Madama Butterfly - Puccini
Puccini's Madama Butterfly has long been re garded as a parable on the relationship between east and west. Opera Ireland's production, which opened at the Gaiety on Saturday night, exploits this in ways which mix deft symbolism with the heavyhanded.
The set, designed by Stephanie Pasterkamp, uses translucent panels on the floor and on a curved backdrop; and Paul Keogan's lighting changes the panels' appearance from scene to scene. Most of the time this works well, and fits with Georgii Issahakian's direction and with Sarah Bowern's costumes - modern-dress, occasionally bright, but mostly plain - to create a definite concept.
Butterfly's child and Pinkerton's American wife appear only as silhouettes, which neatly emphasises their symbolic aspects. But the stage action is sometimes over-symbolic, weakening the dra ma's human elements through singers standing far apart and turning their backs to one another.
With David Heusel on the podium, the RTE Concert Orchestra's playing on this opening night was committed and secure, and the Opera Ireland Chorus was always reliable, with a good range of colour. The emphatic conducting produced tight ensemble, but an accented phrasing which was a little short on long-line lyricism. Too often, the orchestra over-powered the backstage soloists and chorus.
The greatest pleasures were offered by the singers, among whom there were no seriously weak links. In this well-cast production, Patricia Fernandez was eloquent as Suzuki and Sam McElroy was a good-humoured yet authoritative Sharpless. As Pinkerton, Juremir Vieira was impressive and passionate; and it was good to hear such control in a part which tempts singers into excess.
Rising above them all, as the title role should, was Regina Nathan. Her mix of delicacy and power, secure intonation, unfailingly good tone and strong acting produced a performance to remember.