A compelling revival of Gothenburg’s beautiful Madama Butterfly

Sweden Puccini, Madama Butterfly: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of Gothenburg Opera / Martyna Szymczak (conductor). Gothenburg Opera main stage, 27.4.2025. (NS)

Yoshi Oïda’s 2016 production of Madama Butterfly is deservedly much loved (see my review of the 2018 revival here) and ticket sales for this year’s revival have been brisk. As far as I can see nothing has changed in the visuals of the production, which is fine as it is hard to see how it could have been improved. Tom Schenk’s set and Thibault Vancraenenbroeck’s costumes both skilfully use textiles and colours to create a rich visual experience on a set framed by a utilitarian construction of two towers made of scaffolding linked by a bridge. There are also many delightful or poignant visual details, such as bonsai and the patching of the shoji (paper partition) panels with newspaper in Act II which shows Butterfly’s straightened circumstances.

Martyna Szymczak brought out the emotional intensity of Puccini’s score but also allowed the beautiful long duet of Butterfly and Pinkerton to bloom at the end of Act 1. The Gothenburg Opera Chorus sounded lovely, particularly in the first act and in a beautifully contemplative ‘Humming Chorus’.

This production uses the Brescia version of the opera, which gives more lines to the minor characters and is blunter in showing Pinkerton’s contempt for Japanese culture. This gave an opportunity for some fine character portraits of Butterfly’s family, with Daniel Hayes’s drunken Yakusidé and a dignified Anna Blylods as Butterfly’s mother standing out. Kate Pinkerton is also given more to sing, and Natallia Salavei effectively conveyed her character’s struggle to accept her husband’s behaviour.

Daniel Ralphsson gave a striking performance as Goro, bringing out his slippery and manipulative nature both in voice and in movement and mannerisms. His clashes with Butterfly and Suzuki in Act II were vivid. The marriage broker’s hyperactivity contrasted nicely with the poignant sense of age and weariness that Åke Zetterström brought to Sharpless, giving depth to his moral conflict at Pinkerton’s exploitation of Butterfly. His performance in the second and third acts was especially moving, marked by sensitive singing showing Sharpless’s anguish and helplessness in the face of impending tragedy.

Davide Giusti effectively embodied Pinkerton’s arrogance while also showing the charming side that won Butterfly’s love. His expressive tenor could be cuttingly arrogant in ‘Dovunque al mondo’ but blossomed with a feeling of infatuation in his long duet with Butterfly at the end of Act I. ‘Addio, fiorito asil’ was a heartfelt outpouring of a man who realizes how much harm he has caused but is too cowardly to face up to the consequences.

Ann-Kristin Jones was a compelling Suzuki, reserved in Act I but terrifically expressive in Acts II and III where she is first torn between her loyalty to Butterfly and her conviction that Pinkerton is never coming back, then shining with genuine joy when his ship is sighted. Her warm mezzo-soprano with tight vibrato paired superbly with Ida Falk Winland’s overtone-rich soprano in their duets, with the ‘Flower Duet’ as a musical and scenic highlight. Suzuki’s devastation when she discovers why Pinkerton has returned was harrowing.

Ida Falk Winland shone from her first entrance as Cio-Cio-San. Her soprano was a fresh contrast to the brashness of Pinkerton’s tenor before her arrival. Her expression of a teenager’s blend of eagerness and apprehension was utterly convincing, both vocally and in her acting. Her solos were also spellbinding in Acts II and III, with ‘Un bel dì, vedremo’ a searing expression of longing making Butterfly’s emotions on seeing Pinkerton’s ship in ‘Il cannone del porto!’ perfectly natural.

She was also versatile in the ensembles, heartbreakingly innocent when Sharpless was trying to read Pinkerton’s letter to her, but delightfully pointed when explaining to Prince Yamadori how an American judge would deal with a serial abandoner of wives such as himself. Her acting was always gripping but most of all in the scenes with her child. She ended the outpouring of ‘Tu? Tu? Piccolo iddio’ with the stillness of a prayer before ending the opera alone on the stage as Pinkerton forlornly cried her name in the distance. This unforgettable portrayal and heartrendingly beautiful production truly honour Puccini’s masterpiece.

Niklas Smith

Playing until 24 May. For tickets and more information see the Gothenburg Opera website here.

Production:
Director – Yoshi Oïda
Revival direction – Annika Lindqvist
Set design – Tom Schenk
Costume design – Thibault Vancraenenbroeck
Lighting design – Fabrice Kebour
Lighting design revival – Tobias Hellström
Chorus master – Martin Nagashima Toft

Cast:
Cio-Cio-San – Ida Falk Winland
Suzuki – Ann-Kristin Jones
Kate Pinkerton – Natallia Salavei
Pinkerton – Davide Giusti
Sharpless – Åke Zetterström
Goro – Daniel Ralphsson
The Bonze – Kristoffer Töyrä
Prince Yamadori – Ryan Williams
Yakusidé – Daniel Hayes
Imperial Commissioner – Mikael Simlund
Registrar – Richard Laby
Butterfly’s mother – Anna Blylods
Aunt – Marie Zembachs
Cousin – Anna Johansson
The child – Ebba Brehmer/Lo Brehmer
Butterfly’s father (silent role) – Bo Hafström
Dancer – Sara Wikström