GONSALEZ OPERA CO

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2957, 21 December 1916, Page 3

GONSALEZ OPERA CO

" MADAME BUTTERFLY " "Madame Butterfly," a grand opera in three nets, by Puccini. Cast— Madame Butterfly ...Signorina Gonsalez Lieut. I l '. B. Pinkerton .iSignor Lois Sharpies Signor Belloni Goro ■ Signor Petrucci Prince Yamadori Signor Barontini The Bonze Signor Cesaroni The Imperial Commissioner Signor Borghesi The Official Registrar Signor Scipioni Kate Pinkerton Signorina Piccolo Suzuki Signorina Buss It is now five.and a half years since "Madame Butterfly" first made us subjects to her manifold graces and prettiness. Previous to that Puccini had been but a name to us in our remoteness, though long acclaimed as the one great living witness of grand opera. His genius is 3iot cramped. It is as free as the -winds as far as choice of subjects is concerned, and once having seized upon his theme he ■ writes rapidly and enthusiastically. His opera is not founded on Walter- Luther Long's book, but rather on the short play that was bo exquisitely from it by the noted New York producer, David Belasco, and when it was donelall the world wondered why other 3 had not seized on such a fascinating setting for a musical work of consequence.. Puccini in "Madame Butterfly" does not : aim at reflecting Japanese music or Japanese character in his score. The music is fluently, melodiously Puccinian, and owes nothing to anything save his own masterful individualism, but that sufficed to make it probably the finest operatic work of its tinio, and there are few opera seasons of any moment held in the artistic centres that do not inolude a performance of this lovely opera. In the music one may trace very clearly the infinite variety of the composer's resources as a writer for orchestra. Every character has its individual theme—each a thread of the purest melody—and if the character a theme stands for is not visible, one may trace the orchestral reference to tho thoughts that have their being in the performers that do figure tin tho scene. The delicate interweaving of these themes makes the orchestral music alone a work of infinite intricacy and beauty. The story is simplo and movingly pathetic. It tells of Lieutenant Pinkerton's Japanese marriage with pretty little Cho Cho San (Butterfly), who loves him very dearly. But the gay .young officer makes love and sails. away, promising to return "when the robins nest again." And so when Lieut. Pinkerton doei return to Japan, Cho Cho San sits up all night through a little hole in the shoji, sure that he will come back to her and their little Trouble, He does come the next morning, and with hira his American' wife, who, with the effrontery of her people, desires the custody of her husband's child. Heartbroken at Pinkerton's perfidy, sho promises tho foreign lady the child in half an hour. In that time she takes her farewell of the child, and then commits hari-kari with her father's sword, on I which is inscribed the significant'words, "Death with hoiioui/ is better than life with dishonour."'

Signoriua Gonsalez, who was entrusted with the name part, gave a very charming'and sympathetic performance, sustaining the dramatic side of the character and singing the music as one in; love with the part, which certainly suited her voice and personality to a nicety. It is not unusual for Italian singers to make the character subservient to the music, but this was not so with Signorina Gonsalez, who acted feelingly the role of tho faithful little Cho Gho San. Sho was heard to advantage in the enchanting love "duet that fallows the marriage ceremony at the end of the first''act,'- and 'gave luminous expression to the meaning- of the fine aria, "One •Pino "Day,"'.in which, in imagiitation, she depicts her husband's return to.the doubting Suzuki Admirable,..too,, was her. acting in tho tragio last'act'from the time she meets Pinkerton's wife to the. end, where, after executing. the happy dispatch, sho claws the floor towards, her child whilst in,' her death agonies. The audience recognised the merit, of her performance, and much applause and'a profusion of flowers wore her just reward..' Signor Lois, yinng; debpnnair,: and handsome, made a like~able' Pinkerton,' and sang the music easily and well, save for a troublesome tremolo in the upper register. Signor Bolloni acted and sang the role Sharpies with authority, and Goro (the marriagebroker) was humorously acted by Signor Potrucci. Signorina \Kuss was happily cast as Suzuki, and Kate Pinkerton was played by Signorina'•' Piccolo. Signor Barontini was tho Prince Ynmadori, and the Bonze was made a burlesque bogey man by Signor Cesaroni. The opera was beautifully mounted. The ■ first act—a Japanese villa—on tho hill above Nagazaki—made a charming stage picture, and tho interior scene of the second and third acts, with glimpses of the: sunlit waters, of Nagasaki Harbour, was picturesque and characteristic. Signor Giovanni Gonsalez conducted.

This evening the company will be seen for the first time in Bizet's popular opera, "Carmen," in which Signorina Russ will he'the Carmen, and Signorina Visoni will; appear as Michaela. Signor Capolli will sing Don Jose's music, and the Escannilla will he enacted hy Signor Scamuzzi. On Friday evening "Faust" will be repeated. On Saturday afternoon the bill will he "Cavalleria Rusticana"' and "I Pagliacci," and on Saturday evening the season will conclude with "Carmen."