Madame Butterfly
By Charlotte Stace
Puccini composed many of the most celebrated opera, but few are as beloved as Madama Butterfly, which returns to the stage of the Gran Teatre del Liceu.
The opera tells the story of love, betrayal and cultural clash in Nagasaki, Japan, in the early 20th century. Lieutenant B.F. Pinkerton, an American naval officer, marries Cio-Cio-San (Madama Butterfly), a young Japanese geisha, in a casual wedding he doesn’t take seriously. Butterfly renounces her religion and family to be with him, believing in their love. Pinkerton soon departs, promising to return, but marries an American woman instead.
Years later, Pinkerton returns to Japan. Butterfly, still devoted to him, has been raising their son alone. When she learns of his betrayal and plans to take her son to America, she is devastated. She bids a final farewell to her son and takes her own life, leaving Pinkerton filled with regret. A heartbreaking exploration of love, sacrifice and the consequences of cultural misunderstandings.