Opera - Madam Butterfly

Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924)


Madam Butterfly 137:10
Opera in two acts
Libretto by Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica after the book by John Luther Long and the play by David Belasco
English version based on that of R.H. Elkin

COMPACT DISC ONE
Act I
1 Introduction 1:05
2 'So the walls and the ceiling . . .' 2:06
Pinkerton, Goro
3 'I think Your Honour's smiling' 2:17
Suzuki, Pinkerton, Goro
4 'It can't be much further now!' 1:20
Sharpless, Goro, Pinkerton
5 'The whole world over' 2:22
6 'Fate can't crush him' 1:13
Pinkerton, Sharpless
7 'Is the bride very pretty?' 1:06
Sharpless, Goro, Pinkerton
8 'True love or fancy' 3:23
Pinkerton, Sharpless
9 'See them! They're climbing the summit of the hill!' 3:30
Goro, Butterfly's Girl Friends, Butterfly, Sharpless
10 'We are honoured' 3:34
Butterfly, Girl Friends, Pinkerton, Sharpless, Goro
11 'The Imperial Commissioner' 1:48
Goro, Pinkerton, Relations and Friends, Butterfly, Yakuside
12 'Oh, indeed, my friend, you're lucky!' 1:16
Sharpless, Butterfly
13 'Come, my beloved' 3:25
Pinkerton, Butterfly, Goro
14 'My fate I have to follow' 1:17
Butterfly
15 'Silence! Silence!' 1:52
Goro, Commissioner, Girl Friends, Butterfly
16 'Congratulations' 4:33
Commissioner, Pinkerton, Sharless, Registrar, Relatives, the Bonze, Goro
17 'Dearest, my dearest, weep no more' 2:06
Pinkerton, Butterfly, Suzuki
18 'Evening is falling . . .' 3:31
Pinkerton, Butterfly, Suzuki
19 'Child, from whose eyes the witchery is shining' 3:52
Pinkerton, Butterfly
20 'Ah, love me a little' 7:28
Butterfly, Pinkerton

Act II
Part 1
21 'Izaghi Izanami' 6:47
Suzuki, Butterfly
22 'One fine day' 4:35
Butterfly
64:37

COMPACT DISC TWO
1 'Come, let's enter' 4:22
Goro, Sharpless, Butterfly
2 'Yamadori, and has your unrequitted love not yet released you?' 4:53
Butterfly, Yamadori, Sharpless, Goro
3 'Now, at last!' 3:01
Sharpless, Butterfly
4 'Just two things I could do' 2:07
5 'This child! This child, then!' 3:24
Butterfly, Sharpless
6 'Do you know, my darling' 3:24
Butterfly
7 'I must be going' 1:43
Sharpless, Butterfly, Suzuki
8 'Ah! Ah!' 1:52
Goro, Suzuki, Butterfly
9 'Look, it's a man-of-war!' 2:33
Suzuki, Butterfly
10 Flower duet: 'Shake the cherry tree' 9:55
Butterfly, Suzuki
11 Humming Chorus 2:55

Act II
Part 2
12 Prelude 4:29
13 Daybreak over Nagasaki 2:52
14 'It's morning' 2:01
Suzuki, Butterfly
15 'Who is it? . . .' 2:42
Suzuki, Pinkerton, Sharples
16 'I know for such misfortune there is no consolation' 3:59
Sharpless, Suzuki, Pinkerton
17 'Farewell, oh happy home!' 1:51
Pinkerton, Sharpless
18 'Then will you tell her?' 1:19
Kate, Suzuki
19 'Suzuki, where are you?' 1:47
20 'You, Suzuki, you're always so faithful' 1:14
Butterfly, Suzuki
21 'Viper! I want you to answer' 3:40
Butterfly, Suzuki, Sharpless, Kate
22 'Your little fluttering heart is beating' 2:55
Suzuki, Butterfly
23 'Death with honour is better than life with dishonour' 5:04
Butterfly
72:33
Cheryl Barker soprano - Cio-Cio-San (Madam Butterfly)
Jean Rigby mezzo-soprano - Suzuki
Paul Charles Clarke tenor - B.F. Pinkerton
Gregory Yurisich baritone - Sharpless
Stuart Kale tenor - Goro
D'Arcy Bleiker baritone - Prince Yamadori
Clive Bayley bass - The Bonze
Simon Birchall bass - Yakuside
Roland Wood bass - The Imperial Commissioner
Frances Brett bass - The Official Registrar
Anne Sheridan Jinks soprano - Cio-Cio-San's mother
Paula Bott soprano - The Aunt
Ann Taylor mezzo-soprano - Kate Pinkerton
Cio-Cio-San's relations and friends and servants
Geoffrey Mitchell Choir
Philharmonia Orchestra
Yves Abel
Recorded in:
Blackheath Halls, London
13-17 December 2000
Producer(s)
Brian Couzens
Sound Engineer(s)
Ralph Couzens
Christopher Brooke (Assistant)
Format: DDD
Bit Rate: 24 Bit / 96K