Weak leads sink beautiful Met Butterfly

By Robert Levine, 07 November 2017

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“when it collapses into Butterfly’s lap as a tired child would, it is difficult not to be moved”

Reviewed at Lincoln Center: Metropolitan Opera House, New York City on 6 November 2017

Puccini, Madama Butterfly

Metropolitan Opera

Jader Bignamini, Conductor

Anthony Minghella, Director

Michael Levine, Set Designer

Han Feng, Costume Designer

Hui He, Cio-Cio-San (Madama Butterfly)

Roberto Aronica, Pinkerton

David Bižić, Sharpless

Maria Zifchak, Suzuki

Tony Stevenson, Goro

The Metropolitan Opera Chorus

The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra

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Robert Levine

Robert T. Levine is a New York born-and-bred music writer with a particular interest in music for the voice. His work has appeared in many periodicals and newspapers. He is the author of many books, including The Story of the Orchestra, four volumes in the Black Dog & Leventhal Opera Library, and, most recently, Maria Callas: A Musical Biography.