Mirella Freni - Death of Butterfly

[dcm47000]

Je dois parler de sa voix, car j'ai l'impression qu'on n'en parle pas.

Cette scène est divine et Mirella Freni est une interprète hors pair.

Plutôt que de parler du suicide ou des coutumes japonaises, écoutez plutôt cette grande cantatrice qui nous ouvre les voies du Ciel.

[molarmama5]

My child died on 12/27/11, This is the only music that is sort of getting me to try to live.

I am honestly too tired to go on. Really tired and I am too old for another pregnancy. I feel like i am bleeding inside!

[zumbertinho]

The jumping through the shouji in the end is really unnecessary, and this version is slightly inaccurate in comparison with the opera (she blindfolds the child, goes behind a folding screen, he embraces her at the end, etc etc). However, I really think this is the best video version of the opera (I saw it once live, but only after I saw this one, and I wasn't impressed in the slightest). I can't believe someone can really like that Ying Huang version over this one, it's such a joke...

[tigerwa]

I hope they gave that child ear plugs!

[jenson7720]

@tigerwa...I know Hilarious... I was in the chorus of this opera a few years back and the child started crying on stage coz the singing was so loud ...u can imagine the freaked out butterfly!!!

[tootsiebutts]

i've own this video/dvd since 1995......ive gone thru 2 copies and 2 cd sets and i also have the record.... i have never heard anything more powerful and heartbreaking and most of all breathtaking....BUTTERFLY LIVES!!

[jenson7720]

I ALMOST cant listen because its so emotional...the music of course is everything but Freni is my favourite...such an even tone throughout range ...bel canto at its best ...add to that her natual rich warm beauitiful quality and ...OH MY GOD!!!...perfection

[Pitheco1]

Essa ópera filme é espetacular.... Freni, Domingo e Ludwig arrebentam!!!!

[operalament]

this has always been one of the most emotionally devasting moments in opera for me. and she has always been one of my favoritess. great singing, incredible emotion

[chihanontempo]

the music from 4.43 is just truly haunting

[Hootie7741]

Ah, Mirella Freni--she of the voice like a ripe Elberta freestone--and she can also act!

[love4nana707]

I cryed like a little kid while watching this part... Sooo soooo sad!!

[reginamenshikova]

Сижу на работе и рыдаю, потрясающая сцена, потрясающая игра и лучшее вокльное исполнение. Френи несомненно - лучшая певица 20 века.Брава!

[GulagGuro]

I love the way MB is not just a petty love story, it also explores some of society's terrible faults. Butterfly is a troubled, difficult and mildly eccentric girl who resuses (or is unable) to fall in line with society's expectations and desires, but knows that not doing so would result in indignity and poverty, she thinks that marrying wealthy American Pinkerton will help her out with this, only to discover that he's just as shallow as everyone else. I've read the whole libretto. I love it!

[maggipaolo]

@GulagGuro Only Puccini had explored so deeply the psicology of this character. Fantastic!

[gustavoanmosura]

ìmkerton you peach!!!

[delajo1]

Che meraviglia!! Madama butterfly è la mia opera preferita!! :))

[delajo1]

Che meravglia!!! madama butterfly è la mia opera preferita!! :))

[pourmoinyc]

Absolutely exquisite!!! Than you!

[molarmama5]

THE BEST OF THE BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!I am crying now for her sadness and loss, Puccini wrote operas about women. All types and the way life treated them. When you really understand this it will rip out your heart! LOVE Crushed.

[ThulaPeregrin]

Beautiful and very moving. I love the way she sings this role.

As to the Seppuku, they were historically very accurate with the way she commits suicide. Women were only allowed to cut their throats, not stab themselves, and their legs were tied together beforehand to maintain a "ladylike" position even in death (I'm a student of East Asian studies). Hope it helps the people interested.

[cantanteporsiempre]

The great whore of opera it´s Pinkerton

[violinist1990]

This kills me...it's so beautiful and tragic. Pinkerton was not a very honest man.

[zerblis]

Puccini - the finest writer of music. Ever!!!

