2016/17 SEASON, Rep 2
September 22 - October 2, 2016
Overview
Stanton Welch's Madame Butterfly
Artistic Director Stanton Welch’s signature work Madame Butterfly returned to the Wortham on a program with the Houston Ballet premiere of his one-act ballet Son of Chamber Symphony, set to music by John Adams. With a magnificent score by Puccini, in an arrangement by John Lanchbery, Madame Butterfly tells the love story of a beautiful Geisha, Cio-Cio San, and a handsome American stationed in Nagaski,naval lieutenant Pinkerton. The narration for Mr. Welch's ballet is split between Cio-Cio San and Pinkerton as they experience the merging of traditions and cultures in nineteenth-century Japan for the first time. Since its premiere, Madame Butterfly has become Mr. Welch’s international signature piece, having entered the repertoires of Houston Ballet, The National Ballet of Canada, Royal New Zealand Ballet, Singapore Dance Theatre, Boston Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, Ballet West, and Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre.
MADAME BUTTERFLY is pure theatrics, and is traditionally enjoyed as such. The company acquits itself beautifully, and the music, under the direction of Ermanno Florio, is perfection. To be honest, I am more than satisfied.
[Son of Chamber Symphony]. . . clean and classical but completely contemporary in feeling.
Synopsis
Son of Chamber Symphony Description
Opening the Madame Butterfly program was the Houston Ballet premiere of Artistic Director Stanton Welch’s Son of Chamber Symphony, a deconstruction of classical ballet set to music by John Adams. "It's as if we're taking classical ballet and turning it inside out, and the music does the same thing," commented Mr. Welch. This one-act contemporary ballet was created for the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago and performed at the Jacob's Pillow Festival in 2012. Sid Smith of the Chicago Tribune wrote, “. . . this intelligent three-part piece is a steely but imaginative take on John Adams' score . . . Welch works tirelessly to meet it head on with inventive, exotic ballet and a darkish, driven world."
Main Characters
Cio-Cio San (Butterfly), Pinkerton, Goro, Suzuki, Sharpless, Kate
Prologue
Cio-Cio San, a geisha known as Madame Butterfly, dreams of her future.
Act I
On a hill overlooking the harbor, a wedding is about to take place between Lieutenant Pinkerton, a U.S. Naval officer, and Butterfly, with whom he has contracted a Japanese marriage. Goro, the obsequious marriage broker and general factotum, shows Pinkerton the house he will share with his young bride, and introduces him to the servants and Suzuki, Butterfly’s personal maid.
The first visitor to arrive is Sharpless, U.S. Consul at Nagasaki. Together, with Goro, they toast Pinkerton’s marriage arrangements. Sharpless, however, is deeply disturbed by the frivolous levity with which Pinkerton regards this marriage and utters a grave warning; not to break a trusting and devoting heart. He hands him a letter from Kate, Pinkerton’s betrothed, who waits for him back home in America. While Pinkerton must travel overseas to fulfill his career, he vows that on day he will marry his American girl.
The bridal party arrives and with much formality, Butterfly is introduced to the two Americans. They discover that she has been forced to become a geisha because of the dire poverty her once wealthy family fell into after her father committed ritual suicide. She is 15 years old.
Butterfly sets up a shrine and places her valuables gently upon it – including the sacred sword her father used to kill himself- and shyly shows them to Pinkerton. Confidingly, she tells Pinkerton that she has visited a U.S. Missionary and has become a Christian so that she may worship the same God as her husband. The brief marriage ceremony is carried out and, afterward, Sharpless warns Pinkerton to be sensible.
The wedding celebration is in full-swing and Pinkerton encourages Butterfly’s family to eat and drink, hoping this will hasten their departure. Suddenly, Butterfly’s uncle, The Bonze, bursts into the happy scene. He has learned of Butterfly’s visits to the U.S. Missionary, and in a rage, now denounces her for rejecting the faith of her fathers. An uproar ensues, and the relatives depart cursing. Tenderly, Pinkerton consoles his weeping wife. Slowly, she abandons her innocence, and they lie down beneath the stars.
