Your favorite Madame Butterfly?

[hurrah]

I love the music, but the story of Madame Butterfly is atrocious, so I'm not actually sure it is 100% complimentary to be regarded as someone's favorite Madame Butterfly. That said, when I see Mao's expression of innocent despair which she performs after her biellman:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=kj4EyYCKvJQ#t=223

I do enjoy it as a piece of fiction. I think it's quite a difficult role to pull off in today's climate. Madame Butterfly is the archetypal Asian woman victim, but in order for her to be compelling to a 21st century audience especially, she cannot be portrayed as a victim, and I think Mao showcases Madame Butterfly's purity as her strength most beautifully.

 

[Mafke]

Other great Butterflies (imho)


Renata Tebaldi (a little too.... reserved at times, but beuatiful voice and ultimately very affecting)
Mirella Freni (not sure how often she did it on stage but is wonderful in the Ponnelle film which revolutionized how people viewed the opera itself)
Diana Soviero (one of the most dramatically committed staged Butterflies... ever)

And how could I forget Mada Olivero? The last of the Old Time Red Hot Great Lady Divas!?!?!?!
She was old school back in the 1960s but she gave it everything she had and then some.

 

[Meoima]

Tebaldi, anyone? She, Price, and Callas would be my 3 picks.

I don't know why but I can't warm up to Tebaldi's voice. I know she is best showcase of classic and traditional Italian voice but I don't feel very comfortable listening to her.

Anyways English translation of the song (not sure it's correct though):

One good day, we will see
Arising a strand of smoke
Over the far horizon on the sea
And then the ship appears
And then the ship is white
It enters into the port, it rumbles its salute.
Do you see it? He is coming!
I don't go down to meet him, not I.
I stay upon the edge of the hill
And I wait a long time
but I do not grow weary of the long wait.

And leaving from the crowded city,
A man, a little speck
Climbing the hill.
Who is it? Who is it?
And as he arrives
What will he say? What will he say?
He will call Butterfly from the distance
I without answering
Stay hidden
A little to tease him,
A little as to not die.
At the first meeting,
And then a little troubled
He will call, he will call
"Little one, dear wife
Blossom of orange"
The names he called me at his last coming.
All this will happen,
I promise you this
Hold back your fears -
I with secure faith wait for him.

http://classicalmusic.about.com/od/opera/qt/unbeldilyrics.htm

 

[Meoima]

Other great Butterflies (imho)


Renata Tebaldi (a little too.... reserved at times, but beuatiful voice and ultimately very affecting)
Mirella Freni (not sure how often she did it on stage but is wonderful in the Ponnelle film which revolutionized how people viewed the opera itself)
Diana Soviero (one of the most dramatically committed staged Butterflies... ever)

I quite enjoy Freni, honestly I enjoy everything Freni.

But to be honest I am quite fed up with sorrowful ladies. I want someone skate to Abigaille the great!!! Liza maybe!

I want Abigaille on ice!!

 

[Mafke]

I want someone skate to Abigaille the great!!! Liza maybe!
I want Abigaille on ice!!

Only if they do a triple for every high C... (to make the skating as difficult and dangerous as the vocal part)

 

[4everchan]

it's performed all the time nowadays without hesitation... it's a great opera... that's all...

I love the music, but the story of Madame Butterfly is atrocious, so I'm not actually sure it is 100% complimentary to be regarded as someone's favorite Madame Butterfly. That said, when I see Mao's expression of innocent despair which she performs after her biellman:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=kj4EyYCKvJQ#t=223

I do enjoy it as a piece of fiction. I think it's quite a difficult role to pull off in today's climate. Madame Butterfly is the archetypal Asian woman victim, but in order for her to be compelling to a 21st century audience especially, she cannot be portrayed as a victim, and I think Mao showcases Madame Butterfly's purity as her strength most beautifully.

 

[Imagine]

I wanna see Mao's Turandot someday as well!

 

[Jaana]

Shizuka, the ultimate Madama Butterfly.

Yes, I agree. Her performance is full of heart, soul and sensitivity.

 

[Taan]

Tonia Kwiatkowski
https://youtu.be/gOR4ab6Jf-o

 

[lilshorty]

I like Mao's, but Ann Patrice McDonough's is nice to watch too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gapmSpBS9Wg

 

[CoyoteChris]

If competitive version, I'll go with Mao .
If non-competitive version, I'll go with Shizuka.

I agree with you and I dont think the two performances CAN be compared...Shizuka can concentrate on expression while Mao has to worry about landing the jumps in a much more difficult program. Two great performances to be sure, but apples and oranges.

(Did you see those stands at the Japanese OPEN!!!! Man do they have skating fans....at least the Japanese appreciate the most artistic sport in the world)

 

[Layback11]

(at least the Japanese appreciate the most artistic sport in the world)

Isn't that ice dance?

Actually, I'd have to give that to rhythmic gymnastics. Like, 89.34% of that sport is giving face and bending yourself into highly inconvenient shapes. (The other 10.76% is walkovers, turns and throwing and catching the apparatus.) And I say this as a huge fan...

 

[CoyoteChris]

Isn't that ice dance?

Actually, I'd have to give that to rhythmic gymnastics. Like, 89.34% of that sport is giving face and bending yourself into highly inconvenient shapes. (The other 10.76% is walkovers, turns and throwing and catching the apparatus.) And I say this as a huge fan...

I would say that in the world of figure skating, Ice dance is the most artistic....but in the whole world of sports, I still stand by my guns....
I am not knocking rhythmic gymnastics at all.....its the only gymnastics I care to watch....but for me, it still doesnt satisfy the need for art like skatin'

 

[hikki]

Shizuka's Madame Butterfly from NHK 2004 SP is my favourite! Not a lot of choreographic moments going on there nor does she stop and feel the music, but just her skating and the way she completes each element perfectly matches the music, especially the eagle --> 2axel --> layback and then the SUPERB serpentine step sequence!
https://youtu.be/q381hrTBzSE

Kriszti's is perfection. https://youtu.be/q637NhSOHpk

I love the second half of Mao's program with lots of lovely moments, and her eagle is better than ever before.

 

[Imagine]

Why did Shizuka wear that costume only once, and then exchange it for that horrid black and red number...looks like someone blew out their bloody nose onto a black tissue or something...

 

[ArcticMonkeys]

I just watched Mao's Madame Butterfly once again and the program is just gorgeous It is my favorite definitely!

 

[CoyoteChris]

I just watched Mao's Madame Butterfly once again and the program is just gorgeous It is my favorite definitely!

It is beautiful and I am a Mao fan for sure. I remember being at 4 Conts Colorado Springs 2012 and watching her struggle relearning her jumps...that lady is a fighter for sure...now she is spectacular......I wish her every success this season...

 

[MalloryArcher]

I love the Mao program and hope she can do at least one magical performance in the season where she hits that spread-eagle right on the soprano's note.

 

[laars]

Yukina Ota’s from 2004 Skate America, choreographed by Tom Dickson.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ziKAFSNVKCk

Her jumps were not there, but her interpretation of Madam Butterfly was superb, really unmatched. It's been 11 years, but her program still remains my favorite.

I love Mao's, too.

 

[binky]

Maos butterfly was the best It was incredibly beautiful and made me cry!