Madama Butterfly Transmission Transcript
READ: Costanzo Show Intro
ANTHONY ROTH COSTANZO: Hi. I’m Anthony Roth Costanzo and I’m thrilled to be your host for today’s presentation of Madama Butterfly. Director Anthony Minghella’s theatrical fantasy inspired by Japanese aesthetics is an ideal match for Puccini’s heartrending tragedy, especially when you have a leading lady who is up to the challenge of portraying its timeless heroine.
Cio-Cio-San, or Madama Butterfly, is one of Puccini’s greatest characters who undergoes a harrowing emotional journey from blissful innocence to uncertainty, to utter despair. All of this needs to be captured with great vocal splendor and total dramatic commitment. Today, we’re fortunate to have the consummate singing actress Asmik Grigorian, who is making a sensational Met debut. Asmik stars opposite the rising tenor Jonathan Tetelman as Pinkerton, the dashing American naval officer who toys with her affections. They’re joined by Elizabeth DeShong as Butterfly’s loyal maid Suzuki, and Lucas Meachem as the world-weary American consul Sharpless. Maestro Xian Zhang is ready to go in the pit. Here is Madama Butterfly.
INTERVIEW: Costanzo w/ Asmik Grigorian
ANTHONY ROTH COSTANZO: Hi, Asmik.
ASMIK GRIGORIAN: Hello. (Laughs)
ANTHONY ROTH COSTANZO: Wow, wow, wow. What a stunning first act. It is such a pleasure to meet you, and welcome to the Met!
ASMIK GRIGORIAN: Oh, I’m so happy being here. I’m so excited.
ANTHONY ROTH COSTANZO: It’s a thrill to witness this monumental debut. Now, I know you take a very personal approach to interpreting the characters you portray. Can you tell us about your Butterfly?
ASMIK GRIGORIAN: I must be honest, it’s so difficult to talk in the middle of the show because I have no clue what I’m doing now exactly but, um – what was the question again?
ANTHONY ROTH COSTANZO: How do you interpret Butterfly? What’s unique about your perception of her?
ASMIK GRIGORIAN: I never think about any character as “her.” All my characters is living inside of me. So, yeah, it’s just a situation which I can imagine myself being in.
ANTHONY ROTH COSTANZO: Yeah.
ASMIK GRIGORIAN: And that’s my only interpretation I can be 100 percent honest with.
ANTHONY ROTH COSTANZO: That’s so important, and we feel that honesty form you. It’s incredible.
ASMIK GRIGORIAN: Thank you. Thank you so much.
ANTHONY ROTH COSTANZO: The next two acts, they’re kind of a marathon, you know what I mean? With one dramatic moment after another.
ASMIK GRIGORIAN: Yeah.
ANTHONY ROTH COSTANZO: Can you describe a little bit what Cio-Cio-San, what you will go through in these next two acts?
ASMIK GRIGORIAN: Uh, yeah, I think, you know, probably the most important thing for me in Madama Butterfly is ability to keep the hope ‘til the last moment. This is probably the biggest challenge because also the music is written so dramatical and there is really lots of those changes. And so for me also, as a person, this ability to keep the hope ‘til completely last moment, ‘til she dies – this is the biggest challenge.
ANTHONY ROTH COSTANZO: Oh, it’s heartbreaking.
ASMIK GRIGORIAN: Yeah.
ANTHONY ROTH COSTANZO: And at the top of the act we get this incredible “Un bel di” – something we all look forward to. It’s one of Puccini’s most beloved arias. What goes through your head as you’re singing something like that?
ASMIK GRIGORIAN: It goes a dream. My own dream, um, my imagination of her dream. So, you know, it’s always a mixture of – of the text which is written, the musical material which is written, and my own personal story.
ANTHONY ROTH COSTANZO: That is so perfect. That’s what every opera singer should do.
ASMIK GRIGORIAN: Oh, thank you. (Laughs)
ANTHONY ROTH COSTANZO: I want them all to listen to you.
ASMIK GRIGORIAN: Thank you so much.