Intermission
Act II
Several years have passed since Pinkerton left Nagasaki. Butterfly is desperately poor and only Suzuki will stay with her. She is convinced that one day her husband will return and brushes aside others’ doubts.
Sharpless and Goro arrive at the house. Goro is anxious to profit from a new match between Butterfly and the wealthy Prince Yamadori, now that the marriage to Pinkerton can be annulled. Sharpless produces a letter he has received from Pinkerton. Butterfly teases Yamadori mercilessly over his passion for her and turns down his marriage proposal. Ignoring Japanese tradition Butterfly maintains her vow to Pinkerton. Prince Yamadori leaves, followed by a furious Goro, who finally wipes his hands clean of Butterfly.
Sharpless hands the letter to Butterfly, but she is too excited and begs him to read it to her. Knowing the letter’s fatal contents, he hesitates and inquires what Butterfly’s future would hold if Pinkerton were never to return. Horrified at the suggestion, she fetches their son and triumphantly shows him to the Consul. Instead of the truth, Sharpless tells her that the letter has no sad news and promises to tell Pinkerton about his son.
Goro has been spying on the household and upon Sharpless’s exit, attacks the family saying that a fatherless half-breed child is considered an outcast in Japan. Butterfly is outraged and chases him away.
A cannon shot is heard from the harbor announcing the arrival of a ship. Butterfly, watching from the terrace, recognizes Pinkerton’s ship; he has finally come back to her. She sends Suzuki to pluck flowers from the garden and they set about adorning themselves and the house. As evening falls, she makes several holes in the paper wall so they can watch for Pinkerton’s arrival. She dreams of his return, and of her and her son’s acceptance, wealth, and happiness in America- their new home.
As dawn breaks, the dream is shattered. Suzuki wakes up and urges her weary mistress to retire. Suddenly, Pinkerton, Sharpless, and Kate arrive at the door. The have come early in the morning with hopes of finding Suzuki alone, and of enlisting her support to persuade Butterfly to accept Kate’s offer to adopt the child. For Pinkerton, the house is full of poignant memories. Overcome by remorse, he decides to leave without seeing Butterfly. Butterfly awakens and notices his departure; alarmed she questions Suzuki. Suzuki’s sobbing and Sharpless’s silence, coupled with the presence of Kate, make her gradually realize the awful truth. With her heart broken, Butterfly agrees to relinquish her son to Pinkerton and his new wife.
Sharpless, Kate, and the boy leave, and Butterfly collapses in desperation. She orders Suzuki away, who rushes after Sharpless for help. Butterfly lifts her father’s sword, reading its inscription “to die with honor when one can no longer live with honor.
ARTISTS
In July 2003, the acclaimed Australian choreographer Stanton Welch assumed the leadership of Houston Ballet, America's fourth largest ballet company, as artistic director. Since his arrival, Mr. Welch has transformed Houston Ballet by raising the level of classical technique, infusing the company with new energy, drive and vision; introducing works by distinguished choreographers to the repertoire; and attracting some of the world's best coaches to Houston to work with the dancers. He has created works for such prestigious international companies as Houston Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, The Australian Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, and Royal Danish Ballet.
Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini (22 December 1858 – 29 November 1924) was an Italian composer whose operas are among the important operas played as standards. Puccini has been called "the greatest composer of Italian opera after Verdi". While his early work was rooted in traditional late-19th-century romantic Italian opera, he successfully developed his work in the realistic verismo style, of which he became one of the leading exponents.
