MADAME BUTTERFLY

(Madama Butterfly) Composer: GIACOMO PUCCINI Book by Giuseppe GiAcosa and Luici Ittica, from the play by David Belasco and John Luther Long (itself from Long’s Madam Butterfly) First performance: La Scala, Milan, February 17, 1904 3 acts. In JAPAN, Pinkerton, an officer in the United States navy, finds a young Japa-nese girl, Cio-Cio-San, attractive to him, and takes her for his wife. She bears him a son while he is away. The American consul, Sharp le , has become a good friend to Cio-Cio-San, and when Pinkerton returns with his legitimate wife from America Sharp le informs him of the existence of as on. Mrs. Pinkerton wants to adopt the child but Cio-Cio-San will not permit it, and asks Pinkerton to return a few minutes later for the child. She then blindfolds the child, and commits hari-kari.