Aria – Madame Butterfly DVD – Hui He, Mariella Guarena 

Over a hundred years after its premiere Puccini’s Madame Butterfly remains a favourite in the operatic repertoire a true work of genius that is transcendently moving in its expression of love loss hope and despair. Centering on a production for the Puccini Festival staged in Puccini’s home town of Torre del Lago in Tuscany this documentary provides a superb introduction to Puccini’s masterpiece whilst also illustrating his consummate skill as a composer for the operatic stage. Directed by Vivien Hewitt conducted by Keri-Lynn Wilson and starring the Chinese soprano Hui He wiht Stefano Secco as Pinkerton and Antonio Salvadori as Sharpless Madame Butterfly – The Trace of the Butterfly is an informative and insightful exploration of the opera’s themes and musical expression which is wonderfully brought to life with substantial performance extracts.