Second Link

 An omaggio is a musical term that the song is a celebration or tribute to something or someone.

In  Mo Li Hua the tribute is to the jasmine flower, this is expressed in the music and in the lyrics.

     

  Hǎo yī duǒ měi lì di mò li huā

Hǎo yī duǒ měi lì di mò li huā

Fragrant flowers filled the air,

Beautiful blossoms everywhere

Choose a blossom white and pure

Give to the one that you adore

Mò li huā, yā, mò li huā.                    

(This is the English translation)     

 here are the notes

While in Madam Butterfly it was Cho-Cho’s husband who expressing his devotion and tribute though his words, this is great irony but it is still an omaggio.

In a sense the whole play can be consider because its Puccini omaggio because it tributes to Japan. Most composers during Puccini’s life time wouldn't have considered or rejected.          

First Link

First before explaining the link I will like to explain what a pentatonic scale is, a pentatonic scale is a scale or mode with five notes per octave. It’s a contrast from the scale that is commonly used in western music, the heptatonic which is seven notes per scale. Madam butterfly can be considered to be classified as western music but Puccini believes that music has no nationality, ““the music cannot really be called American, for music has no nationality”” (469, Newman). Madam butterfly is a mix between western and Asian music. Puccini uses the western European/Italian principles in composing but he brings in Asian influences to add to the story of Madam Butterfly. Such as the pentatonic scale which brings us to the first link in between Italian opera and Chinese folk song. 

The c major pentatonic scale can be found in both the Madam Butterfly and in Mo Li Hua. In Mo Li Hua the first variation is using the c major pentatonic scale mainly in the lyrics. 

As in Madam Butterfly Puccini is consonantly using the C major pentatonic scale in various parts, especially with the singers. 

(sorry for the bad picture had to take a picture with my phone)

Mo Li Hua (Melody/Lyrics/Voice)

This is the melody and lyrics in Chinese and Hanyu Pinyi.  

Singer of the song is telling a jasmine flower how beautiful it is and asks if it can be plucked so its beauty can be shared. The song estimated to be 300 or so years old. The voice is usually in a soprano range. As for the melody in its self is arioso, an air like melody. This is because the folksong is a “cradle song” or a lullaby.                                              

Mo Li Hua (instrumentation from a traditional Chinese orchestra )

(Lead) Chinese erhu- this instrument is a small bowed instrument with two strings made of ebony or sandalwood. The erhu takes the melody from the xylophone and then transition into melodic ornaments in the first  30 seconds. Then at 1:07 the eruh takes the lead again. At 1:25 the erhu return to a shared melody. Finally after sharing the melody with the full ensemble the erhu plays with the dizi in the last six seconds fading away and ending the song.  

                                        

 Dizi- this is a bamboo flute with an additional finger hole that is covered by a piece of thin paper-like fiber that makes a buzz like sound.  The dizi is played in the begging with the xylophone making an echoed like sound in the first 13 seconds. Then in the 42 seconds of the song the dizi takes the melody from the erhu having a same role as the erhu. Flute answers the erhu on a call back and forward at 1:07.  The Dizi finally plays with the erhu and fades away ending the song.    
                                                            

  

Sheng- is a mouth-blown gourd with bamboo pipes and a free reed. This instrument opens with a mid-pitched tone. After the dizi the sheng takes the melody along with the other instruments in 56 seconds of the song. 

Zheng- is 15- to 25-string plucked instrument. The zither is played with the sheng and other instrument to play the melody, returning to the same sound.  Until on 1:07 Zither repeats its accompaniment figure. 

 Yangqin- is a four-octave, multistringed hammer dulcimer.  This instrument opens the song with this percussion instruments and others percussion instrument being lightly played.

Xylophone- in the 11 seconds the xylophone enters with a solo, then the xylophone echo’s with the high bamboo flute in 13 second of the song.  At 1:07 the Xylophone reenters with the ehru taking the lead, then at 1:38 the xylophone full ensemble play.

Madame butterfly (Melody)

The melody for Madame Butterfly is consistently changing due to the different emotions in the story of the opera. Japanese melodies have been inputted into the score, notably the melody which follows Goro’s enumeration of the guests, the Butterfly motive, and the Yamadori theme, so strongly reminiscent of the Mikado’s. 

Madam Butterfly (instruments)

The instruments for Madam butterfly where used to accompany the singers on stage. The full orchestra was gradually larger which consisted of wood winds: 

           

 

Also brass instruments:

Along with string instruments:

Also some percussion:

Madam Butterfly (Voices)

Principle Characters

Cho-Cho-San (Madam Butterfly)……………………………………………….Soprano

Suzuki……………………………………………………………………………………….Mezzo-soprano

Kate Pinkerton………………………………………………………………………….Soprano

Lieutenant B.F Pinkerton ………………………………………………………….Tenor

Sharpless……………………………………………………………………………………Baritone

Goro…………………………………………………………………………………………Tenor

Prince Yamadori…………………………………………………………………………Baritone

The Bonze…………………………………………………………………………………..Bass

Yakuside……………………………………………………………………………………Baritone

The imperial commissioner………………………………………………………..Bass

                                                                                                                                                                                 (Newman 467)

Madam Butterfly (Origin)

Madam Butterfly was originally a play before it was ever an opera, when Puccini first show the play there where so many alterations to the play that he was unable to understand the words text but the overall story and the theatrical handling inspired him to compose the opera we all know today. Puccini must have felt an instinct to add music in the play, such as part when the moving episode of the Butterfly’ lonely vigil for the first few seconds of the play.       

The main plot of the story is about an American naval officer named Lieutenant Benjamin Franklin Pinkerton, who arrives in Japan to take up his duties. Who was suggested by one of his friends to take a Japanese wife and house. The young bride, Cho-Cho-San, is a geisha whose family agreed strongly for the marriage until Pinkerton forbade the family from visiting. He leaves to the sea, unknowing back at home Cho-Cho has given birth to a son that she named trouble. She hopes that her husband would return one day but her maid, Suzuki, is skeptical.  Cho-Cho writes a letter to him saying that she was getting married and if he didn't come she was going to take the baby. Later on his ship arrives in Japan, Cho-Cho learns that he has brought his other wife who did not know that Cho-Cho was also Pinkerton’s wife and was planning on taking the baby. In grief Cho-Cho goes home trying to committee suicide with the family sword.