I was very, very take by Omer Meir Wellber’s appearance with the London Philharmonic Orchestra in March. So much so that I sought out this, the 2019 release of Wellber’s Butterfly from Glyndebourne.
And while it’s not just Wellber’s Butterfly – we’ll come to Annilese Miskimmon’s production in a moment – you will have to go.long way (ether physically, or back in time) to find a more sensitively wrought performance. Wellber sees the long range trajectory perfectly; he also finds such detail. His pacing, a result of that vision, has an unforced naturalness.
The LPO play like Gods and Goddesses for Wellber (he shared the run with Ben Glassberg, no mean conductor himself: this is a review of his ENO Bohème): here is a symphonic web always available, the pit machinations achieving an equal importance to the voices (and yet, without undue foregrounding – no-one is ever drowned out). The Humming Chorus is perfect; Welllber realises one doesn’t have to pull up on each last beat of every bar so gives it a sense of suspension in the air. His sensitivity in the final act, from moments of suspended time to poundings of great power, is extraordinary.
Miskimmon updates the opera to the time of the American occupation of Japan; local girls can escape their society by becoming GI brides. We are in seedy downtown Nagasaki; here is not the place for, say the Royal Ballet and Opera’s japonoiserie. Her use of newsreel at the opening is effective, showing brides who had made it ‘back home,’ deliver perspectivisings of the character of Pinkerton: we are remindednhe is certainly not alone in indulging in this shady process. Act II again begins with black and white film before taking us, now, to a more traditional Japanese setting (beautifully lit by Mark Jonathan) and to Elizabeth DeShong’s astonishing prayer. It is the state of liberty the dominates the film footage of the final act, coupled with Japanese/American ‘idyllic’ marriages (written headlines are shown).Here we are se fully in traditional Japanese era, the stage dominated by a cherry blossom tree. Her bloody ending is contrasted with the child playing with a toy battleship (and, of course, against Pinkeron’s repeated cry of “Butterfly”).
There is a fabulous Cio-Cio San here, who I had yet to her in the theatre: Moldovan soprano Olga Busuioc. The role of Butterfly is obviously important to her – she returned to it as recently as July last year (at Opernfesspiele Heidensheim). This is an astonishingly lanced interpretation, encompassing the shyness of the first act through to the full-blown theatrics of the closing moments. She has the vocal arsenal for it all, shading to perfection, her range taking in the lower parts of “Un bel dì” well; this aria is worth searching out, for its complete integration of voice and orchestra.
Here’s a video, including an interview with Busuioc:
.. and here she is in action:
I was not particularly taken with Joshua Guerrero’s Pinkerton at Covent Garden in September 2022 (review); his voice seems freer here – if not the freest Pinkerton – and his acting more convincing, the act I love duet with Busuioc particularly impressive.
You can see Guerrero (and ensemble) here, in “O amico fortunato”:
But the true star is Elizabeth DeShong and her Suzuki (who impresses pretty much every time I see her, but the first to come to mind was her Odoardo Douglas in Mercadante’s Il proscritto in 2022: review). She shines like the most perfect star in everything she does here; that act II prayer is gripping, her interactions with Cio-Cio San perfect – not least because of the way Wellber interweaves the orchestral times with vocal contributions. That said, later in that act Busuioc is heartbreaking, and when the two voices combine (as the child strews cherry blossoms), the effect s unbearably touching. A tear or two in the opera house is fairly common, but via a DVD, less so
Michael Sumuel is a brilliant Sharpless, particularly in the second act, his voice razor-sharp; Carlo Bosi is a strong Goro. All of the minor roles are well taken. But it is the cumulative effect that is so unforgettable; I particularly like the small role of Kate Pinkerton, taken with real vocal beauty by Ida Ränzlöw (who appears currently to be part of the ensemble at Stuttgart Opera).
One of the finest “butterflies” available. We need more Wellber, for sure.
This performance is available on DVD or Bluray from Amazon (please follow the links).
