World Premiere: Teatro alla Scala, Milan - Feb 17, 1904
WBO Premiere: May 15, 1959
Pictured: interior of the Teatro alla Scala
In early 1900’s Nagasaki, an American naval officer weds a young Japanese woman. Months later he leaves her, unaware that she is pregnant with his son, and promises to come back. Three years later, she is nearly destitute and shunned by her family for becoming a Christian, but she is steadfast in her conviction that he will return. He does return, with a new American wife, remorseful but ready to take his son back with him. Devastated, Butterfly gives up the child and commits suicide. Madama Butterfly
is based on the play by David Belasco, which was very popular when it premiered in 1900. The play's success reflected the shock waved sent around the world by the American triumph in the Spanish-American war, as a result of which the once mighty Spanish Empire lost Cuba and the Philippines. The young and socially awkward Pinkerton serves as an allegory for the nascent American empire, well meaning but not fully aware of its impact on the ancient cultures with which it came into contact. This is considered Puccini's dramatically most effective and powerful score. It is one of the 10 most performed operas in the repertoire.
James Beattie, Jared Bernstein, Eric Borchers*, Yvonne Casillas, Ken Cioffi*, Sili Gao*, Inna Gitman, Youjin Hwang*, Farrah Kidwai, Nina McBride*, Amber McDonald, Adam Miner*, Katherine Naegele*, Maria Polyakova, Crystal Rose*, Lisa Singh*, Jennisara Sumiri, Christian Voitenleitner, Congcong Wang*, Arthur Wu*