[ClassicOperaGirl100]

Some of the most exqusite music Puccini ever wrote. Riveting memodrama magnificently sung.

[robertdamico1]

Beautiful

[DavidoffGustav]

I think I read somewhere that this was her favorite role, but one she never sang on stage because it required too much endurance for a voice of her lyricism. In one review of her recording with Pavarotti they said it was like a fine captured butterfly carefully examined, coming it at a much longer performance than any other.

[cantanteporsiempre]

@DavidoffGustav Oh, I also read once, she did not sing it on stage, because she was afraid of not having control over her emotions and ruin her vocal emition.

[MastersoftheOpera]

Mirella Freni's Madame Butterfly was one of her greatest roles. Just hearing her sing this final scene moves me to tears. She is a powerful singer with a deep understanding of the character and the music. Sopranos who sing Butterfly today should learn from Freni, she's one of the best

[nailycai]

I believe she is my favorite in this role. This is such a powerful scene and she performs it so well. I love the strong emotion that she is so able to convey with her voice.

[1PetiteMome]

omg it's almost not to bear to see her with her poor child...how despaired must she have been! im touched =,(

[Perrygodmother]

Kill yourself over a man and abandon your child? Has to be opera. Soap or otherwise.

[nestersg]

Actually, at that time in Japan, to be a dishonored woman was a fate worse then death.

[ZsaZsadoll]

PINKERTON YOU BASTARD

[Manigran]

Freni is remarkable here! She makes me cry and shiver every time. The farewell is just so heart wrenching.

[ellensmith]

it's so nice to have a real conversation on here. So often when you ask questions you get bombarded with idiots telling you that you are a retard and crap, but everyone has been so helpful.

[jordik1986]

I'm crying...

[Manigran]

Me too. Freni's farewell to the child is just so heart wrenching. She always makes my eyes water and my body shiver.

[loanadida]

the child has no idea what that freakin woman is talking about xD

[loanadida]

she's got a great voice and this aria is beautiful but the directing is awful!!

[ellensmith]

did women perform hara kiri?

[wannabedesi]

Not Hara kiri as it was known. There were some legends that well to do women in Japan were taught how to take their lives so they could maintain their honor.

[ellensmith]

thanks

[Asura8735]

do you mean seppuku? I think she cut her throat.

[ellensmith]

I tink Hara Kiri and Seppuku are really the same thing, but I think she did cut her throat, good point, I wonder if there is a different name for that, and as wannabedesi said, women possibly had their own version of seppuku.

[Asura8735]

all I can think of is "Jiketsu" which is generally known as a formal way of saying "suicide". Hope it helps;;

[ellensmith]

I've heard 'jiketsu' before but i didn't know what it meant, thanks

[ManuelSpintoTenor]

It actually means "Death with honour".

[bobon47]

@ellensmith  They cut the throat, I perpose

[ellensmith]

thanks

[molarmama5]

@ellensmith

They bound their legs and slit their own throats.

[stupidsminkle]

Very culturally inaccurate.

[molarmama5]

@stupidsminkle

HOW?

[maci25]

bad bad directing...:(

[Bliss101FU]

Why does the guy in the t-shirt have a huge hunk of hair missing?

[molarmama5]

@Bliss101FU

He has a part in his long frizzy/wavy hair.

[navydoc090]

Butterfly's make up is atrocious and Pinkerton's character embraces her in her final moment. When I saw him jump out through the wall like that. I thought what a dumb fool. Who jumps through the freakin wall? This scene ruined it for me. Thank goodness for Ying Huang's version. She does it justice. Her aria is so much better. Although this bitch was on point with the cues, and I liked the head bobbing as she topples over to the beat at the death scene.

[DoryViolet]

SPECTACULAR....grande Mirella!!! and I don't agree at all with vergoti20 and PaulHaigh072.

[SopranoKayla1992]

I've been thinking about making an anime of Butterfly for a few months now, but I lack the drawing skills and some friends willing to do Jap. and Eng, dubs.

[janleyyyy]

If they made Madama butterfly like a manga that scene would be graphic

[yamiko193]

A madame butterfly anime would be pretty cool!

