Opera title: | Madame Butterfly |
Composer: | Giacomo Antonio Puccini |
Language: | Italian |
Synopsis: | Madame Butterfly Synopsis |
Libretto: | Madame Butterfly Libretto |
Translation(s): | English Deutsch |
Type: | duet |
Role(s): | B. F. Pinkerton / Cio-Cio San |
Voice(s): | Tenor / Soprano |
Act: | 1.13b |
Previous scene: | Stolta paura |
Next scene: | Dolce notte! Quante stelle |
The prima donna of the Lithuanian National Opera, a lyrico-spinto soprano Irena Milkevičiūtė (b. 1947), was a soloist of the Theatre since 1976. In 1978-79, during her traineeship in La Scala, she prepared the roles of Cio-Cio-San, Mimi and Violetta, sang in the concerts with “Piccolo Scala” in Milano, Rome and elsewhere. Milkevičiūtė is a winner and laureate of many international singing contests, including the Glinka vocal contest (1977) and the international Cio-Cio-San competition in Tokyo in 1986. There are more than 20 diverse roles in her operatic record. Milkevičiūtė was equally succesful with lyrical parts such as Mimi, Cio-cio-San, Dezdemona, and Micaëla, spinto parts such as Aida, Amelia and Floria Tosca, soprano dramatico di coloratura parts such as Norma and Violetta as well as dramatic-passionate parts such as Abigaille and Turandot. She sang with Irina Archipova, Dolora Zajick, Fiorenza Cossotto, Leo Nucci and many others. Milkevičiūtė has performed at the Teatr Wielki in Warsaw, Bolshoi Theatre, Mariinsky Theatre, Latvian National Opera, Accademia Nationale di Santa Cecilia, La Scala, Metropolitan Opera, Savolinna Opera Festival in Finland, Split Festival in Croatia and others, as well as in numerous countries in Europe, North and South Americas. Prof. Irena Milkevičiūtė has been teaching singing at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre since 1988. In 2002 and 2003, she was awarded the Best Lithuanian Opera Soloist of the Year titles. Milkevičiūtė was married to the renowned tenor Gegam Grigorian, their daughter Asmik Grigorian is also an illustrious soprano.
We can enjoy this video thanks to the 'Gegam Grigorian' playlist.
Notte completa: cioelo purissimo e stellato. Avvicinandosi lentamente a Pinkerton seduto sulla panca nel giardino. Si inginocchia ai piedi di Pinkerton e los guarda con tenerezza, quasi suplichevole.
BUTTERFLY
Vogliatemi bene,
un ben piccolino,
un bene da bambino,
quale a me si conviene.
Vogliatemi bene.
Noi siamo gente avvezza
alle piccole cose
umili e silenziose,
ad una tenerezza
sfiorante e pur profonda
come il ciel, come l'onda del mare!
Full night: that is pure and starry. Slowly approaching Pinkerton sitting on the bench in the garden. He kneels at Pinkerton's feet and looks at him with tenderness, almost supri-compliant.
BUTTERFLY
Please feel good,
a very small child
a child's good,
which one suits me.
Please feel good.
We are good people
to the little things
humble and silent,
to a tenderness
grazing and yet deep
like heaven, like the wave of the sea!
Sheetmusic for duet | ![]() |
Sheetmusic for opera | ![]() |
MP3's for this duet | on Amazon.com |
DVD/CD's for this opera | on Amazon.com |