Act I Preludio C

Medium: Pit Orchestra

Genre: Fugal Exposition/Opera Prelude

Act I Ancora un passo B
a) medium: soprano (Butterfly), chorus (friends), baritone (sharpless), instrumental (pit
orchestra)
a. genre: recitative, Romantic opera
b) 1. The melody is sweet and expressive, in which Butterfly sings about her happiness to be
getting married. In the background, her friends sing in harmony with her. The overall texture
could be described as homophonic as her friends singing accompanies her. However, the
string instruments that are playing are playing with the same melody as her. The string
instruments and Butterflys singing are therefore able to be regarded as monophonic. In
addition to this, the harp also play chords in the background. These instrumental
accompaniment are simple. At one point, Sharpless harmonizes with Butterflys singing too.
It is very slow-paced, and sung in pentatonic scale. Butterflys singing is very melismatic and
sings in a wide range, in a soprano voice. She ends the song at the climax with a very high
note. It is in duple meter.
2. In this song, we could only hear the voice of Butterfly and her friends. She only enters
the stage towards the end of the song as this song is Butterflys arrival. The stage is set
so that we could see the Japanese house and its garden. Butterflys arrival is therefore
anticipated through her singing from afar. She later enters the scene from the bridge
with an umbrella after many of her friends. This makes her stands out from her friends
and allow the audience to identify her as Butterfly. The orchestra is situated in the pit in
front of the stage.
****3. The song is a recitative and it is through-composed.

Act I Vieni, amor mio! A
a) Medium: tenor (Pinkerton), soprano (Butterfly), instrumental (pit orchestra), tenor (Goro)
a. Genre: recitative, Romantic opera
b) 1. The melody of the song at certain points that Butterfly was singing was taken from a
Japanese folk song called Sakura. This is repeated throughout the piece as an
accompaniment for the singing voices. Butterfly also sings in a pentatonic scale which
represents the exotic, oriental culture. Her parts are very virtuosic. The tempo changes
throughout the piece. The accompaniment in this piece is as loud as the voice at some
points to make the emotions more expressive. The texture is homophonic. The mood of the
song shifts from happy to tragic to happy again in the end. It is in duple meter.
2. Both of the main singers are present on stage, acting out the scene. They were sitting on
the balcony of their house, while Butterfly takes out her treasures from her sleeve. They are
dressed in appropriate clothing, Butterfly in her traditional Japanese kimono and Pinkerton
in his naval uniform. The orchestra is situated in the pit in front of the stage.
3. The song is a recitative and is through-composed. It bounces back and forth between
Pinkerton and Butterfly as they converse about her treasures. It gets extremely emotional at
certain points.
4. By hearing the work in person, I was able to see the emotions of the characters on stage.
By acting out the scenes, I was able to understand more about what Puccini is trying to
convey in terms of the story and the emotions. The acoustics of the theater also improves
the quality of the music.
5. Here in this scene, Butterfly is showing Pinkerton her treasures. At one point, she holds a
case in which she calls it her most important treasure but was reluctant to telling him at that
moment due to the amount of people present. Goro then informs Pinkerton that it is the
dagger that her father used to commit suicide. As the story goes on, the mood of the song
changes so that it relates more to the subject. For example, the mood changes to sad and
tragic when it reaches the dagger part of the song.
6. compare to marriage of Figaro by Mozart. Both are duets. Very different. Mozart = more
focused on instrumental, sings at the same time. Major key. Homophonic
7. In this song, Puccini has been influenced by Japanese culture. This could be seen from the
melodies of Japanese folk songs that were used. This was from the wife of the Japanese
ambassador to Italy who sang native songs to him. He would have got those songs from her
and would have been inspired by the Japanese stories she told him. (SFCV)
8. Japanese culture at that point was popular. The appeal of the exotic culture of the
eastern, faraway countries were rising in the public and this must have made Puccini decide
to choose it as his subject. He would have chosen to add the Japanese folk tunes in to make
the songs more relatable to the culture.

Act I Tutti ziti! B
a) Medium: tenor - goro, bass - commissioner
a. Genre: recitative
b) 1. The song started off with an intense bass introduction. The melody is heavily accented.
The instruments are imitative responses to each other and they also correspond to the
singing. This melody or theme is played repetitively through the song. The tonality of the
song tends to a minor key. The texture is homophonic as the instruments accompanies the
singing. At the part where the Commissioner sings about Pinkerton and the United States,
the melody that represents America, the national anthem, are played by the instruments as
accompaniment. It is in duple meter. It is dramatic.
c) 2. The scene in this song compromises of the Japanese garden at the back of the house. All
the characters are present for Pinkertons and Butterflys wedding. The Commissioner
stands face forward the audience. The orchestra is situated in the pit in front of the stage.
d) 3. The song is a recitative and is through-composed.

Act I Bimba dagli occhi B
a) Medium: pinkerton and butterfly
a. Genre: aria
b) 1. Major starts off. Homophonic. Full of emotions. Melismatic and virtuosic. At some point
monophonic. Minor at one point tragic scared. Contains
c) Through composed
Act II Un bel di A
a) Medium: butterfly
a. Genre: aria
b) 1. Virtuosic melismatic. Tension = strings moving with her. Homophonic. Expressive. Word
painting. Vibrato in voice. Wide range of tone. Accented. Brass = stresses and accents parts.
Very expressive and moving
c) 2. With Suzuki. Singing inside the house
d) Form: variation. Same theme/melody used repetitively. An aria
e) 4. Sadness
f) 5.
g) 6. Compare to mad scene from Lucia di Lammermoor Donizetti.flute mirrors voice like how
instrument mirrors voice in un bel di. Both arias. Its a romantic work, madame butterfly is
late romantic
h) 7. Tension between USA and Italy in 1890 due to war. Meant portrayal of USA in a negative
light
i) 8. Tried to create a more dynamic opera bad/good side is always a better concept
Act II Tutti I fior? C
Act III Con onor muore A
1. Tragical chant, romantic catholic ish. Instrumental melody from prior songs.
2. Strings + brass monophonic, pentatonic. Alternate with singing. Emotional and tragic.
Virtuosic. Word painting. Vibrato in voices. Wide range in tone. Homophonic in some parts.
Very dynamic, change in dynamics. = more emotional. Brass introduction. Starts off slow
then speeds up. Dramatic instrumental depends on what is happening in the scene.



Dvorak Ave Maria B
Date: 1879 medium soprano, organ, genre: sacred hymn
Form: strophic
Music: major key, homophonic. Slow paced. Melismatic. Duple meter. Ends with a cadence
Schubert Ave Maria A
Date: 1825, genre: , medium: soprano, organ
Form: strophic
1. Homophonic, slow paced, duple meter, very expressive singing part. Word painting vibrato.
Major key.
Mozart Tra loscure ombre funeste B
Date: 1785, genre: sacred oratorio/aria, medium: soprano, organ
Form: sepearted into 2 parts
Music: instrumental introduction. Minor key. Accented. Homophonic. Changes to major halfway +
faster pace.