Madama Butterfly

Nagasaki, Japan, around 1900: Pinkerton, a lieutenant in the American Navy, has fallen in love with Cio-Cio-San, known as "Butterfly". The wedding according to Japanese ritual is only a farce for him - and not long after, Pinkerton's "toy" is alone again with their common son. Three years later he returns to Japan, but not because of Butterfly. With his new wife he wants to pick up the child and take her to America. Butterfly takes her own life.

The premiere of the opera in 1904 turned out to be a historic fiasco: the audience at La Scala in Milan had no idea what to do with the exotic material. But Puccini believed in the piece: "My Butterfly remains what it is. The most sentimental opera I have ever written!" He was to be proved right: Just a few months later, "Madama Butterfly" experienced a resounding success in a modified version when it was performed at the Teatro Grande Brescia. To this day, Puccini's "Tragedia giapponese" is one of the most popular and moving operas ever.

Production: Vincent Boussard
Stage design: Vincent Lemaire
Costumes: Christian Lacroix
Lighting: Guido Levi
Dramaturgy: Barbara Weigel

Premiere 11.11.2012