Review: Madama Butterfly, Russian State Opera, York Barbican, October 1

THE lyric performances in this touring company’s offering of Puccini's Japanese tragedy are wonderful, offering a tantalising glimpse of what, with more care and attention to detail in the staging, might have been a truly magical experience.

Elvira Gurieva’s capably delivered Butterfly is a great listen, at times transcending the physical expectations of the role, but her movements are often lumpish and heavy-footed, which feels at odds with the oft-repeated references in the dialogue to Butterfly’s tiny, fluttering form.

Dmitry Semkin evokes the raffish sea dog Pinkerton very well, with his “girl in every port” attitude and obvious carelessness of any feelings but his own bring ably demonstrated, although his constant triangular movement up and down the stage setting was distracting. The performance of the supporting cast was musically and vocally competent and the small orchestra was truly excellent.

The only off notes in the whole show came from the staging. If a set of sliding doors is central to the dramatic punctuation of the physicality of the production, then one might be expected to make sure they do in fact slide. Likewise, the translation of Puccini’s words, provided on the subtitle screen above the stage, was truly dreadful. A lovely performance – as long as eyes were firmly shut.

Alison Spaven