Pucciniana #10

Two out of our five performances of Madama Butterfly are done and with just three more to go (11/7, 11/9, and a matinee on 11/11) I thought that this Pucciniana should be dedicated to the mystery of the Geisha. - Amanda Villegas, Marketing and Communications Manager

Over the centuries there have been countless books and movies written on the allure of the Geisha. Amazon.com lists 1,188 books alone. But to Western society there is still so much confusion surrounding these Japanese cultural icons. It is a common misconception that the geisha was a prostitute. To the contrary, Wikipedia gives us this definition: Geisha (芸者^?), geiko (芸子) or geigi (芸妓) are traditional Japanese female entertainers who act as hostesses and whose skills include performing various Japanese arts such as classical music, dance and games.

Immortalgeisha.com answers the prostitute question:

Are Maiko and Geisha prostitutes?

Most certainly not! A Maiko and Geisha's profession is based on preserving the traditional arts such as dance, singing and music and entertaining in a non-sexual manner.

The confusion as to whether Geisha are prostitutes or not seems to have stemmed both from the close proximity Geisha had to courtesans in the Edo era and the fact that they did technically originate from the red light districts. The main culprit though appears to be from post World War II occupation by U.S. service men.

Many U.S. service came home from Japan with wild and raunchy stories of "Gee-sha Girls" whom, for most of the part where not in fact real Geisha, but rather, ordinary Japanese women or prostitutes masquerading or calling themselves "Geisha", largely because it was easiest for the service men to understand.

Of course, the large majority of service men did not know the difference, and despite the survival of the Geisha districts after the enforcement of the prostitution laws in 1957 and the subsequent closure of the red light districts, the misconception has haunted the flower and willow world ever since.

More interesting links on the Geisha:

One of my favorite history sites, History Undressed has a great article on the history of the Geisha. Read it here!

Japan-Zone brings us an interesting perspective on the history of the Geisha and some personal anecdote! "I recently had the pleasure of meeting a woman who was once the No.1 geisha in Japan. She's a wonderful lady, funny, warm and kind. She was once a favorite of my wife's grandfather who, with his many business and social connections, helped her find sponsors and make her name..." read more...

Japan Guide has information on how to attend a Geisha dinner when in Japan!

"An enduring symbol of fashion and tradition embodying the grace of the Japanese people. Curiosity and misunderstanding face most gaijin about geisha, women in Japan and paid entertainment" Geisha of Japan has probably everything you've ever wanted to know about the Geisha history, lifestyle, and even hairstyles!

 

In my research I discovered that there are a TON of sushi restaurants named Geisha! Who knew?

Pucciniana #7

Over the last couple of weeks we have brought you all manner of Pucciniana but focused mostly on popular hits. I thought today we'd take a minute to look at some of Puccini's lesser known operas and arias.  - Amanda Villegas, Marketing and Communications Manager at BLO

I think it is pretty safe to assume that La Boheme, Madama Butterfly, Tosca and possibly Turandot are the most well known Puccini operas. Have you heard of Il Tabarro? La fanciulla del West? Edgar? La Rondine? Manon Lescaut? All of them other operas by Puccini!

Many young singers are familiar with Il Trittico, the all encompassing title givent to a trio of Puccini operas made up of Gianni Schicchi, Il Tabarro, and Suor Angelica. Often Gianni Schicchi and Suor Angelica are performed in part or in whole in educational settings and small opera companies but rarely in major houses. I'm not sure why that is but so it is! Here is a youTube clip talking a bit about Gianni Schicchi.

The most beloved aria from Schicchi is of course "O mio babbino caro" ...

Operavore, an opera blogger for WQXR in NYC pulled together a great list of the Top 10 most underrated Puccini Arias. One of which is "Non piangere Liu" from Turandot sung here by the inimitable Franco Corelli (he is pretty easy on the eyes as well as the ears!)

