Last month I was at the premiere of Madam Butterfly at WNO in which Catherine Naglestad sang the title role, Cio-Cio-San. She was good vocally but there was something amiss and I mentioned that in a commentary to the Washington Post review. Now I know what it is. She was directed to act like a 15 year old but her voice was that of a woman. It's a beautiful singing voice but it didn't fit the acting. This all came to me because I was listening last night to the 1960 remaster on Angel Records of the 1939 recording of the Opera featuring Toti Dal Monte and Beniamino Gigli. Dal Monte, here, sings in a 15 year old voice -- open and vulnerable if a little piercing. It is said that Dal Monte had a similar tonality to Rosina Storchio who was Puccini's choice as Butterfly for the (first) premiere at La Scala. I like (or am used to) the current style of shaded vocal technique that makes rounder, prettier tones, but the early scenes, especially the wedding duet, really works better dramatically when the 15 year old bride sounds like an innocent teenager, not just acting it.
BTW, the sound is very good on this LP. Gigli alone is worth getting this recording. Naxos has this on CD with extra tracks of Dal Monte and I may have to get it just for those tracks.
