "Un bel dì, vedremo" is flawless; expressive, empassioned and tonally exquisite. She brings huge emotional weight to the role, deftly moving between lightness in hope and joy, to dark despair.

In contrast, the rest of the cast struggle to keep up. Tenor Luis Gomes gives Pinkerton more moral compass than usual, feeling huge guilt at his actions, rather than simple unemotional cruelty. Gomes struggles with some of the grandeur of the role, but brings strength and feeling to his love duet with Butterfly at the end of act one.

Kitty Whately is a constantly worried Suzuki, often in the background. Whately brings this apprehension and concern into her vocals with skill and precision. 

Some restructuring of the narrative mean that Cio-Cio-San’s uncle Bonze (a woefully underused Jihoon Kim) and Goro become fairly irrelevant. US consul Sharpless is sung with care by Ross Ramgobin, but lacks some impact.

The main issue is a distinct shortage of momentum, both in the pit and on stage. John Doyle's direction is as simple as his design. A golden background, three red wooden chests and three bamboo blinds that rise and fall randomly. Tim Mitchell's lighting is nicely responsive to the score.

Movement is static throughout and the chorus is aimless, looking rather bored at times. It seems an odd choice to perform the legendary "Humming chorus”, where Butterfly waits with her son and Suzuki for Pinkerton, with no action whatsoever on stage. The Gasgoigne Orchestra seems to drag its feet in response and conductor Stephen Barlow struggles to rouse the required passion, despite some lovely delicacy and considered playing.

Hopefully, this production will warm up. It is worth seeing for Hye-Youn Lee's performance alone, which will live long in my memory.

Madama Butterfly is at Grange Park Opera until 5 July

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