Which lesser known Puccini operas and arias do you love? Which do you want to know more about? Answer in the comments below and you could win a Madama Butterfly T-Shirt!

Pucciniana #5

"Groans, roars, moos, laughs, bellows, sneers...." - a review of the premiere of MADAMA BUTTERFLY

"A virtual lynching" - Giacomo Puccini

"No one could have anticipated it. The house (La Scala, Milan) was sold out, the dress rehearsal had gone very well: Puccini was confident enough to invite twelve friends and some relatives which he rarely did for an opening night preformance. He sent a note to Rosina Storchio congratulating her on her interpretation and anticipating a triumph. But it was not to be. February 7,1904 became one of the most notorious of operatic fiascos. Any resemblances to LA BOHEME - particularly Butterfly's entrance music - was catcalled - "We've heard it before" someone shouted. When the composer entered, still limping from his (almost fatal) car accident, he was greeted with derisive laughter. Whistles and shouts of protest overwhelmed the scattered applause often not allowing the singers to hear the orchestra. "Butterfly is pregnant " one man shouted when a breeze swelled Storchio's kimono. "By Toscanini" answered another. The audience howled. Puccini's use of actual birdsong in the "vigil" music was answered by rooster crows. When the curtain finally fell there was total silence shattered only by Pietro Mascagni, Puccini's old and bitter rival, weeping loudly and haranguing the audience for its disgraceful behavior. Puccini's publisher Tito Ricordi (and the composer) always held that these demonstrations were the work of an organized claque of rivals (including Mascagni) who had waited years to bring him down. William Berger has an another interesting take:



Teatro alla Scala, Milan



"Puccini's 'little operas' about ordinary people were not satisfying the national craving for something epic that would command the respect of the rest of the world. Another opera about a sad heroine. ...as if the world didn't already see them as a nation of emotional teary lightweights with soft gooey centers..."

Puccini had his revenge (although he made some small but important revisions after Milan) and the piece received a triumphant reception only a few months later in the smaller theater at Brescia- perhaps tauntingly close to Milan. BUTTERFLY went through several versions but quickly it became one the most performed and beloved operas in the repertory.

A View from the Crowd: Life in the BLO Chorus

A View from the Crowd: Life in the BLO Chorus is a series we will bring to you each production. This is a firsthand glimpse of what it is like as a member of the BLO Chorus.  

Ms. Schnitzer's feet in Geisha socks!

"Staging is well underway, and director Lillian Groag is a brilliant, inventive and extremely detail-oriented director.

Dana Schnitzer

For those of us who are playing geishas, the last couple of rehearsals have felt a bit like how rubbing your belly, patting your head and hopping on one foot simultaneously must feel. There are so many elements to remember, as we are now combining together the music (memorized), staging, and incredibly specific geisha mannerisms all at once. Lilllian told us, "we are not pretending to be Japanese...we are simply presenting a story about Japan to our audience". Indeed we are, and what a foreboding challenge it is! Clad in flowy rehearsal robes, knee pads and tabby socks, we have practiced kneeling, standing gracefully from a kneel (which, by the way, is really hard), bowing, opening parasols, closing parasols, twirling parasols, tilting the head just so, how to walk, how to accept a cup of sake......the list goes on. But when we get it all right (or close to right), and Lillian tells us we are 'like perfect flowers', all the hard work is worth it. The principal artists sound phenomenal, and all of the pieces of this operatic puzzle are starting to fit together. I am excited to finish staging and start running the show!"



Pucciniana #4



Puccini



The Un bel di Variations

by John Conklin, BLO Artistic Advisor

Sometimes it is interesting to see MADAMA BUTTERFLY sung "naked" - without the white makeup, the piled up geisha hair, the enveloping kimono. Here are such performances by Renata Tebaldi, Leontyne Price, Eleanor Steber and Teresa Stratas.