ANTHONY ROTH COSTANZO: Now, I can’t think of another soprano with as wide a range of repertoire as yours. I mean, you’re singing everything: Turandot, Carmen. How do you do it? How do you modulate between all these different roles?
ASMIK GRIGORIAN: I haven’t done yet Carmen but there are the plans. (Laughs) Um, again, you know, speaking about the roles, still I didn’t have any single role during 20 years of my – my career, which I should – trying to find somewhere outside. I’m sorry about my English. It’s not perfect.
ANTHONY ROTH COSTANZO: No, it’s wonderful.
ASMIK GRIGORIAN: ‘Til now, all my roles were still living in me. So, it’s just – or I have a very good imagination, putting myself in different situations, or I just have pretty big, uh, life experience, I don’t know. (Laughs) So – so, ‘til now, really it was never a difficulty to find the role in myself. Probably bigger challenges are to find them in my voice. But, again, this is something which makes me very happy, always trying to find new colors, new – new techniques and everything.
ANTHONY ROTH COSTANZO: Well, speaking of life experiences, your parents, Gegham Grigoryan and Irena Milkevičiūte –
ASMIK GRIGORIAN: Yes.
ANTHONY ROTH COSTANZO: — both performed here at the Met.
ASMIK GRIGORIAN: Yes.
ANTHONY ROTH COSTANZO: And they sang Butterfly together elsewhere.
ASMIK GRIGORIAN: Yes.
ANTHONY ROTH COSTANZO: While your mother was pregnant with you?
ASMIK GRIGORIAN: Yes. By the way, I just was watching the video of them as an inspiration again to – to just come here.
ANTHONY ROTH COSTANZO: That must be so incredible. I mean, did you – did you always want to be an opera singer? Did you know you were going to sing Cio-Cio-San?
ASMIK GRIGORIAN: Definitely not. (Laughs)
ANTHONY ROTH COSTANZO: No?
ASMIK GRIGORIAN: No, definitely not. And I think as, uh, 90 percent of children, we always want to escape (Laughs) from everything what our parents do. But at some point I understood that, okay, in opera I can do also differently and I can find my own way. And I think I was pretty successful in finding my own way in this business. And today, of course, you know, I’m so, so, so happy when I – really, I go to the theatres where my parents were performing and suddenly somebody runs into my dressing room and says, you are the daughter of Gegham? I said, yes. Oh, my God! (Laughs) You know, so somehow people don’t even really put us together and – yeah. (indiscernible)
ANTHONY ROTH COSTANZO: Well, you’re forging a new path and we’re so happy to follow in it.
ASMIK GRIGORIAN: Thank you.
ANTHONY ROTH COSTANZO: Asmik, what a tour de force. Brava for your much anticipated Met debut. And in bocca al lupo for the rest of the performance.
ASMIK GRIGORIAN: Thank you so, so much. Thank you very much. It’s such a pleasure being here. Thank you.
ANTHONY ROTH COSTANZO: Absolutely.
READ: Throw to tape
ANTHONY ROTH COSTANZO: Asmik Grigorian is not the only artist making her Met debut with Madama Butterfly. Our conductor Xian Zhang is also performing with the company for the first time this season with this opera. Maestro Zhang recently spoke to us about the unusual aspects of Puccini’s immortal score.
ROLL-IN B: Maestro Xian Zhang
XIAN ZHANG: So, Madama Butterfly, uh, was written in 1904, which is four years after Tosca; and four years before Tosca, of course, the most – probably famous, La Bohème. So, every four years apart he’s composed a great opera, and these are really the three cornerstones in every opera house in the world. Um, but then 20 years later, he wrote Turandot, after, uh, Butterfly. Both are influenced by oriental music.
In the first act of Madama Butterfly, you constantly hear this yam bum beem ba bum, sort of a pentatonic melody, always a – sort of low brass tutti, and this, of course, is a Japanese-influenced motif. And, uh, I think from the start, uh, you would sense this stark quality of this motif that’s shadowing the whole opera, and it’s linking – sort of guiding you through her story until the end.
