On 17th, I went to San Francisco Opera to enjoy "Madama Butterfly." This is the opera authored by Puccini. I believe many of you have heard of it and so do I. Not until few minutes before the opera began I finished reading the brief story on the pamphlet. The story is about a Japanese geisha, Madama Butterfly, who is madly in love with an American Lieutenant. In contrast, the Lieutenant replies Butterfly's loyal and innocent love with a playboy attitude. He is gone for three years without a single letter until the day he comes back and address Butterfly to forget about him.
What I am interest in is Butterfly's innocent and faithful love and the remorse of the Lieutenant Pinkerton. Unfortunately, I didn't see much depiction on why Madama Butterfly is irrationally in love with Pinkerton. Her innocent loyalty makes me confused and it doesn't make any sense. In Act 2 we see, Madama Butterfly changes her outfit to western style dress, and the house is remodeled into what she calls "American house." Also, when she prays for Pinkerton's return, she scolded Japanese God and praises "American God" ironically. So far, I understand all these sequence relate to previous plot, that she was declined by her family and she declined her traditional belief. To my understanding, she creates an imaginary world to resolve her love longing.
Butterfly carries "American style" along whole act2 until she sees the battleship entering the port. She then urges Suzaki (her maid) to bathe and dress her in the outfit she and Pinkerton met (Japanese robe). Butterfly no longer needs those imaginary creation to fulfill her loneliness. Sadly her fantasy of love is intruded by Pinkerton's unfaithful and she suicides in her white Japanese robe.
To me, Butterfly hasn't really learned anything, she kills herself because she can't bear the loss of love. I would say, she is still madly in love with Pinkerton, nothing has changed. Since nothing has changed in Butterfly's heart, those changing into American living style and return back to Japanese style doesn't seem meaningful. For Pinkerton, we know he is then suffer from the remorse but he hasn't done anything can be define "a change" Taking the boy away from Butterfly is a decision already made. Nothing really happens in Pinkerton's deeds.
As a story, Madama Butterfly doesn't have a climax and turning curve, and both main characters haven't learned anything.
Besides the story, I quite like the turntable design of the stage. It's a interesting way to focus all the sequence in one location and rest of the story are revealed within dialogue or silhouette in rear scene.
