A sea of misery

Donald Macleod, in conversation with Sir Antonio Pappano, traces the developmental line of Puccini's meticulously crafted dramatic heroines. Today they discuss Puccini's personal favourite, the tragic geisha, Madama Butterfly.

Manon Lescaut, Mimì,Tosca, Madama Butterfly and Suor Angelica are women who capture our hearts and connect directly with our emotions. Recorded at the Royal Opera House, seated beneath several striking portraits of the composer, Tony dips into the scores to show how Puccini created these unforgettable characters and how with each one, he was seeking to perfect the synthesis between music and action, while constantly looking to push the boundaries of his musical language.

Born in 1858 in Lucca into a dynasty of musicians, Puccini was destined to be a church composer. That all changed when at age of 18, he walked to Pisa to see Verdi's Aida. It proved to be a formative experience. In that moment, he determined to become a man of the theatre, writing music exclusively for the stage. He went on to produce a dozen operas in fulfilment of that ambition - the last of them left incomplete at his death in 1924 - include La Bohème, Tosca and Madama Butterfly, still the cornerstones of any opera house's repertory.

Based on a play he'd seen in London by David Belasco, Madama Butterfly ended up causing Puccini more heartache than either Tosca or La bohème. At the opening night at La Scala Milan on 17th February 1904 the action on stage was drowned out by the catcalls from the audience. Worse was to come. When the curtain came down at the end there was total silence. Out of all this anguish, what really stands out is Puccini's creation of surely the most heart-breaking and delicate of heroines, Cio-cio San, Madama Butterly.

Viene la sera (Madama Butterfly, Act 1)
Angela Gheorghiu, soprano, Butterfly
Jonas Kaufman, tenor, B.F. Pinkerton
Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia
Antonio Pappano, conductor

Un bel dì vedremo (Madama Butterfly, Act 2)
Angela Gheorghiu, soprano, Butterfly
Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia
Antonio Pappano, conductor

Finale (Madam Butterfly, Act 2, Part 2)
Enkelejda Shkosa, mezzo soprano, Suzuki
Fabio Capitanucci, baritone, Sharpless
Cristina Reale, mezzo soprano, Kate Pinkerton
Angela Gheorghiu, soprano, Butterfly
Jonas Kaufman, tenor, B.F. Pinkerton
Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia
Antonio Pappano, conductor.