Visually splendid telling of Puccini's Madama Butterfly in Hong Kong

By Dr. Anton D. Luiten, 07 October 2021

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Reviewed at Hong Kong Cultural Centre: Grand Theatre, Hong Kong on 6 October 2021

Puccini, Madama Butterfly

Opera Hong Kong

Yves Abel, Conductor

Pier Francesco Maestrini, Director

Nicolás Boni, Set Designer

Luca Dall'Alpi, Costume Designer

Bruno Ciulli, Lighting Designer

Sae-Kyung Rim, Cio-Cio-San (Madama Butterfly)

Mykhailo Malafii, Pinkerton

Marcin Bronikowski, Sharpless

Yayoi Toriki, Suzuki

Chen Yong, Goro

Sammy Chien, Prince Yamadori

Apollo Wong, The Bonze

Michelle Lange, Kate Pinkerton

Opera Hong Kong Chorus

Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra

A tokenistic Turandot in Hong Kong

Dr. Anton D. Luiten, 10th October

Veronika Dzhioeva presents a menacing Turandot in Opera Hong Kong's latest production which attempts to merge historical accuracy with the complexities of Orientalism.

***11

Hong Kong’s Roméo et Juliette a West Side Story wannabe

Alan Yu, 27th May

Opera Hong Kong’s Roméo et Juliette: a gigantic effort marred by confused artistic vision and irritating production choices.

**111

Opera Hong Kong’s modernised Salome leaves questions unanswered

Alan Yu, 12th October

Director Andrejs Zagars went for a multimedia presentation of Salome modernised to the 20th century, which had its moments, but left serious questions about deviations from Strauss’ score built around Oscar Wilde’s play unanswered.

***11

Hong Kong Opera's riveting tribute to Wagner in The Flying Dutchman

Alan Yu, 12th October

Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman is a tale not only about redemption through love, but also about the helpless plight of human beings in the face of wilful and vindictive supernatural forces. In the hands of Wagner, the mythical Dutchman, instead of being a collector of itinerant souls at sea, has become an intrepid adventurer condemned to eternal maritime wandering.

****1

A slick and enjoyable Tales of Hoffmann by Opera Hong Kong

Alan Yu, 25th May

Jacques Offenbach’s Tales of Hoffmann is a fine example of how the ridiculous can indeed be sublime. Three E.T.A. Hoffmann stories about otherworldly love affairs with defective femmes fatales, one of whom turns out to be a mechanical doll, connected only by the author’s gullible alter-ego as protagonist, scale the heights of the phantasmagorical.

****1

La Traviata with Opera Hong Kong: A commendable breakthrough

Alan Yu, 14th October

Verdi’s La Traviata is frequently listed as one of the most often programmed operas worldwide. Since it premiered in 1854, it must have greeted audiences around the world tens of thousands of times.

***11

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Dr. Anton D. Luiten

Dr. Anton D. Luiten is an educator and music critic. Based in Hong Kong, Dr. Luiten writes on western art concerts and reviews international artists. He also works for the International Baccalaureate as a lead educator, examiner and runs workshops on themes such as critical and creative thinking, and international mindedness. He is passionate about curriculum development, affording opportunities for students to nurture their talents, and educating the public on western art matters of historical significance as well as musical interpretation. His goal is to bring greater understanding and appreciation of music to the widest possible audience.