However others choose to see her, Cio-Cio-San is not a victim despite her suicide in the closing moments of Madame Butterfly, the classic, tragic opera by Puccini, according to, Ailyn Pérez who sings the lead role in the Houston Grand Opera production starting this weekend.
Instead, Pérez sees the young Japanese woman as someone with an iron will, determined to do the best for her young son even if that means giving him up to Pinkerton, the man who betrayed her.
As most people know, in Madame Butterfly Cio-Cio-San is a young Japanese girl who marries Pinkerton, an American navel lieutenant, in what he considers a temporary arrangement, but she believes is permanent. In due time, he leaves and promises to return, but does not, rewarding her loyalty with abandonment.
When he finally comes back to Japan, in search of his son by Cio-Cio-San, he has his new wife in tow, Cio-Cio-San hoping for a better life for her son, kills herself.
The opera, written in the early 20th Century has come under a fair amount of criticism with its views on race, gender and culture — in addition to how it has sometimes been produced with “yellowface” on white opera singers. Puccini didn’t really know much about the Asian countries so he used a lot of popular myths at the time — that its women were submissive and childlike And many of them were seen as sex objects, as evidenced by Cio-Cio-San as geisha.
Others counter these critics, saying wait a minute, Madame Butterfly is a product of it’s time and the overwhelming point of the story that anyone can identify with is a young girl being betrayed, surrounded by people who are far from admirable. And then there’s the music, most notably when Cio-Cio-San sings “Un bel di vedremo” in the second act.
All of which is being discussed in rehearsals with the cast also including tenor Yongzhao Yu in his role debut as Pinkerton. Mezzo-soprano Sun-Ly Pierce performs as Suzuki, bass-baritone Michael Sumuel as Sharpless, bass William Guanbo Su as the Bonze, and tenor Rodell Rosel as Goro. HGO Artistic and Music Director Patrick Summers will conduct.
“On the very first day we had a meeting with a doctor in the cultural studies of this opera and he offered us insights into the history, into the problematic elements of it which were a revelation to us all,” said Pérez. “Adding knowledge, adding the understanding of history and then having our open conversations about what makes the opera challenging.”
Pérez, who recently made her title role debut as Cio-Cio-San at Teatro di San Carlo in Naples, says the role is an emotional and challenging story.. Cio-Cio-San is only 15 years old and has become a geisha after her family’s drop in fortunes. When at her ceremony with Pinkerton she announces she is adopting her husband’s Christian religion, her relatives are enraged and distance themselves from her.
“Creating and facing this new plan of a life that has nothing to do with her ancestors and in a way is being made up as she goes along in terms of what her idea of what Americanism or leaving the island in a new life or a new marriage — it’s much more dramatic; it’s much more powerful than the other young heroines we know like a Juliet who is willing to refuse her father and escape with Rome. It doesn’t stay in the teenage young love type of realm,” Pérez said.
“I think the reason she views this marriage and this new life as a path forward for herself, ultimately herself first, is that she doesn’t want to be a geisha anymore and she wants a place in society and there is an astuteness and a pride about her coming from a family of power that’s been decimated through the war.”
Act II is three years later than the romantic scenes of Act I. Cio-Cio-San is still waiting for Pinkerton to return, steadfast in her belief that he will. The American consul Sharpless who helped set up the fake marriage , is there to tell Cio-Cio-San that Pinkerton is never coming back. For the first time we become aware of the child as Cio-Cio-San reveals him to Sharpless. Butterfly says ‘Oh yes he will. If not for me then for him.'”
As it turns out, this is what has made Pinkerton return, “Puccini made her not wrong,” Pérez said.
The fact is, Pérez said, there is no future for Cio-Cio-San and her son in her own society, especially once she rejects the offer from another suitor, Prince Yamadori. There is nothing more that she can do for her son other than the possibility that by his going with Kate Pinkerton, he will have a better life in America.
“He cannot be a part of society in Japan. There’s no way. He’s just an outcast. He’s American,” Pérez said.
“I don’t think you should think of Butterfly as a victim. I don’t think her suicide is dishonorable. I think she is making a choice, ” Pérez said.
“I would invite the viewer to just follow her story as she is telling it. . If you think about her death as her taking her honor and having peace . . . I think she is taking her iron will to the very last breath.”
Performances are scheduled for January 26 through February 11 at 7:30 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Wednesday and 2 p.m. Sundays at the Wortham Center, 501 Texas. Sung in Italian with English subtitles. For more information, call 713-228-6737 or visit houstongrandopera.org. $25-$280.
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2024.