[djminimoto]

I'd love to see such a thing,if someone wants to do it.

[Quinton111100]

@yamiko193

I know right!!! this is my fav. opera ever

[decimalegione55]

I saw her in the Scala in the '70.

Just magic.Thank you for posting this video

[zambombazo0]

Este aria es conmovedora y la desesperación de Butterfly está interpretada magistralmente por Mirella Freni

Que bien canta , que timbre tan bonito

Mercedes Pator 24-6-2009

[ciccioragusa]

Grandissima ed impareggiabile interprete, orgoglio nazionale. Grazie mxl2007 per avere inserito questo strepitoso video.

[ilmaestro18]

why DOES Pinkerton jump through the screen at the end?

[peaceblossom8]

I don't think he jumps, he falls... I find it quite interesting that she kills herself in front of him and that Suzuki (or at least I suppose it's Suzuki) "helps" her doing it.

[Manigran]

The beginning of the movie shows him running and then stopping by his American wife after he jumps through. I think it's just for effect to show his devastation. He can't believe what's happened, so he's not quite in his right mind.

[navydoc090]

I thought that was so stupid too. What a dumb fool. Who does that?

[anthonygarr]

Que posso dizer, IMPRESIONANTE!!!

[MrsLonChaney]

This is so beautiful but I have a question. Why is Pinkerton in a t shirt and why did he jump through the screen at the end?

[nclysander]

Because the usually wonderful director Ponnelle wasn't quite in his right mind at the time of this filming. ;) Seriously, I have no clue.

[made3057]

the t-shirt might be a symbol of the clash of japanese and american cultural heritage "during that time" for Ponelle

which by the way is the center theme of this opera...

[Manigran]

The culture clash is true. He's casually dressed to show his casual attitude towards love.

[wotanman]

Opium is a powerful drug!

[BayFlow408]

WOW. eyes always water when I see this. Im in love with Mirella Freni!! I should have seen her and Pavarotti in SF. I bet the tickets were bank!

[richardhemming0603]

Oh wow ... I'm new to opera. I saw Carmen in 2007 and loved it, have seen a couple of productions since by the WNO. Some friends of mine then bought me a copy of this film for my birthday ... I'm hooked, absolutely magnificent!! La Boheme next month!!!:o)

[swiftshaw]

Thank you mx12003 I enjoyed it very much indeed a very moving part of the opera

[mxl2003]

Can't you morons enjoy the music instead of flooding my inbox with notifications of your petty immature insult war? Get on with life, I don't want to have to disable comments on videos just b/c some petty idiots have nothing better to do with their lives. *eyeroll*

[vogelzwolf]

lol

[molarmama5]

@mxl2003 While I do not know you or these BAKA YARO, my boy friend Takashi, felt

"Madama Butterfly " was patronizing to the Japanese people; until I had explained that Puccini LOVED all women and created a sympathetic character, showing how women can be abused by men. He was working with the available info. of his day, regarding Japan. Tell these people to love and not to hate which, hate was the thing that kills BUtterfly.

[tenorismo]

@mxl2003 LOL of course they can't. Opinions are like assholes. Everyone has one.

[molarmama5]

@tenorismo Honto Neh.

[johnbunny135]

in the real seppuku ritual would she have opened the front of her kimono for the stabbing, instead of jabbing the knife through her dress?

[sullivangang]

not always...but it was always commited with a knife through the belly, not the throat...usually a "second" was on hand to make the deathswift by chopping of the person's head - a skilled swordsman would leave a flap of skin so the head wouldn't roll but stay connected to the neck - in most cases sepuuku was a punishment handed out by a lord to someone who betrayed them - not out of sorrow or honor - commonly misunderstood - they say it was honor but it was an "honorable" death instead of execut

[MissAnimegrl]

Actually, it was given as a choice between that and being outright executed. Because the Japanese believed that the belly was the source of the soul, just as Europeans in the middle ages believed the heart was the source. So, when saying in Europe, 'He has a black heart." or 'A yellow heart,' the Japanese said, 'His belly is black,' or , "His belly is yellow'. Seppuku was the act of saying, 'No, my belly is still red, so it is not corrupted.'

