Organization

Stage director

Angelika Zacek

Conductor

Wolfgang Kluge

Dramaturge

Felix Losert

Costume designer

Gregor Sturm

Set designer

Singer

Bass

Paweł Tomczak

The official registrar

Anhaltisches Theater Dessau

Chorus master

Sebastian Kennerknecht

Soprano

Iordanka Derilova

Cio-Cio-San

Mezzo-soprano

Sylvia Rena Ziegler

Suzuki

Rita Kapfhammer

Jagna Rotkiewicz

Kate Pinkerton

Tenor

Xavier Moreno

B.F. Pinkerton

Costa Latsos

Baritone

Kay Stiefermann

Sharpless

Barış Yavuz

David Ameln

Goro

Leszek Wypchlo

Prince Yamadori

The imperial commissioner

Ines Schütze

Cio-Cio San's mother

Jinsook Lee

Uncle Bonze

Cezary Rotkiewicz

Uncle Yakusidé

Jeannette Spexárd

The aunt

Kristina Baran

The cousin

Orchestra

Anhaltische Philharmonie Dessau

Others

Opernchor des Anhaltischen Theaters Dessau

Italian

Madama Butterfly -  (Madame Butterfly)

Dessau

Germany

Anhaltisches Theater

Großes Haus

Madama Butterfly Puccini

Public

Madame Butterfly

German

Approved

Due to financial difficulties, the family sends the six-year-old girl Cio-Cio San to a school for geishas. At the age of 15, she and her house are introduced as a bride to the young American naval lieutenant Pinkerton, who has come to Nagasaki to protect a merchant ship. A hot, sexual adventure far away from home begins for the adolescent Pinkerton. For Cio-Cio San, the encounter is the ticket to freedom. She is determined to become the best American woman ever. She gives up her religion even before the wedding, which is why her family rejects her. The teenagers romp and try out sex in whatever time they have left. Because soon Pinkerton is called back to America. Although he is in love with Cio-Cio San, he cannot imagine taking her to America as his wife. He does not trust her with the status of a US citizen. However, he lets her believe that he will come back soon and continues to finance the house. In Zacek's interpretation, pregnant Cio-Cio San throws herself into American Studies. In the years to come, she learns everything about appearance, language, fashion, movement with the help of the domestic worker Suzuki, who is always by her side. She also studies American literature. She reads feminist texts by Judith Butler, Audre Lord, Simone de Beauvoir and raises the child together with Suzuki. After three years, those around her no longer believe in Pinkerton's return. A rich Japanese man is already courting the beautiful Cio-Cio San, who, however, is sticking to her faith and her marriage. come back soon and continue to finance the house. In Zacek's interpretation, pregnant Cio-Cio San throws herself into American Studies. In the years to come, she learns everything about appearance, language, fashion, movement with the help of the domestic worker Suzuki, who is always by her side. She also studies American literature. She reads feminist texts by Judith Butler, Audre Lord, Simone de Beauvoir and raises the child together with Suzuki. After three years, those around her no longer believe in Pinkerton's return. A rich Japanese man is already courting the beautiful Cio-Cio San, who, however, is sticking to her faith and her marriage. come back soon and continue to finance the house. In Zacek's interpretation, pregnant Cio-Cio San throws herself into American Studies. In the years to come, she learns everything about appearance, language, fashion, movement with the help of the domestic worker Suzuki, who is always by her side. She also studies American literature. She reads feminist texts by Judith Butler, Audre Lord, Simone de Beauvoir and raises the child together with Suzuki. After three years, those around her no longer believe in Pinkerton's return. A rich Japanese man is already courting the beautiful Cio-Cio San, who, however, is sticking to her faith and her marriage. all about looks, language, fashion, movement. She also studies American literature. She reads feminist texts by Judith Butler, Audre Lord, Simone de Beauvoir and raises the child together with Suzuki. After three years, those around her no longer believe in Pinkerton's return. A rich Japanese man is already courting the beautiful Cio-Cio San, who, however, is sticking to her faith and her marriage. all about looks, language, fashion, movement. She also studies American literature. She reads feminist texts by Judith Butler, Audre Lord, Simone de Beauvoir and raises the child together with Suzuki. After three years, those around her no longer believe in Pinkerton's return. A rich Japanese man is already courting the beautiful Cio-Cio San, who, however, is sticking to her faith and her marriage.
When Pinkerton found out about his child, he set off for Nagasaki with his new wife Kate to bring him to America. However, out of shame and cowardice, Pinkerton does not speak to Cio-Cio San personally, but only involves Suzuki in the project. She happily awaits his arrival by ship to meet him as the perfect American, but all she meets is Kate, standing in front of her like her own reflection. Cio-Cio San is desperate. Why isn't she enough by herself as an American woman? ...

