Puccini, Giacomo - Madame Butterfly

Safe within their cocoons, butterflies only become vulnerable when they emerge to enchant the world with their beauty. Madame Butterfly has been breaking hearts for over a century with its tragic tale of aninnocent Japanese girl who abandons her faith and her family to marry an American naval lieutenant.

Giacomo Puccini created a dozen operas, many of them rooted in his fascination with exotic lands and foreigncultures. Inspired by a London performance of a one-act play by American playwright David Belasco, the composer developed an emotionally charged musical score to accompany this tale of devotion, tradition and sacrifice.