[sullivangang]

that's what i was trying to say but i got cut off. i forgot that part about the belly being red though. incidently i had a terrible nightmare just a few minutes ago about ritual suicide. ehhkk

[GalacticBanana]

Women committed seppuku by cutting the throat. Men cut their bellies.

[molarmama5]

@sullivangang

CHIGAIMASU!

[molarmama5]

@johnbunny135

That honor was for the guys. We all saw SHOGUN.

[aircat29]

Mirella increible como siempre...pero un hara kiri de garganta? reconozcan al menos que es raro...

[filmfanatic99]

Why wasn't the man in costume?

[zehtesko]

You do not know the story, do you?

[huselwusel123]

sommuove la mia anima questÓPERA E TROPPO BELLA GIACOMO PUCCINI E´GRANDE E LO RIMARRÁ PER SEMPRE

[huselwusel123]

Sublime

[KatherineXIX]

Though I usually prefer a young Asian Butterfly (regardless of how much I idolize Freni), this version has the best ending by far. I hate it when she's already stabbed herself, hears him, and runs back and dies in his arms. Here, the look in her eyes as she glares at him and proudly stabs herself is just chilling. Her only moment of strength in her life.

[molarmama5]

@KatherineXIX

That is what makes this chillingly perfect!

[BachirRita]

Pour Louisette la sensibIlie et l amour... hIP HIP HOURAH...

[JeanieJohnston]

This is no mocking of culture. This opera was written in the 1800's by an Italian and is sung in Italian. The bad guy here is the American who married a Japanese woman for sport and then abandoned her. This is how people behaved back then....it is no mockery.

[LeonardoEulero]

This opera was written in the 1900's : first 1904 then 1905

[elexiee]

i hate how this did this kind of shit bak in the day. it's like their mocking my culture.

[JeanieJohnston]

This Opera was written in the 1800's by an Italian and is sung in Italian. The bad guy here is the American who abandons Butterfly after marrying her. This is no mocking of culture, but a story reflecting the times of that day.

[jitloi]

You are looking for insults where there are none.

[vocalpianist]

you need to educate yourself...

[Hortensiah]

I love Mirella Freni

[CaringIsCreepy16]

I can keep it together until about 4:17. After that...wow....haha I am gone. Its so sad and beautiful. -sniffles-

[Manigran]

Freni makes me shiver and cry. She is the best at this, at least from what I've seen.

[Fundudehh7]

its wierd, in one of the other ones her boy is american

[magghot]

ahahahahaa....you make me laugh..

[theladyjayde]

And correct me if i'm wrong but is the tieing of the knees so she'll be found in a 'dignified' posistion?

[requiemsinger]

Yup.

[theladyjayde]

I cry so bad watching this.

[operaoaf]

Freni is one of the great butterflies ever! It's both dramatic but lyric as well. The perfect spinto.

[Manigran]

I agree with you. She is the only singer that I've seen that really channels the grief and exhaustion

[Mixtupabit]

Freni without doubt the best Butterfly..the CD with her and Pav with Karajan conducting is fantastic..

[Alexpasini93]

I agree with you!

[Alexpasini93]

I agree with you!

[stradrools]

why do i have to cry every single time??

[alceste66]

ponnelle è un genio. Penso che la freni abbia fatto bene a limitare questo ruolo allo studio, comunque superba e indimenticabile.

[silvr94]

Is this the real version of kamikaze? or just made up?

[cocosanti69]

no Cio Cio San, DONT DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Davidoff1Gustav]

hey take it at here words... she cares most in the world for her son in japan he would be a disgrace.. taken to america she sacrifices herself for her son.. it's about a mothers love for her child not the man who hurts here

[wesskin]

Always start to cry hearing this ' beautiful ' music - M.Freni sings it superb !

Madama Butterfly was my first opera i heard completely and on vinyl and with the legendary Maria Callas . When she sings the last scene , i must say this goes right into my heart !!!

wes

[canafinwe]

Poor little Butterfly...

Usually I like the wild, passionate operas (like Tosca, Il trovatore, Ring, Don Carlo), not the sentimental type (this, La bohéme, Traviata), but this is just beautiful.

