Soprano. A simple, innocent Japanese girl. Both Illica's words and
Mascagni's music put her in front of all other characters, for she is
the only real round character in the plot: her importance is also
revealed in that she has her own special "leitmotif".
In the first act she is childish in her joy of flowers - but Mascagni gives her music of real depth; her joy may be simple but it has insight. The second act shows how she copes with being in Yoshiwara: the place confuses her, and the concept of passionate love is against what she really wants - which is simply to go back home. Mascagni here wrote music that reveals her to the innermost depth of her soul - particularly in the expressive "Octopus" monologue in which she tells of a painting she once saw in a temple: a picture of a girl killed by a beast called "pleasure"; the music reveals a shifting, demonic world, behind which one can see Iris's concept of the real meaning of the allegory. In the third act she becomes absolutely passive and Mascagni engulfs her in the music of the Sun - a "character" presented both in the prologue and the end of the opera by a chorus.
Iris is tossed around, passive, and that is a major defect in the drama; however her inner life is depicted delicately by Mascagni, and brings out of him warm and beautiful music.
Mascagni depicting Iris in an intense moment of happiness (first act - with chorus)
Mascagni depicting Il Cieco in an intense moment of
pain, just before the end of the first act. - "My house, my
garden, to he who will lead my to Yoshiwara" - and a few seconds after
this Real Audio excerpt ends comes his REAL great outburst...
Il Cieco, Osaka and Kyoto appear again in the last act, as
apparitions, each one telling Iris what he really wanted from her, and
each one revealing his own egoism. None really cared about
her. Whatever characteristics they might have had - they are now
nothing but drifting spirits for Iris, and Mascagni gives them all the
same music, making their appearance a sort of ritual, and by this
showing their unimportance.
The Character that appeared in the famous prologue, the sun, a chorus
crying "I am the old God and the New, I am Love!", re-appears in the
end, to the same music, and brings the opera to a wonderfully dramatic
end.
"Il Cieco" - "The blind man" - Iris's
father. Bass. Mascagni did not write much interesting music for
him. Illica wrote some verses for him, depicting him praying to his
Gods, but Mascagni did not set these to music; 'Il Cieco' simply
recites his prayers. His two great moments, both musically and
textually, come in the end of Act 1, when he leaves for Yoshiwara, and
in Act 2, when he curses Iris; both scenes are very short but
intensely powerful.
Tenor. A rich young man. He desires Iris. His
first Act Aria is the most famous from this Opera ("Apri la tua
finestra") but it's only a song he sings as part of the puppet
show. His real character is revealed in the second act: In a lustful
love declaration, and later in simple music showing his boredom with
Iris. He doesn't really care for her. When she is presented later to
the crowd he makes another short appearance, his desire for her
rekindled, but the real important character in that scene is not him
but Iris's father.
Mascagni did not make him a real 'round' character, nor did he give
him any well-defined 'leitmotif', but Osaka's music is nevertheless
rich; lyrical in its passionate, earthly expression, it brings into
Iris's tender musical world something of the "Cavalleria" Mascagni.
Baritone. He runs a brothel in Yoshiwara and
helps Osaka abduct Iris. Dramatically, his role in Act 1 is important,
but musically he has no special moments. Act 2 reveals him as an
unpleasant person, yet he knows his business and the hearts of the
people who visit Yoshiwara. His music changes constantly according to
his constantly shifting moods, or the moods he wishes to impress on
others (when he scares Iris his music is horrible - and a few seconds
later when he sees he got the proper effect he sooths her and the
music suddenly becomes tender; the overall effect is that of music
depicting a hypocritical being).
Background | Act 1 | Act 2 | Act 3 | Music and
characters | Musical motives
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