Pedaling for Madama Butterfly

[Jennifer Yoneji]

I could use some advice with regard to the pedaling for the Cio Cio San – Pinkerton duet from Madama Butterfly. I’ll be playing it for the first time and the pedal changes in the Andante Animato and Andante Molto Sostenuto sections are a bit overwhelming. If anyone can give me some help with this, I would appreciate it very much. Thank you.

[michael-steadman]

Hi Jennifer, it works really well if you play the chords enharmonically:

133: all flats with D-natural and A-natural, then:
F-natural
A-flat & D-flat
F-flat & A-natural

134: all flats with A-natural, then:
D-natural
A-flat & D-flat
C-natural
F-natural
F-flat & D-natural
G-natural
E-natural, F-natural

At the Largamente con calore you are in F-Major.

It’s tricky – I basically had to memorize it.

I can email you a .pdf scan of my markings if you want – just let me know your email.

Have fun!

-Michael

[Jennifer Yoneji]

Thank you, Michael. I received some assistance from Rosalind Beck and I’m in the process of learning her markings. I, too, have to memorize. It’s coming rather slowly, I’m afraid. When I try to play to tempo, it all falls apart.

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