Unbearable injustice: Prague State Opera's hard-hitting Butterfly

By David Karlin, 17 January 2020

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“Herman’s staging is filled with more authentic elements of Japanese culture than I have ever seen”

Reviewed at State Opera (Státní opera), Prague on 16 January 2020

Puccini, Madama Butterfly

Prague State Opera

Vincenzo Milletarì, Conductor

Jiří Štrunc, Conductor

Jiří Heřman, Director, Set Designer

Alexandra Grusková, Costume Designer

Olga Busuioc, Cio-Cio-San (Madama Butterfly)

Maria Kobielska, Cio-Cio-San (Madama Butterfly)

Peter Berger, Pinkerton

Luciano Mastro, Pinkerton

Pavol Remenár, Sharpless

Svatopluk Sem, Sharpless

Štěpánka Pučálková, Suzuki

Jana Sýkorová, Suzuki

Michaela Zajmi, Suzuki

Miloš Horák, The Bonze

Jiří Přibyl, The Bonze

Igor Loškár, Prince Yamadori

Matúš Mazár, Prince Yamadori

Josef Moravec, Goro

Václav Sibera, Goro

Oleg Korotkov, The Imperial Commissioner

Roman Vocel, The Imperial Commissioner

Libor Novák, The Official Registrar

Peter Paleček, The Official Registrar

Lenka Pavlovič, Kate Pinkerton

Erika Vocelová Jarkovská, Kate Pinkerton

Tomáš Foltýnek, Yakuside

Michael Skalický, Yakuside

Soňa Koczianová, Cio-Cio-san's mother

Markéta Frýdová, Cio-Cio-san's mother

Gabriela Pešinová, The aunt

Eliška Sedláčková, The aunt

Eliška Mourečková, The cousin

Tereza Růžičková, The cousin

Jan Lukášek, Set Designer

Daniel Tesař, Lighting Designer

Prague State Opera Chorus

Prague State Opera Orchestra

Parsifal reconsidered: A provocative improvisation in Prague

Frank Kuznik, 26th March

Timo Riihonen and Ester Pavlů stand out in a strong cast which carries Andreas Homoki's revised version of Wagner's final opera.

****1

Calixto Bieito’s Idomeneo runs out of time in Prague

Frank Kuznik, 28th September

At the Prague State Opera, Calixto Brieito relocates Mozart's opera seria to modern times, with disastrous results.

***11

Reimann's Lear makes for a dark season finale at Prague State Opera

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Aribert Reimann's Lear takes no prisoners in a disturbing portrayal of a world gone awry, but Barbora Horáková's scattergun direction adds to the confusion.

***11

A politically charged new Manon in Prague

Frank Kuznik, 27th March

Puccini's classic takes on a harsh contemporary edge in a dark treatment by director Sláva Daubnerová at Prague's National Theatre.

****1

A rambunctious Platée revival in Prague

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SKUTR's daring direction and Václav Luks's early music expertise combine to bring new vitality to a Baroque classic.

*****

To the apocalypse and beyond: Le Grand Macabre in Prague

David Karlin, 14th June

Nigel Lowery’s new production at Prague State Opera is a gusher of ideas, starting as slapstick but profoundly moving by the end.

****1

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David Karlin

David is a co-founder of Bachtrack. He is a musical omnivore interested in almost all types of music, but with a particular love of Italian opera. You can contact him from this link.