Madama Butterfly

Director Jean-Pierre Ponnelle (1932-1988) has been called "a weaver
of magic, a curator of the sublime, a master choreographer, a footlose
farceur" (The Wall Street Journal). One of the most imaginative director-
designers of our times, Ponnelle was also the first significant opera
director to have a large portion of his work preserved on film. In his
chilling and poignant account of "Madama Butterfly", he tried to use all
the typical resources of film such as flashbacks, slow motion and "inner
monologues", where the singers do not move their lips to sing. Under the
direction of Herbert von Karajan, the stellar cast includes Mirella Freni,
Placido Domingo and Christa Ludwig.

Composer:	Giacomo Puccini
Title:	Madama Butterfly
Conductor:	Herbert von Karajan
Staged By:	Jean-Pierre Ponnelle
Soloist:	Mirella Freni, Plácido Domingo, Christa Ludwig, Robert Kerns, Michel Sénéchal, Giorgio Stendoro, Marius Rintzler, Elke Schary
Set:	Jean-Pierre Ponnelle
Orchestra:	Wiener Philharmoniker
Chorus:	Chor der Wiener Staatsoper
Video Director:	Jean-Pierre Ponnelle
Genre:	Opera
Length:	147 minutes
Cat.No.:	A05004539