There’s quite – quite multiple, uh, melodies being used, original tunes. Uh, it’s quite amazing to – to see how Puccini found out and, um, used them really in their sort of original forms, uh, in this opera.
I personally really love this score. Uh, this score is more introverted in a way, and musically speaking, it’s also very chamber-like. There’s a lot of lighter, uh, passages for the orchestra, and all of these very important musical moments are, um, composed in a way that’s very transparent, very light texture using very few instruments and, uh, that’s quite unusual, uh, in a large opera score like this one.
My favorite moments are really, um, in the third act of this opera when, uh, the timpani all of a sudden starts a very, uh, strong pulse – uh, heavy. To me, that’s really the heartbeat of Cio-Cio-San and when she is really facing, um, the decision that she’s going to commit suicide because she cannot live with her son being taken from her. And, of course, husband doesn’t wish to be together with her. And that’s a moment I think, uh, audiences would feel the same: that she’s really facing death and there’s no other choice in her path.
READ: Throw to tape
ANTHONY ROTH COSTANZO: Such valuable insights into the score from our maestro. For many years, the Metropolitan Opera has engaged top contemporary visual artists to create new work connected to Met productions. The latest to participate is Iranian-born New York-based artist Hadi Falapishi, who created this Gallery Met Short inspired by Madama Butterfly and featuring its famous Humming Chorus.
READ: Costanzo Neubauer / Toll / Throw to break
ANTHONY ROTH COSTANZO: Cute cat. The Met’s Live in HD series is made possible thanks to its founding sponsor, the Neubauer Family Foundation. Digital support is provided by Bloomberg Philanthropies. The Met Live in HD series is supported by Rolex.
Today’s performance of Madama Butterfly is also being heard live over the Robert K. Johnson Foundation Metropolitan Opera International Radio Network. We’ll be back after a break.
INTERVIEW: Gelb w/ Donald Palumbo
PETER GELB: Welcome back. I’m Peter Gelb, the general manager of the Metropolitan Opera. Before returning the hosting duties to Anthony, I wanted to take this occasion of our final cinema transmission of the season to pay homage to Donald Palumbo, our beloved chorus master, who is stepping down after 17 seasons. Hi, Donald.
DONALD PALUMBO: Hello, Peter.
PETER GELB: You know, we couldn’t let you ride off into the operatic sunset without honoring you in front of your worldwide fans, of which you have many millions. Um, as one of the greatest opera chorus directors in the history of the Metropolitan Opera, if not in the world of opera in general, what are some of your fondest memories of being at the Met?
DONALD PALUMBO: I had a feeling you were going to ask this so I did some thinking. Um, I think the two Philip Glass operas that we did here, Satyagraha and Akhnaten –
PETER GELB: Which, of course, Anthony starred in.
DONALD PALUMBO: Exactly. And great productions by Phelim McDermott. And music that I hadn’t – had never performed and, uh, a challenge but I thought we rose to the occasion.
Uh, the other thing is maybe the three, uh, Wagner productions that we did with François Girard, the, uh, Parsifal, Flying Dutchman, and then last year, the Lohengrin with, uh, Maestro Nézet-Séguin. It happened to be my first Lohengrin. In my entire career, I’d seem to miss Lohengrin productions at different companies.
PETER GELB: I didn’t realize that.
DONALD PALUMBO: Yeah.
PETER GELB: What – what would you say was the most, uh, challenging of them all?
DONALD PALUMBO: Oh, maybe the one we’re performing right now, the El Niño, John Adams –
PETER GELB: Right.
DONALD PALUMBO: — uh, which was an oratorio to start with and, um, we’ve memorized it and we’ve staged it and it’s, uh, a wonderful culmination also of the work of John Adams that we’ve done in the past 17 years.
PETER GELB: Right. But, hopefully, one of these days we’ll get to transmit El Niño to movie theatres as well.
DONALD PALUMBO: That would be great.
PETER GELB: Yeah, one of my proudest achievements, I would say, as the Met general manager was actually hiring you.
DONALD PALUMBO: Ah. Thank you.
PETER GELB: Actually, I think it was the first thing I did when I – when I took this job.