John Adams is one of the best known and most often performed of America's composers. As Andrew Porter wrote in The New Yorker, Adams is the creator of a "flexible new language capable of producing large-scale works that are both attractive and strongly fashioned. His is a music whose highly polished resonant sound is wonderful." Le Monde says that his music "...gives the impression of a rediscovered liberty, of an open door which lets in the fresh air in great gusts." His creative output spans a wide range of media: works for orchestra, opera, video, film, and dance, as well as electronic and instrumental music. Such pieces as Harmonium, Harmonielehre, Shaker Loops, and The Chairman Dances are among the best known and most frequently performed of contemporary American music. In these works he has taken minimalism into a new and fresh terrain characterized by luminous sonorities and a powerful and dramatic approach to form. Adams' works have been programmed by every major orchestra in the United States as well as orchestras throughout Europe, Asia, and Australia. His music has also been choreographed by numerous dance companies including Dance Theater of Harlem (Garth Fagan) and the New York City Ballet (Peter Martins). Adams's operas have been among the more controversial and widely seen stage events in recent history. In 2003 Lincoln Center presented a festival entitled "John Adams: An American Master," the most extensive festival ever mounted at Lincoln Center devoted to a living composer. Other festivals of his music have been presented in London and in Rotterdam, as well as in Stockholm.
HISTORY
Son of Chamber Symphony Repertoire History
This was Houston Ballet’s first time performing Stanton Welch's Son of Chamber Symphony. The original creation of Son of Chamber Symphony was made possible by a commission from Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival for Joffrey Ballet of Chicago.
Son Of Chamber Symphony Production Details
CHOREOGRAPHER: Stanton Welch
GENRE: Contemporary Ballet
RUN TIME: Ballet in 1 Act; 25 minutes
COMPOSER: John Adams
SCORE: “Son of Chamber Symphony”
ORIGINAL PREMIERE DATE: August 22, 2012 at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival at Becket, Massachusetts commissioned for the Joffrey Ballet
COSTUME DESIGN: Travis Halsey
SET DESIGN: Jack Mehler
LIGHTING DESIGN: Jack Mehler
STAGER FOR HOUSTON BALLET (2016): Gerard Charles
BALLET MASTER (2016): Louise Lester
HOUSTON BALLET ORCHESTRA CONDUCTOR (2016): Ermanno Florio
HOUSTON BALLET STAGE MANAGER (2016): Rachael Fernandez
SPECIAL PROGRAM NOTES (2016): "The 2016 production of Madame Butterfly with Son of Chamber Symphony was made possible by the generous support of The Wortham Foundation, Inc."
Madame Butterfly Repertoire History
This was Houston Ballet’s fourth time performing Madame Butterfly as a part of its main season; selections from Madame Butterfly was also performed at Miller Outdoor Theater, the Woodlands Mitchell Pavilion, and Jubilee of Dance during Houston Ballet. Houston Ballet has performed Madame Butterfly on tour and is in the repertoire of the Australian Ballet, Boston Ballet, the National Ballet of Canada, Atlanta Ballet, and the Royal New Zealand Ballet.
Madame Butterfly Production Details
CHOREOGRAPHER: Stanton Welch
BASED ON THE OPERA by Giacomo Puccini, after the short story Madame Butterfly (1898) by John Luther Long
GENRE: Full-length Contemporary Ballet
RUN TIME: Ballet in 2 Acts with Prologue; approximately 2 hours minutes
COMPOSER: Giacomo Puccini
ARRANGEMENT: John Lanchbery OBE
SCORE: “Madame Butterfly”
ORIGINAL PREMIERE DATE: February 24,1995 at the State Theatre in Melbourne, Australia by the Australian Ballet
HOUSTON BALLET PREMIERE DATE: September 19, 2002 in the Brown Theater at the Wortham Theater Center in Houston, Texas
COSTUME DESIGN: Peter Farmer
SET DESIGN: Peter Farmer
LIGHTING DESIGN: Lisa Pinkham after Francis Croese
BALLET MASTERS (2016): Steven Woodgate and Barbara Bears
HOUSTON BALLET ORCHESTRA CONDUCTOR (2016): Ermanno Florio
HOUSTON BALLET STAGE MANAGER (2016): Rachael Fernandez
SPECIAL PROGRAM NOTES (2016): "The 2016 production of Madame Butterfly with Son of Chamber Symphony was made possible by the generous support of The Wortham Foundation, Inc."
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