My only memory tonight are the red petals falling from curtain.
Petals soundless fall
darkness obscures their landing
There is only fear
I’ve been teaching Haiku to my Art students in an effort to get them to look a little longer and deeper into the paintings from art history. Haiku of course is a form of Japanese poetry, the setting of Puccini’s opera.*
I have a complete anxiety attack during the first act and it consumes the night. I wrote about these in an earlier post and I thought they were behind me. This is a bad one. The whole room spins and I can’t catch a good breath, my heart races and my hands are ponds. I can’t focus on a thing.
I was shook and feeling like a failure in will and courage. I don’t want the memory of this terrible night be my last so I force myself to get tickets for the next nights opera Elektra. Fingers crossed. I reassure myself that it has been a long week at work, my day began at 6 A.M. then after work traveled up to NY, and then walked to the Met.
The goal to see a 101 operas, still unformed at the time, wasn’t always easy or convenient.
So what’s Madama Butterfly all about? It begins with Lieutenant Pinkerton buying a house in Japan and entering a marriage contract with fifteen year old Giesha Cio-Cio San. For him it is a whim, but for her it is first love. Pinkerton leaves her behind to wait and she has a child while he’s away. He returns to her disappointment with his new American wife. Cio-Cio is left torn between what is best for her son and for her honor.. Bring tissues.
Listen for: un bel di in act II when Cio-Cio waits and sings of memories that will be again when Pinkerton returns.
* They say the typical museum visitor only spends 4 seconds looking at a work of art
Notes on the production
Composer…………..…. Puccini
Cio-Cio San……………. Ermonela Jaho
Suzuki…………………..…. Maria Zifchak
Pinkerton……………..… Roberto Aronica
Sharpless………………. Roberto Frontali
Hyung Yun…………..…. Yamadori
Conductor………….….. Marco Armiliato
Metropolitan Opera
3/8/18