DONALD PALUMBO: One of the first – I remember you came to Chicago. I think I met you there while I was still working in Chicago.
PETER GELB: Right. But the chorus, you know, back then was good but it never was anything approaching the level that you brought it to over these past 17 seasons. What went into making – how do you make the chorus so great?
DONALD PALUMBO: Well, I think it’s important to realize that once I got here, the house, you, Maestro Levine were extremely supportive in – in wanting the chorus to be one of the best in the world. And so we hired wonderful young singers. Um, we had great conducting, we had great productions. You gave us a great repertoire to sing. And, uh, the chorus us dug in and – and did their job and I think – I think it’s been a culmination of a long time, but I think now we’ve, uh, gotten to such a – such a point I’m very proud to turn this cho – chorus over to my successor.
PETER GELB: Well, you know, I mean, I think part of the secret to your success is that there’s no – I’ve never met anyone who works as hard as you do. It seems like, you know, every day and every night you are in this theatre. Um, and maybe that’s why you finally want to take a little bit of a breather.
DONALD PALUMBO: It’s just – it’s just a breather. I’m not – I’m not giving up –
PETER GELB: I know.
DONALD PALUMBO: — giving up music. But, uh, yeah –
PETER GELB: What’s a typical working day for you like, though?
DONALD PALUMBO: Well, here at the Met we can start at 10:30 on stage and do a stage rehearsal and then go to a music rehearsal in List Hall and come back for a performance at night. So, when I tell people that a three-service day is the normal routine for this chorus, uh, five days a week and then two performances on Saturday and often a Sunday, uh, I don’t think people realize how much singing is involved other than just performing, uh, that the chorus has to do on a daily basis.
PETER GELB: Right. But in the evening when I come backstage, you’re often backstage conducting. What are you doing during Butterfly today?
DONALD PALUMBO: Oh, Butterfly’s one of my favorites because I get to – I get to, uh, work on the entrance music, which is extremely difficult in this production, I think as everyone saw.
PETER GELB: Right.
DONALD PALUMBO: We’re – we’re pretty much a mile away on Amsterdam Avenue and the women have to climb up these stairs with Butterfly and yet coordinate with the orchestra. And then, of course, the Humming Chorus at the end of Act Two is one of my favorite duties as a chorus master.
PETER GELB: You’ll be backstage conducting them?
DONALD PALUMBO: Yes, I will.
PETER GELB: It’s so beautiful. You know, we can’t let this occasion go without giving you a gift – one of many gifts we’re going to be giving you before you end your career at the Met –
DONALD PALUMBO: Oh.
PETER GELB: — at the end of, uh – in June. So, this, um, gift is actually – because it’s Butterfly, this is a, uh – this is a, um, a box of, uh, ancestral of – not your ancestral ancestors (Laughs) but ancestral, uh, figures. And, uh, it says – it says on the box, uh, “Madama Butterfly ancestral figurines presented to Donald Palumbo in honor of his incomparable 17-year career as Met Chorus Master, May 11, 2024.” Today. Just the beginning of many attributes to you. And, uh, I can just show you – if I can open this thing...
DONALD PALUMBO: Thank you, Peter. Oh, my...
PETER GELB: So, there – there are your figurines.
DONALD PALUMBO: Oh, my goodness.
PETER GELB: I’m sure you don’t have a gift like this.
DONALD PALUMBO: No, I don’t. Um, I can’t tell you how much this means to me. I think I’ve – I think this opera is the one I’ve performed the most – most in my career. Again, it’s the way – it’s the way that companies, uh, program operas. But this is very special. Thank you –
PETER GELB: Well, it’s a good memento.
DONALD PALUMBO: Thank you so much.
PETER GELB: So, many – many thanks for everything you’ve done for the Met and to help it be the great company that it is. And I know I join everyone here when I say how much we’ll miss you. But I’m very glad you’re coming back next season to prepare Aida, our new production of Aida. So, thank you so much.
DONALD PALUMBO: Thank you, Peter.
PETER GELB: Thanks a lot. Sorry – better put that back in the box.
