Madama Butterfly

East meets West with devastating consequences in Puccini’s tragic romance.

When?an innocent young Geisha meets an American naval officer she falls instantly and deeply in love. Giving up her family and her faith, she risks all in marriage to the dashing Lieutenant Pinkerton. But her fragile happiness cannot last. Soon love turns to abandonment and betrayal, and Butterfly is forced to make one final, agonising sacrifice.

Bursting with exotic colour and memorable melodies, Puccini’s seductive score conceals a dramatic blade that cuts to the heart. Compressing “great grief into small souls”, as the composer himself described it,?Madama?Butterfly?is a classic love story that never fails to move – a tragic romance that sweeps you along in the intensity of its action. Blending authentic Japanese music with luscious Europeans harmonies and orchestration, the opera is an irresistible fusion of East and West.

Following the success of last season’s?L’elisir?d’amore, Glyndebourne Tour’s principal conductor Ben?Glassberg?returns to direct?Madama?Butterfly?- a production he has already conducted as part of the Festival.

A “captivating” Butterfly for Opera Australia, Korean Soprano?Karah Son makes her Glyndebourne debut, sharing the title role of Puccini’s tragedy with Greek soprano?Eleni?Calenos. Italian tenor Matteo?Desole?is heartless American naval officer Pinkerton, with rising young Norwegian mezzo-soprano Tone?Kummerwold?as Butterfly’s faithful maid Suzuki. The supporting cast includes?Yuriy?Yurchuk?as?Sharpless, Colin Judson as?Goro?and Dominic?Desgwick?as?Yamadori.