Pittsburgh Opera launched its 80^th season last night in truly grand style, with probably the best staged and sung performance of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly seen and heard in decades of “Butterflies,” and a large and exceptionally enthusiastic audience unleashed a thunderous ovation when the too short evening came to a close. The orchestra played with perfect precision throughout; the singers were first class in every particular; a colorful and beautifully lit set filled the entire stage of the Benedum, and the choruses were hauntingly lovely. The perennial opera took on new and refreshing beauty for the ears and eyes – no small accomplishment for a work heard so often. If you’ve seen and heard it all before, don’t miss the chance to catch one of the remaining performances. If you’ve never seen it – go. Whichever group you belong to, you’ll see and hear something impressively new.

The universal language of music makes the plot – always a bit on the unpalatable side – of secondary importance in the modern era of political correctness, and the return of Antony Walker to the podium undoubtedly played a large part in the seamlessly beautiful work of the orchestra. The instrumentalists and their director are to be congratulated on their playing of Puccini’s exquisite orchestration, and, as always, Pittsburgh Opera’s truly excellent chorus, under the direction of Mark Trawka, did exceptional work, onstage and off, the famous “Humming Chorus” from behind the scenes in the second act being particularly beautiful.

Cio-Cio San (Dina Kuznetsova, in her Pittsburgh Opera debut) and her friends arrive while her maid Suzuki (Laurel Semerdjian) watches

Among the four leading characters, only soprano Dina Kuznetsova, in the title role, was brand new to the local stage, and she made an excellent first impression. Hers is a soprano voice of much power and beauty, and in action she developed the role from charming, almost comical naïveté to tragic intensity with great skill. Her voice warmed and improved as the evening progressed, and her delivery of the opera’s best known aria, “Un bel dì vedremo” (loosely, “One fine day he’ll return”), was sung with such thrilling effect that it was one of the few occasions the audience was willing to interrupt the beautiful music of the night with torrential applause. Tenor Cody Austin, first heard here in La Traviata a couple of years ago, did all that could be done with the rather ungrateful role of the American Lieutenant Benjamin Franklin Pinkerton. He sang the role of the naval officer who takes, then abandons, a Japanese child “bride of convenience” with silvery tones. At the final curtain, he took a little good-natured booing gracefully, and even made a comic gesture asking for more.

Sharpless (Michael Mayes) and Kate Pinkerton (Antonia Botti-Lodovico) glare at each other while Cio-Cio San digests the news that Pinkerton has remarried

Baritone Michael Mayes, first heard this spring in Moby-Dick, appeared in the role of Sharpless, the American Consul who senses a tragedy in the making but can’t prevent it. He possesses a voice of much warmth, and while in a few spots the music seemed to lie a trifle low for his comfort zone, his performance was one of the highlights of the evening, and he was heard to excellent advantage in some of the duets and ensembles. Mezzo-soprano Laurel Semerdjian was all that was expected and more in the role of Suzuki. Her deep, velvety voice was in fine form, and her acting of the role was enchanting. Each time this young artist is heard here, she manages to top her previous performances, and yet gives the impression that she’s only just begun to develop what will come to be known as one of the best voices heard on the operatic stage of the early 21^st century. Her voice blended with Ms. Kuznetsova’s in the well-known “Flower Duet” quite exquisitely.

Cio-Cio San’s mother (Charlene Canty, far left) watches her daughter (Dina Kuznetsova) prepare for her wedding

Small roles abound in this opera, but all were in capable hands that made the most of them. Brian Kontes (The Bonze), and Julius Ahn (Goro) were among the standouts, and it was good to see and hear Benjamin Taylor (Prince Yamadori) again. Antonia Botti-Lodovico (Kate Pinkerton), Charlene Canty (Mother), Judith Robb Jenkins (Aunt), Veronica Schmidt (Cousin), Tyler Zimmerman (The Imperial Commissioner), and William Buchanan (The Official Registrar) all made for a fine ensemble.

Wedding broker Goro (Julius Ahn) jokes with his client Lt. B.F Pinkerton (Cody Austin)

One of the most remarkable performances of the evening came from a tiny person who never sang a note and still managed to bring forth one of the loudest ovations at the final curtain. Kaylena Gould, a five-year-old New Kensington girl, took the mute role of “Trouble,” the souvenir Pinkerton leaves behind with Cio-Cio-San, and handled a surprisingly large amount of “stage business” like a seasoned veteran. Her bows to the audience were heart-achingly endearing.

Three performances of Madama Butterfly remain, and this writer is extremely pleased that he’ll also be on hand for the Friday night repetition. For complete production details, cast bios, tickets and more, visit Pittsburgh Opera.

The “Artistic Team” for Madama Butterfly –

Conductor, Antony Walker; Stage Director, Linda Brovsky; Set Designer, John Gunter; Costume Designer, Alice Bristow; Lighting Designer, Andrew David Ostrowski; Wig & Makeup Designer, James Geier; Assistant Conductor, Glenn Lewis; Chorus Master, Mark Trawka; Associate Coach/Pianist, James Lesniak; Assistant Director, Matthew Haney; Stage Manager, Cindy Knight

David Bachman Photography

A Pittsburgh native, George B. Parous began his studies of music and the ‘cello in grade school before his interests turned to opera, its performers and history while in his teens. He has been acknowledged as a contributor or editor of several published works (the first being “Rosa Raisa, A Biography of a Diva,” Northeastern University Press, 2001), and is currently working on his own biography of the German-American dramatic soprano, Johanna Gadski, who sang at the Metropolitan during the “Golden Age of Opera.” A retired IT Analyst, he is an avid genealogist, and has traced his maternal line to 8th century Wessex, England. He’s been a contributor to Pittsburgh in the Round since 2014.

Categories: Archived Reviews

Tags: Antony Walker, Benedum Center, Cody Austin, Dina Kuznetsova, FallwithPITR, Laurel Semerdjian, Madama Butterfly, Michael Mayes, Pittsburgh Opera