 Renata Tebaldi

Leontyne Price

 Eleanor Steber

Teresa Stratas

Remember - Butterfly's "real" age in the opera is but one year older than this teenager

In this excerpt from Franco Zeffirelli's 2002 film Callas Forever, the captivating French actress Fanny Ardant plays ( a mostly fictionalized ) Maria Callas in the last year of her life. Alone (except for eavesdropping figure of her manager - Jeremy Irons) she listens - and sings along - to her own recording of Butterfly

Another place where we can see singers deeply involved in a role but out of a theatrical context (and away from the gaze of an audience) - "on their own" as it were - is in, often very revelatory, rehearsal footage. In this instance it is, of course, the BUTTERFLY Act 1 love duet, Vogliatemi bene,  rather than our Un bel di.

With Jonas Kaufmann and Angela Gheorghiu

BUTTERFLY GOES to the MOVIES # 3

MADAME BUTTERFLY (1932)

Based on the Belasco play with music incorporating bits of Puccini. Sylvia Sydney is quite affective as a delicate and wistful Butterfly going against her image as a film noir tough girl heroine. She worked with such Hollywood stars as Spencer Tracy and Henry Fonda and in such classic 30's pictures as Fritz Lang's FURY and Hitchcock's SABOTAGE (both 1931) but she is perhaps best remembered by contemporary audiences as the gravel voiced Juno in Tim Burton's BEETLEJUICE (she's the one who exhales her cigarette smoke out throught her knife slashed throat - If you haven't seen the movie, don't ask...just go see it) - John Conklin - BLO Artistic Advisor

Mary Pickford in a silent version (1915)

Implied racism or just good clean fun?

2 clips from a very curious 1962 film directed by Jack Cardiff and starring Yves Montand and Edward G. Robinson... and Shirley MacLaine. A complicated plot which somehow ends up with MacLaine in full geisha drag fooling everybody and appearing in a movie version of Puccini's MADAMA BUTTERFLY where she sings Un Bel Di (don't ask) Silly,even vaguely grotesque ... but not unwatchable!

We've seen Sylvia Sydney, Mary Pickford, Marlon Brando, and Ricardo Montalban putting on Japanese makeup and here's another slue of Hollywood actors in "yellowface"

Dolce and Gabbana take on the Opera world!

Not new to the opera scene, Italian fashion moguls, Dolce & Gabbana have tossed their hat in the ring in a totally new way. Thanks to the duo the Metropolitan Opera's Met Titles will now feature Italian translations in addition to the current offerings of English, Spanish, and German.

According to OperaChic, an American blogger living in Milan, the fashion house presented a Maria Callas themed runway show in 2009. Read more on this pairing here!

In honor of Fashion Week currently happening in NYC: What designer would you like to see collaborate on an opera? Comment on this post and you could win a BLO 2012 Madama Butterfly T-Shirt. (These shirts are only available as online prizes!) 

"Milk-punch o wisky?"

The Inspector cast toasts to "new Italy." Photo by Erik Jacobs.

That's what Lieutenant Pinkerton offers the American consul Sharpless as they await the arrival of Pinkerton's geisha bride, Madama Butterfly. (What IS "milk-punch" anyway? It sounds rather nasty... I'll have to Google it.)  Next season at BLO, it turns out, is full of drinking and eating. There are two on-stage wedding celebrations complete with toasts (and snacks?) - Madama Butterfly and Così Fan Tutte - and an obviously boozy  sailors' homecoming celebration in The Flying Dutchman. One of the central actions and important symbolic gestures of Clemency is the preparation (on stage) and serving of a meal to three strangers (who turn out to be angels - moral obvious). Interestingly, all of these ostensibly happy celebrations turn out in the end to lead to or prefigure dire, even tragic, events. ("That's opera, Doc.")

The New York Times took a closer look at operatic eating and drinking this week, read the full article here.  

 - BLO Artistic Advisor John Conklin 

 

Announcing the 2012/13 Season!

Check out our 2012/13 Season!