It required no professor to explain to Patrice Caurier and Moshe Leiser that Madama Butterfly is not just another Puccinian woman-slaughter but an imperialistic melodrama, too. Their 2003 production of Puccini's greatest opera, already on its third revival, is steeped in awareness of the work's deep inner brutality, and has no need for otiose trumpetings of a political message that only a fool in a hurry could miss.

Butterfly herself is rightly at the centre of this production, and Liping Zhang returns with unforgettable presence to the role. Hers is not a big or even a particularly interesting voice, though she rises to Butterfly's many great moments. Anyone wanting a grand diva interpretation may be disappointed. But in every other way, Zhang is Butterfly - by turns a fragile, determined, shy, steely girl/lover/mother/victim, whose fluttering, exotic little dance in the first act becomes a womanly dance of death amid the shattering discord with which Puccini ends his tragedy.

Deputising for an indisposed Andrew Richards, the Slovak tenor Miroslav Dvorsky brings complementary qualities as the shameless Pinkerton, with big, gleaming tones and somewhat wooden and offhand acting. However, one is almost convinced by his plangent little aria of contrition at the end, a misguided second thought by Puccini to indulge his tenors. The ageless Alan Opie and a splendid Moldavian newcomer, Elena Cassian, do everything right as Sharpless and Suzuki, the worldly alter egos of Pinkerton and Cio-Cio San.

Nicola Luisotti, who had a great success here last month conducting Trovatore, takes Puccini's score at a terrific lick. The Covent Garden orchestra respond heroically. But Luisotti is unfailingly sensitive to his singers - to Zhang especially, and rightly so, for this is her night.

· In rep until March 10. Box office: 020- 7304 4000.