DONALD PALUMBO: Yeah, I’d better. (Laughs)
PETER GELB: They’re safe in there. And now back to my friend, Anthony.
READ: PSA / Fundraising / Throw to HD Season Preview
ANTHONY ROTH COSTANZO: Thanks, Peter. And my heartfelt congratulations to Maestro Palumbo as well. He is truly the best in the business. And so is the great Met chorus. We’re hearing their sublime artistry today in cinemas across the world. But these astonishing voices, as powerful as they are on movie screens, they need to be heard live in the opera house to get the full effect.
So, just yesterday, I was rehearsing here on the Met stage for the revival of Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice, in which I’ll sing the role of Orfeo. And it was incredible to be surrounded by these glorious voices. Nothing compares to full-throated operatic vocalism in the opera house. So, please, come to the Met or visit your local opera company.
I’ve been watching today’s performance of Madama Butterfly from backstage and I am just amazed at the emotional depth and the vocal beauty of Asmik Grigorian’s characterization. And like her costar, Jonathan Tetelman, who I’ll speak to shortly Asmik is part of a wave of extraordinary artists who’ve made debuts here at the Met in recent weeks.
For 140 years the Met has made it a priority to engage the finest artists working in opera. But casting great singers in compelling productions, well, it’s expensive and ticket sales, they cover only a fraction of the costs. We rely on opera lovers like you to help make up the difference. So, please, if you’re able to make a donation, visit us at metopera.org/donate, or text HDLIVE to 44321, or you can also call 212-362-0068. You can make your contribution there. We are just so grateful for your invaluable support.
Today is the last live cinema transmission of the Met season. But we’re already looking ahead to next season when we’ll be presenting eight extraordinary transmissions. Here’s a preview of what’s to come.
READ: The Costumes of Madama Butterfly with Han Fang
ANTHONY ROTH COSTANZO: Such an exciting lineup. I can’t wait. So, today’s production of Madama Butterfly was created by the late filmmaker and stage director Anthony Minghella and it was hailed as an instant classic at its premiere in 2006. Now, one reason for this and its success are the breathtaking costumes by Chinese designer Han Fang. She recently reminisced about her work on the production.
ROLL-IN E: The Costumes of Madama Butterfly with Han Fang
HAN FANG: I was, uh, a fashion designer and actually I was the first Chinese fashion designer but representing American really – so, in U.S. at Bryant Park have a fashion show. So, by chance, I met Anthony Minghella.
So, around 2001, I think, his assistant called and said, “Anthony wants to have lunch with you in the Mercer Hotel.” I saw Anthony waiting for me. I said, “Just me? Have lunch with you?” He said, “Yeah, I have some business to talk to you.” And, uh, “Have you done opera?” I said, “No.” “Me too!” he said. “Let's have fun!” So, that's it. I already got hired. (Laughs)
So, then, like, uh, you know, the beginning, I think many years ago, when I was imagining, I thought there should be Renaissance color, right? Like beautiful, rich colors. But that moment, I completely forgot about that. I only thought how to make this such a beautiful beginning, such a dream wedding. Everything like fire, how beautiful it is. Like peonies, the pattern, with all the rich color.
So, peonies, for China, is rich. It’s for good luck, for the wedding, you know, when somebody marries in the countryside. So I cut that out. Then I just put a different color stripe I put on top of it. So, I did that, uniformed them to be rich with strong colors, everything. So, I still remember a Japanese, uh, journalist came to interview me and said, “In Japan, nobody wear like that!” (Laughs) I said, “Of course nobody’s like that, but this is just imagined.”
Cio-Cio-San is so beautiful, like representing the wedding, her virgin, 16-year-old girl, have a beautiful dream. So, everything like white, flower, you know, all with a lot of color to go together.
Goro’s outfit, I thought, was kind of funny. They told me, “You can do anything you want.” “Really?” They said, “Yes!” Okay. I'll put some red polka dots and more and more. Then just completely random, I just added, you know?
And another thing I thought was very beautiful is the Japanese, uh, prince, right? He’s very interesting. I thought how to make him a prince. So, I want to make him more graphic, make bigger, have to have jewelry, put some tassels on it. So then when he walked out, Anthony said, “Wow, that’s our prince,” you know? So, I was so proud of that.
