Madama Butterfly

Puccini’s sixth opera, Madama Butterfly, is one of the most beloved and often staged operas in the current repertory. It is the quintessential “verismo” opera. That is, one that is “true to life."  Moreover, except for one, all the characters in this opera were real people who lived and worked in Nagasaki, Japan, at the turn of the twentieth century.

In this seminar, we will note how a 15-year-old Japanese girl became known as “Madame Butterfly,” and we will explore the consequences of her relationship with B. F. Pinkerton, an American naval officer. Finally, we will follow the fascinating route this real-life story took to become the opera that we know today. We will watch the Metropolitan Opera’s magnificent 2009 production by Anthony Minghella, Patricia Racette stars as Butterfly and Marcello Giordani as Pinkerton.

Ed Carnes holds B.S. and M.A. degrees in English and history and has taught the Russian language at the college level. He has attended many seminars in music and opera and has been a devotee for many years.