Madama Butterfly (complete opera in 3 acts; original Standard Version orchestration)

MADAMA BUTTERFLY, one of the most popular operas of Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924), is the story of the conflicting expectations of Lieutenant Pinkerton, an American naval officer, and Madame Butterfly (Cio-Cio San), who marry while Pinkerton is stationed in Nagasaki. Pinkerton intends to divorce Butterfly when he returns to the United States, but she believes that the marriage will last forever. When Pinkerton returns to Japan with his new wife Kate, Butterfly commits seppuku with her father뭩 knife after placing an American flag in the hand of her son. The opera contains one of the repertoire뭩 best known soprano arias, Un bel di, vedremo in which Butterfly longs for Pinkerton to return to Japan. The original premiere of a version in two acts on Feb”ry 17, 1904 at La Scala in Milan was a disaster, resulting in Puccini withdrawing that version and substantially rewriting the opera. The second version was in three acts, and it premiered on May 2