Throughout his life, Puccini called Madama Butterfly his favorite and also his best work. In fact, it corresponds to his self-chosen maxim of the "music of small things" almost masterfully. Enchanting melodies, unobtrusively integrated exotic elements and a sensitive mixture of timbres in the orchestra have not only made the work immortal for the audience. However, the success of Puccini's »Tragedy of a Japanese Woman« came hesitantly: after the unfortunate course of the premiere in 1904, the composer revised the score several times before the opera was recognized as a masterpiece.

In her production Madame Butterfly, Angelika Zacek questions the way women are treated and their position in the world. But she also looks at the role of the family, society and education. What does multiple discrimination do to people? What is the meaning of poverty and wealth? The result is a moving and touching evening of opera that takes a new look at the classic.

English

Aus finanzieller Not schickt die Familie das sechsjährige Mädchen Cio-Cio San auf eine Schule für Geishas. Mit 15 Jahren wird sie dem jungen amerikanischen Marineleutnant Pinkerton, der zum Schutz eines Handelsschiffs nach Nagasaki gekommen ist, samt Haus als Braut vorgestellt. Für den pubertären Pinkerton beginnt ein heißes, sexuelles Abenteuer weit weg von zu Hause. Für Cio-Cio San ist die Begegnung das Ticket in die Freiheit. Sie ist entschlossen, die beste amerikanische Frau zu werden, die es je gegeben hat. Bereits vor der Hochzeit legt sie ihre Religion ab, weswegen Ihre Familie sie verstößt. Die Teenager toben und probieren sich in der Zeit, die Ihnen bleibt, sexuell aus. Denn schon bald wird Pinkerton nach Amerika zurückgerufen. Obwohl er in Cio-Cio San verliebt ist, kann er sich nicht vorstellen, sie als Ehefrau mit nach Amerika zu nehmen. Den Status einer US-Bürgerin traut er ihr nicht zu. Er lässt sie jedoch im Glauben, bald wiederzukommen und finanziert das Haus weiter. In Zaceks Interpretation stürzt sich die schwangere Cio-Cio San ins Amerika-Studium. In den kommenden Jahren erlernt sie mithilfe der Hausangestellten Suzuki, die immer an Ihrer Seite ist, alles über Aussehen, Sprache, Mode, Bewegung. Auch die amerikanische Literatur studiert sie. Sie liest feministische Texte von Judith Butler, Audre Lord, Simone de Beauvoir und zieht das Kind zusammen mit Suzuki auf. Nach drei Jahren glaubt ihr Umfeld nicht mehr an die Rückkehr von Pinkerton. Schon wirbt ein reicher Japaner um die schöne Cio-Cio San, die jedoch an Ihrem Glauben und Ihrer Ehe festhält.
Als Pinkerton von seinem Kind erfährt, bricht er mit seiner neuen Frau Kate nach Nagasaki auf, um es nach Amerika zu holen. Aus Scham und Feigheit spricht Pinkerton jedoch nicht persönlich mit Cio-Cio San, sondern involviert nur Suzuki in das Vorhaben. Freudig erwartet sie seine Ankunft mit dem Schiff, um ihm als perfekte Amerikanerin zu begegnen, doch sie trifft nur auf Kate, die wie ihr eigenes Spiegelbild vor ihr steht. Cio-Cio San ist verzweifelt. Warum genügt sie selbst nicht als amerikanische Frau? …

Puccini hat Madama Butterfly zeitlebens als sein liebstes und auch bestes Werk bezeichnet. Tatsächlich entspricht es seiner selbstgewählten Maxime der »Musik der kleinen Dinge« geradezu meisterhaft. Berückende Melodien, unaufdringlich integrierte exotische Elemente und eine sensible Mischung der Klangfarben im Orchester haben das Werk nicht nur beim Publikum unsterblich gemacht. Der Erfolg von Puccinis »Tragödie einer Japanerin« aber kam zögerlich: Nach dem unglücklichen Verlauf der Uraufführung 1904 überarbeitete der Komponist mehrfach die Partitur, bevor die Oper als Meisterwerk anerkannt wurde.

In ihrer Inszenierung Madame Butterfly hinterfragt Angelika Zacek den Umgang mit Frauen und ihre Position in der Welt. Sie schaut aber auch auf die Rolle der Familie, Gesellschaft und Bildung. Was macht Mehrfachdiskriminierung mit Menschen? Welche Bedeutung haben Armut und Reichtum? Entstanden ist ein bewegender und berührender Opernabend, der einen neuen Blick auf den Klassiker wirft.

Deutsch

Madame Butterfly by Puccini, From (2023/2023), Directed by Angelika Zacek,, Conductor Wolfgang Kluge, Anhaltisches Theater, Dessau, Germany

Performance credits (Cast & Crew )

Cast

Crew

Ensemble

Program, About & Synopsis

Photos

Further reading

Performance Dates & Venues

Venues