[meriomeri]

This is the most powerful scene Puccini ever created-- everything about it is electric with agony. The way Butterfly must collect herself, lose herself and ultimately refocus is breathtaking.

[wotanman]

Karajan pushed Freni to the limit on this role, but unlike others, she never went overboard. The Freni/Karajan recording with Pav is still the gold standard in my book. LOVE the fearless phrasing! Karajan and Freni also worked miracles in Carmen as Micaela.

[tanto1948]

I disagree with the comment from Shamus MacGuffin. Butterfly did not end her life out of "spite". She chose to end her life because she was "heartbroken".

[alexandriusgirl]

Actually it's more because she was shamed. In the Japanese culture there's nothing worst than being dishonored (she changed her intire life for him- the locals never forgave her for becoming a christian). That's why this opera is one of the fews that have a real life drama, and not the over done one :)

Oh man... I still get goosebumps in this scene...

[ShamusMacGuffin]

I agree that she was heartbroken, but in traditional ways of the samurai, if you have been dishonored, one way to regain your honor is to take your own life in front of the one who shamed you. So when I said out of spite, I didn't mean she was being vindictive.

[Davidoff1Gustav]

Freni was not the best Butterfly, she only recorded the best butterfly.. she never sang it on stage it was too long and heavy and she took great care of her voice.... imaging if she had recorded tourandot as the princess not lui

[BravaBerganza01]

I´ve received today CD Madama Butterfy with Mirella Freni, Teresa Berganza and Jose Carreras. It´s INCREDIBLE! Mirella as Cio-cio-san is great! I love that music.. Vivat Puccini, Berganza, Freni and VIVAT OPERA!

[operaoaf]

I love mirella in this role. He is a superb singing actress blessed with a great voice. Butterfly's tragic suffering and tears find life in her. The true attributes of this video are the colorful tones of the background and of course the gorgeous sounds. Even with the beautiful voices and music, this video is subpar. I can't believe Domingo was dressed like a clown and his crashing exit is too silly to behold, which is completely inappropriate here.

[Orbazzano]

Piango sempre quando lo guardo. Grande Mirella, la più grande di sempre!

[OperaGhost1990]

I have the whole opera on DVD and Mirella is the best Butterfly of our time. Domingo was too young when this was filmed, so his voice was not as good as it got some years later, but is a very good DVD, eventhough it has some pathetic scenes.

[fiordiligicymraeg]

gosh - was that really Domingo?? I would never have recognized him! Just proves the wrong hair do and moustache can ruin even the most gorgeous of men ;-)

[LaReineDesTulipes]

mon dieu...

[rinzunza]

"Con honor muere, quien con honor no puede vivir"

Vuela mariposa... eres libre

[onegin1899]

The pocket rocket delivers again and sends the childs toes not to market but the accident and emergency ward Ouch!!!!!

[EmmyKami]

How sad....

[EmmyKami]

And how powerful too. How sad that her own husband watched her comide suicide.:(

[ShamusMacGuffin]

He was not her husband. He lied to her and "married" her under false circumstances. He then went back home to the states and married an American woman. He came back to Japan to collect the child. She chose to end her life out of spite. It's a code of honor.

[cek1111]

I wept a lot. She is both Great mimi and butterfly

[vergoti20]

Mirella Freni never sang Butterfly on stage.She knew she was unable to sing this dramatic role in the theater.

Her filmed Butterfly, this movie, she is only aceptable though weak

[moghedien13]

Only a singer can know what they should or shouldnt sing on stage, but I think Freni underestimated herself and could have. Caballe did and Freni has a much more powerful voice than her, plus more youthful which wonderfully captures Butterfly.

[PaulHaigh072]

Caballe FAR more powerful than Freni who was good for a bathtub and little else.

[cccp2204]

Adoro la Madama Butterfly! Tante grazie d'aver messo qui questa incisione. Mirella Freni e' stupenda come sempre!!!!

[zurriuss]

I watch Madame Butterfly Film first. Its Mega Amazing! Many many thanks to you for posting this!