Butterfly is deserted and lives with her
two-year-old baby and her faithful maid Suzuki, praying and waiting for
the husband who never comes. The friendly consul tries to break to her
the news of Pinkerton's marriage with an American girl, but Butterfly
cannot comprehend such perfidy. She sees Pinkerton's ship entering the
harbour and calls Suzuki to help her deck the house with flowers. The
music of this scene is exquisite, as is also that of the scene in which
Sharpless reads Pinkerton's letter to Butterfly; but the whole act is a
treasure-house of delicious melody and tender pathos. It ends curiously,
but not the less effectively, with a short orchestral movement, played
whilst Butterfly, Suzuki, and the child post themselves at the windows
to watch through the night for the coming of Pinkerton. The grey dawn
shows Butterfly still at her post, though the others have fallen asleep,
but no Pinkerton appears. A little later that singularly unheroic person
sneaks in with his wife, whom he commissions to interview Butterfly
while he waits in the garden outside. Mrs. Pinkerton rather
cold-bloodedly offers to take charge of the child, to which Butterfly
agrees, and, after a passionate farewell, kills herself behind a
screen. Puccini's music is unquestionably the strongest thing he has
done yet. The score is richer and more solid than that of any of his
earlier works, and the orchestration shows no falling off in ingenuity
and resource.
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