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On the 2Oth of May in the Teatro Flaiano of Rome, Giacomo Puccini’s notorious Opera Madame Butterfly will be performed by the Piccolo Teatro Lirico Flaiano. This attractive representation will mix traditional opera with pioneering new technologies, resulting in a colossal visual show that will surpass everything seen before in a theater.

Madame Butterlfy is a traditional opera represented in three acts, even if the original libretto that Guiseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica used as inspiration -a free adaptation of Madame Chrysantheme by  Pierre Lot-  was conceived to be performed in two. Along with La Boheme and Tosca it represents one of Puccini’s most important operas.

The  opera’s plot takes place in Nagasaki at the endings of the XIX century when Officer Pikerton of the American Navy asks Cio Cio San to marry him. For Cio Cio San (or Madame Butterlfy)  15 years old, this marriage means the encounter of two souls for a lifetime according the severe norms of her culture. For Pikerton, it’s a simple strategy to gain Cio Cio Sans love and passion and to enjoy his stay in Nagasaki while his ship, the USS Abraham Lincoln is at port. As expected, Pikerton returns to his country promising to return without  knowing that Madame Butterfly is pregnant. Years later Pikerton comes back to Japan with his wife Kate and he finds out about the existence of his child whom he decides to take back to the United States. Madame Butterfly commits suicide to recover her lost honor.

This marvelous opera, where drama and music connect in perfect unison, the Picolo Teatro Lirico Flaiano adds mobile electronic scenery created with old and modern paintings based on the works of Tawaraya Sotatsu, Edo and Shoen Uemura, modern paintors and even avant-garde  Japanese artists from the XX century. This adaptation includes a reading of poetic texts as well as music that has been created  thru samples and technological elements to recreate the aural effect of a 60 musician orchestra.

Considered as a performance that goes beyond opera, it has been praised by important visual art critics in prestigious newspapers like The NY times and The Guardian where reviews stated that it is the most enjoyable and exciting opera of all times for all ages

Madame Butterfly superiorly reflects the clashing of two cultures and was brought to film with Gary Grant and Sylvia Sydney in 1932, later modernized with Shirley McClaine and Yves Montand in My Adorable Gheisa (1962)

More information:  http://www.classictic.com/es/Madame-Butterfly/12085/113635

Nancy Guzman

If you happen to spend your vacation in apartments in Rome don’t forget to see the performance of Madame Butterfly at the Teatro Flaiano and get to know this marvelous presentation that has the whole world talking about it.

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Translated by: Marc
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A great event is waiting for us in Rome in the second half of May. On May 18th there will be the opening performance of Madame Butterfly, the famous opera by Giacomo Puccini (story by Giuseppe Giacosa & Luigi Illica). The Japanese tragedy in two acts will be repeated for the next days, until May 28th. The show promises to be a hit thanks to the famous Israeli orchestra director Daniel Oren. The character of Madama Butterfly will be played by the Chinese soprano Xiu Wei Sun and by Raffaella Angeletti, soprano born in Turin, Italy. Orchestra and Choir will be from the Rome’s Opera Theatre, while the scenic set will be by the Teatro Comunale of Bologna.

Foto:© Suzanne Schwiertz

The last time that Madama Butterfly was produced in Rome was eight years ago.

Everybody knows the plot of this magnificent opera: ChoChoSan, young Japanese geisha gets married to the American Navy officer Pinkerton; the American officer will soon leave his young spouse, pregnant, to go back to the States. Three years later, he returns to Nagasaki with his new “official” American wife, to get his child back. ChoChoSan, who waited for his husband for such a long time, understands that her true love is in vain and kills herself after a last, desperate hug to her child. When Pinkerton, moved by his remorse, arrives to Madama Butterfly’s house, it will be too late. She quit suffering.

Not many people know, however, that the first production of Madama Butterfly at Teatro alla Scala in Milan, in February 1904, was a proper flop. Although Puccini spent a long time creating the opera and even studied hard about Japanese cultural customs to be included in the play, the audience didn’t appreciate his work and he was forced to modify the tragedy. Three months later Madama Butterfly was performed again in Teatro Grande in Brescia: that moment marked the beginning of Madama Butterfly success, which was later repeated in famous Opera Theatres all around the world, such as Covent Garden in London and Opera Comique in Paris.

This wonderful show is probably the highest peak of the lyrical season in Rome and it will be soon sold out. Hurry up!…rent apartments in Rome and buy your ticket for an intense production of Madama Butterfly at the Opera Theatre.