There is continuing debate about how to stage Madama Butterfly in the 21st century – and even whether to stage it all. Covent Garden’s programme book for this ninth revival of Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier’s straightforward and uncluttered 2003 production goes through these uncomfortable issues of race, gender and politics at length. But, as Kunio Hara’s essay admits, the reality remains that audiences keep coming back to Madama Butterfly because of the emotional truth of the human voice in Puccini’s music.
And that is emphatically true in this revival. Performances of Madama Butterfly do not necessarily stand or fall by the performance of the title role. There is too much else of musical and operatic interest in Puccini’s dark masterpiece for that. But Asmik Grigorian (who shares the role of Cio-Cio-San with Hrachuhí Bassénz in this run) is beyond question the standout attraction here.
Physically and vocally, Grigorian inhabits the part to a degree one does not often experience. This Cio-Cio-San makes a long and horribly believable journey from innocence to devastation. Grigorian’s range of vocal colour and weight, equal to almost all the varied demands that Puccini makes of her, is the chief glory. I have sometimes felt that the operatic world was asking too much from Grigorian. Here, however, she delivers something special, in a performance that is right up there with her Tatyana in Barrie Kosky’s 2016 Berlin production of Eugene Onegin.
The remaining cast, who will also share many of the roles throughout the run, are less remarkable. Joshua Guerrero returns as Pinkerton, having first sung the role of Cio-Cio-San’s seducer at Covent Garden two years back. He is vocally stylish but rather unengaging, either as a lover or as a wretch. The orchestra, hard driven by Kevin John Edusei in the pit, overwhelms him at times.
Lauri Vasar does the right things as the consul Sharpless, though without much that is memorable. Ya-Chung Huang as Goro, the marriage broker, and Josef Jeongmeen Ahn as the suitor Yamadori are characterful. Veena Akama-Makia sings Kate Pinkerton’s few lines arrestingly. But best of the rest is undoubtedly Hongni Wu’s Suzuki, who brings a mezzo of rich mellow dignity to her important role.
• In rep until 18 July
