Video Art to Capture Flight of Madame Butterfly
By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter
The Trieste Verdi Theater will stage what is expected to be a visually stimulating rendition of Giacomo Puccini's ``Madame Butterfly'' for its first tour in Korea. The original cast and crew of the top Italian theater will present the opera next week at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts.
The performance is part of the Trieste Verdi's cultural exchange with the Sejong Center ― welcome news since the theater is known here as the debut stage of Korean prima donna Sumi Jo. Lorenzo Fratini, who will conduct the Gyeonggi Philharmonic Orchestra, said in an email interview with The Korea Times that the project is an ``extremely important endeavor'' and will help the growth of theater in the East and West.
``Madame Butterfly'' has been among the most frequently staged repertories since its premiere in 1904, but the upcoming production will be unique and relevant to modern times by featuring digital stage sets inspired by the video art of the late Paik Nam-june. Art director Pier Paolo Bisleri said he is an ardent fan of the world-renowned Korean artist. Moreover, director Giulio Ciabatti explained that the medium expresses the essence of the story and fulfills both artistic and technical purposes.
The director aims to focus on the romance and despair of Madame Butterfly rather than cultural or political issues that mark the original piece, which tells the tragic story of a geisha who falls in love with an American Navy officer. When he abandons her, she initially does not give up hope of his return but eventually kills herself.
``The most important reason for choosing video art is because I wanted to express the noble human spirit rather than Asian customs and character. I also wanted to depict loneliness and emptiness of the human condition rather than the spatial manifestation of time,'' he said. The Grand Theater of the Sejong Center provides a much larger space than typical European opera theaters, but Ciabatti said this would be a plus, since it will emphasize the solitude of the female protagonist. Video art also allows quick scene changes and thus does not disturb the audience's involvement with the story.
Madame Butterfly, or Cio-Cio San, is a somewhat outdated Orientalist personification of the ``exotic'' Asian woman. ``From the modern point of view, Cio-Cio San can be considered unrealistic. Perhaps like a female character of an ancient Greek tragedy? She falls in love with a foreigner from a faraway land, and sacrifices her family, country and faith,'' said the director.
``As a child her father commits suicide, before her eyes, to keep the family honor. Likewise, she is a femme fatale who kills herself before her very child in order to preserve her fidelity. All human beings live their own fate. I would say that beneath her frail feminine appearance, she is a strong woman who chooses death for love,'' he said.
``From a Westerner's standpoint, I cannot fully understand this foolish love but I am fascinated,'' said soprano Raffaella Angeletti, who will personify Cio-Cio San. ``I think Cio-Cio San's charms lie in her pure heart. I will be expressing an innocent woman's blossoming interests in someone to the rage she feels after being betrayed. It's a difficult role for a soprano,'' she said.
Mario Malagnini, who will play the American lieutenant that breaks Cio-Cio San's heart, said he personally dislikes his character. ``I think anyone would despise Pinkerton, a man who does such a horrendous thing to a woman. But I plan on pouring my heart into singing the `Love Duet' with Cio-Cio San,'' said the tenor. ``Musically, the opera `Madame Butterfly' has a special orchestral color that can completely transform me. Puccini's mellifluous tunes make singers feel goose bumps onstage.''
Soprano Mina Yamazaki and tenor Roberto De Biasio will share the roles of Cio-Cio San and Pinkerton with Angeletti and Malagnini, respectively. Tickets cost from 30,000 to 250,000 won. Call (02) 399-1114.