Royal Opera House: Madama Butterfly

Please note that there is an option to add subtitles at the bottom-right corner of the player.

Royal Opera ²⁰¹⁶⁄₁₇ Season: Madama Butterfly

The Royal Opera House returns with one of the most beloved operas of the 20th century, Giacomo Puccini’s tale of forlorn love.

Based on John Luther Long’s 1898 short story – itself drawing on tales told to the author by his sister and Pierre Loti’s 1887 novel Madame Chrysanthème – Madama Butterfly premiered in a two-act version at La Scala on 17 February 1904. It went through multiple revisions until it reached its fifth version, the one performed today, which saw the opera return for another premiere at the illustrious Milan theatre.