As the date of the open-air performance of Operama’s Madame Butterfly approached and the skies around Johannesburg and Pretoria seemed set to provide thunderstorms and pelting rain for weeks to come, I felt more than a twinge of sympathy for the presenters, Big Concerts. The production had already had one major setback when they had to cancel the appearance in Stellenbosch due to poor advance sales.

But the gods were kind and a starry, balmy evening saw about 15 000 people make their way to the Minolta Loftus Stadium in Pretoria to see Giuseppe Raffa’s Madame Butterfly (originally created by Giacomo Puccini in 1904 as Madama Butterfly), a follow-up to his highly successful Aida in the same venue last year.

Madame Butterfly doesn’t require the extravagance of six sets, a large cast and masses of costumes as Aida does (not to mention elephants and horse-drawn chariots if one is to do the opera properly!) so the designers were able to concentrate on the quality and poignancy of the story.

It’s the tragic tale of Cio-Cio San (Butterfly), a 15 year-old Geisha girl sold in marriage to dashing Lt Benjamin Franklin Pinkerton, a US Naval officer. When the war is over, he is recalled to his country, promising Butterfly he will return. Ostracised by her community, she becomes penniless with only their son Trouble and her devoted servant Suzuki as company. She steadfastly refuses to accept that her husband has left her for good and waits patiently for his return. Pinkerton eventually does return but with his American wife Kate, wanting to take Trouble home to America. Totally bereft, Butterfly kills herself.

As “Butterfly”, Japanese soprano Mina Hamazaki gave a stupendous and eloquent performance from her girlish, delicate shyness at the marriage ceremony, through the long anguished waiting hours and anger with those who would have her marry again to her final magnificent dramatic moments. Her Un bel de vedremo (One Fine Day) was a soaring luminous tribute to hope and love.

Principal baritone at the National Opera House of Warsaw since 1992, Zbigniev Macias was a proud, sympathetic and honourable Sharpless, the US Consul torn between duty to his country and fondness for Butterfly. One of the most memorable scenes was when Sharpless tries to read Butterfly a letter from Pinkerton saying he doesn’t want to see her any more but, sensing disaster, she keeps interrupting him.

Having been highly impressed with Italian mezzo-soprano Roberta Mattelli’s performance as Amneris last year in Aida, I admit I expected more from her Suzuki. While in fine voice and portraying the maid with constancy and loyalty, she seemed to under-play the role, only allowing her power and strong sense of the dramatic to come through in the scene in which she berates the marriage broker (Goro) for daring to intimate that Butterfly’s marriage is illegal.

Performing alongside these three international stars and proving his equal worth as one of South Africa’s top tenors, Jannie Moolman gave a consistent and solid interpretation of Pinkerton, presenting him as a spoilt and lusty but likeable man seeking a temporary sexual diversion. He brought much sincerity to the final scenes when Pinkerton, overcome with remorse, realises how he has destroyed Butterfly’s life.

The five sub-principal parts were well-performed by South African singers. Marcus Desando was a suitably unctuous and money-grabbing Goro, Kate Henderson played Kate with dignity and elegance and Gabuka Booi’s Yamadori was stately and imposing. Xolela Sixaba handled the difficult role of Bonze well and Sipmphiwe Qavane was a dignified Commissioner.

Unfortunately the child playing Trouble was at least six, when in terms of the story line the infant cannot be more than three, so much of the poignancy was lost in the last couple of scenes which features Butterfly and Suzuki with the toddler.

Giuseppe Raffa conducted the New Arts Philharmonic Orchestra (no ghastly sounds from the trumpets as in Aida, mercifully!) and the Cape Town Opera Chorus under chorus master Gunter Wallner was in good voice. In the chorus I spotted Danelle Smuts, a former member of the Playhouse Singers. She saved my life when she sang the dreaded Climb Every Mountain offstage for me when I had to take over the role of Mother Abbess in the Playhouse Company’s production of Sound of Music at short notice and there was no way I could hit a top A flat!

All kudos to the technical team of Paolo Micciche (visual director) and Patrick Watkinson (projections designer) for a visually stunning production with its imagery of sliding screens, blossoms, old Japanese porcelain vases, masks, ships and waves as well as the use of huge shadows and wild-eyed monsters and dragons. Special mention must be made of Butterfly’s superb wedding dress and the chorus costumes which appeared to be batik printed.