One time Anthony said, “I want everybody crying. I want everybody crying at the end.” I think, uh, what’s very, very special is that until now, every time I see it, I cry like crazy. Like (Laughs) – it’s like it happened to me, waah, crying, crying. Just still so emotional, you know, and, uh, still, you know, so moving.
INTERVIEW: Costanzo w/ Jonathan Tetelman
ANTHONY ROTH COSTANZO: Truly some of the most stunning costumes I’ve ever seen on an opera stage. So, now I get to speak with our Pinkerton, tenor Jonathan Tetelman. Jonathan, hi!
JONATHAN TETELMAN: Hello.
ANTHONY ROTH COSTANZO: And wow. That is just so amazing. So, congratulations on your debut season at the Met.
JONATHAN TETELMAN: Thank you.
ANTHONY ROTH COSTANZO: Pinkerton is a role that you have performed with great success on a number of opera stages. What is it like performing in this iconic production?
JONATHAN TETELMAN: Oooh, well, this one – there’s many challenges in this one. First of all, we have a really raked stage. Um, it gets even more raked the further – the further back you get.
ANTHONY ROTH COSTANZO: Yeah.
JONATHAN TETELMAN: You’ve got to kind of pray. I don’t know how Butterfly does it with that huge dress. But the raked stage and then we have all these kind of, uh, these panels flying through, and I mean – but also the simplicity of the stage really accentuates the music that Puccini is writing for us and these characters. So, this kind of lacquer box and we’re all like, kind of toys inside of it. And, uh, just filling the dramatic elements of the opera with this wonderful music.
ANTHONY ROTH COSTANZO: Well, it’s incredible. And I think it’s safe to say that Pinkerton is kind of an antihero. So, as we witness Acts Two and Three, do you have anything to say in his defense?
JONATHAN TETELMAN: Oh, am I allowed to say?
ANTHONY ROTH COSTANZO: Yeah, yeah, no, say whatever you want.
JONATHAN TETELMAN: Um, you know, I think Pinkerton is one of those good old boys. You know, he’s just doing what all the guys do and he kind of has to fess up for everything that went wrong, not only in his life, but he’s kind of ruined everyone’s life. And that’s really – that’s really – the trio and the aria is really all about him coming to terms with how he’s really destroyed the lives of all the people that have really, you know, embraced him and were polite to him and helped him marry this beautiful woman.
ANTHONY ROTH COSTANZO: Totally. And – and Puccini writes some of his most beautiful music for Pinkerton in the love duet we heard in Act One. Can you tell us a little bit what it’s like to sing with Asmik Grigorian?
JONATHAN TETELMAN: Well, I have been dying to sing with Asmik since we did, uh, Macbeth in Salzburg last summer, where she was more of the antihero in that. (Laughs)
ANTHONY ROTH COSTANZO: Right, right, yeah, exactly.
JONATHAN TETELMAN: So, this time I get revenge.
ANTHONY ROTH COSTANZO: Yeah.
JONATHAN TETELMAN: Um, but it was – it’s – it’s a real treat and honor. She has such an amazing interpretation of this character. Uh, vocally she’s so devoted to – to the lines in the style of Puccini. I am so grateful that I could be her first Pinkerton, her bad husband. (Laughs)
ANTHONY ROTH COSTANZO: (Laughs) You are making magic together, so thank you. Congratulations again.
JONATHAN TETELMAN: Thank you.
ANTHONY ROTH COSTANZO: And, uh, toi toi toi for the rest of the opera.
JONATHAN TETELMAN: Grazie mille. Take care.
ANTHONY ROTH COSTANZO: Cerco, bello. Ciao.
READ: Throw to Acts II & III
ANTHONY ROTH COSTANZO: At the end of the previous act, Butterfly and Pinkerton have fallen in love and married. But as Butterfly faithfully waits for Pinkerton’s return, we will see that one’s true love is just another’s passing fancy. Here is the shattering conclusion of Madama Butterfly.