The Hyogo Performing Arts Center Opera is the highlight of the summer season at the Hyogo Performing Arts Center, which has provided enjoyable operatic experiences to large audiences, including those attending the opera for the first time.
Madama Butterfly was performed in 2006, the first season of Hyogo Performing Arts Center which opened in October 2005.
Before the Center opened, Artistic director Yutaka Sado was formulating a plan to stage an opera masterpiece which would be suitable to launch this opera series, and he passionately decided to create the production by stage director Masayoshi Kuriyama who Sado had been mentoring since his youth.
The eight performances ― unexampled numbers of performances in the Japanese opera world at the time ― received ovations and the passionate "opera in summer" was born in Hyogo.
Due to its high reputation, the performances were repeated seven times in the spring of 2008.
This summer, the curtain will rise on the revised new production of Madama Butterfly that returns to the origins of this opera series, but can only be performed in 2024!
Madama Butterfly" in 2006
Synopsis
The setting is Nagasaki during the Meiji period (around the end of the 19th century). Cio-Cio-San, the daughter of a fallen samurai family, marries Pinkerton, an American naval officer, at the age of 15. Cio-Cio-San loves her husband with all her heart, but for Pinkerton, the marriage is just a pleasure bought with money. He returns home country, saying, “I'll be back when the robins make their nests.” 3 years since then. While raising her child with Pinkerton, Cio-Cio-San continues to wait for her husband. Just then, a naval ship arrives at the port, and Cio-Cio-San is excited with anticipation. However, she is informed of a harsh truth...
CHARACTERS
Japan’s world-class beauty
The stage directed by Masayoshi Kuriyama should be called “the ultimate”
The opera Madama Butterfly loved all over the world for 120 years with unparalleled sweet music.
The late Masayoshi Kuriyama (1926-2023), a leading Japanese opera director, directed the Hyogo premiere in 2006 and the revival in 2008. Kuriyama, who has directed numerous Madama Butterfly productions for half a century, said before the premiere of the Hyogo version 18 years ago: “While fully respecting Puccini's intentions, we trimmed away the unnecessary things. I wanted it to be a stylish Madama Butterfly.” Faithful to the music, the drama of the characters was carefully depicted and he created a big wave of emotion.
It is a definitive production of Madama Butterfly that deeply resonates with the hearts of Japanese people, and at the same time can be proud of to the world. This time, Leo Iizuka, who was in charge of associate director in 2006 and is highly acclaimed in directing various stage productions, will vividly bring back this "legendary production."
INVITATION FROM YUTAKA SADO
When I was still just starting out as an assistant conductor, the first opera rehearsal I conducted was Madama Butterfly, stage directed by Mr. Masayoshi Kuriyama. He had already directed many wonderful opera stages at that time. I was able to see his work up close in a number of productions, but I have a special fondness for Kuriyama's production of Madama Butterfly, which I believe is the best in the world.
I was thinking of this piece as a must for launching the opera series in Hyogo, and the premiere won a huge success, just as I had envisioned. Without this work, this opera series that is loved by everyone like the summer festival would not have been born.
Since then, I have featured a variety of operas, but also fostered a plan to perform Madama Butterfly again. In fact, we had originally planned for 2025, which would be the 20th anniversary of Hyogo Performing Arts Center, but considering Mr. Kuriyama's age, we moved up the preparations forward by one year. Although we were not able to work together again as he passed away, I am still really happy to be able to work with director Leo Iizuka and wonderful singers, keeping in mind what Mr. Kuriyama taught us about “what opera is”.
Please don’t miss this opera, which is filled with my deepest feelings in every music notes.
Rehearsal of "Madama Butterfly" in 2006