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From Long to Belasco to Giacosa and Illica, the roles of Cio-Cio-San, Suzuki and Sharpless have remained the same. Pinkerton, however, in Long and Belasco’s stories, was a totally offensive character — conceited, stubborn and cold-hearted. Long even received savage letters from American sailors objecting to his portrayal of the naval officer. The role was not the conventional one that an opera audience expected of an Italian operatic tenor. Giacosa and Illica’s libretto was extended from Belasco’s play to suit the conventions of an opera, but they did little to modify Long and Belasco’s unattractive portrayal of Pinkerton. These changes came later, and mostly before the Paris premiere in 1906, when the director, Albert Carré, met with Puccini and asked the composer to make some alterations to suit the tastes of Parisian audiences. As it turned out, the Paris production established the now familiar score of Butterfly. Several derogatory names used by Pinkerton were removed and an aria was added in the third act. We can now believe that Pinkerton, selfish and cowardly as he was, was nevertheless sincerely in love with Cio-Cio-San, and still loves her when he returns.

Adelaide, his American wife in Long’s story, like Pinkerton, thinks of Japanese girls as toys: “Will you kiss me, you pretty — plaything.” Belasco will keep the same derogatory term of “plaything.” In his play, Kate is still highly insensitive to Butterfly’s situation and feelings. But Kate is transformed in Puccini’s opera, and by the second version of the libretto, the callous woman is softened into a sympathetic, understanding lady.

From the disastrous opening night at La Scala on February 17, 1904, to the Metropolitan Opera House premiere on February 11, 1907, starring Geraldine Farrar and Enrico Caruso, Madame Butterfly had a slow start but went on to become a favorite of opera audiences around the world.

My first Butterfly production as a member of the MOT Orchestra occurred during the fall of my second season with Joseph Rescigno conducting. At that time the orchestra rehearsals were held in the band room of Wayne State University’s Shaver Music Building, an uninspiring room with poor acoustics.

The fall performances themselves were held at the Fisher Theatre and in the spring at the Masonic Temple. Neither orchestra pit was satisfactory. At the Masonic Temple, my stand partner and I had to wait for everyone to be in their seats before we could take ours once the trap door of the staircase leading to the pit was closed! We then had to find the right angle to be sure we had enough room for bowing. The cellos were often in the middle or back of the pit, making contact with the conductor difficult.

The conductor is the magician of an operatic enterprise. The first two rehearsals are always for the orchestra alone, giving the conductor a chance to have us ready for the singers. Every conductor has his or her own rehearsal technique. Some let us play large passages right away to give us a general idea of the opera, while others stop us after the first few notes to train us to follow their baton technique and its demands. Steven Mercurio, who conducted Butterfly in 1999 with the enthusiasm he is known for, sings all the parts during the whole rehearsal! Some start with the last act to make sure it is properly covered. This season our maestro will be Edoardo Müller, the conductor for MOT’s memorable concert version of Aida with Luciano Pavarotti. Rehearsals without the voices can be boring, but the orchestra part of Puccini’s music is so rich that it could almost stand alone. The cello lines in Puccini are always gratifying to play, but in Madame Butterfly there is no prominent cello solo, as in Tosca. However, the cello is present for some important moments of the opera, and when Cio-Cio-San and her girlfriends appear on stage, a lovely duet with violin is heard. The unison of all the strings, sometimes along with the soprano, are powerful, as when Butterfly imagines Pinkerton’s return in the second act. At the very end, there is another beautiful cello line when Butterfly prepares to kill herself.

Puccini wrote well for all instruments, including the harp. Patricia Terry-Ross, MOT’s Principal Harpist, tells me, “He did not write pianistically chromatic harp parts. It’s clear that he spent time listening to a harpist. He understood the sonority and color of the instrument and wrote so that the parts are almost always heard, regardless of range. He even wrote occasional solos.” And, she adds, “His music is beautiful...it’s a pleasure to play and hear.” I could not agree more.

Augusto Bini recounts another personal anecdote about a Butterfly performance. “I remember one performance in Pisa when Cio-Cio-San was played by Augusta Oltrabella. At the end of the opera, my grandfather took me backstage to meet her and she gave me the American flag (the toy flag Cio-Cio-San gives to her son to play with at the end of the opera). The flag has 48 stars. It has been with me forever.”

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