Stockholm’s Kungliga Operan will be staging the production of Giacomo Puccini’s classic opera “Madama Butterfly” on September 22. “Madama Butterfly” is a three act opera with an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. Based on John Luther Long’s 1898 short story "Madame Butterfly,” it is an amalgam of stories Long heard from his sister Jennie Correll and Pierre Loti’s 1887 semi-autobiographical French novel Madame Chrysantheme. The initial long version was dramatized by David Belasco as the one-act play “Madame Butterfly: A Tragedy of Japan,” which premiered in New York in 1900. Later that year the play moved to London, where Puccini saw it for the first time.The opera’s original version was in two acts, which premiered at Milan’s Teatro alla Scala on February 17, 1904. In spite of having notable singers like soprano Rosina Storchio, tenor Giovanni Zenatello and baritone Giuseppe De Luca in pivotal roles; the opera was poorly received. This happened because Puccini started work on the opera very late and didn’t have enough time for rehearsals. Then Puccini thought of revising the opera. He split the second Act into two, making the Humming Chorus a bridge to what later became the third act. He made some other changes also and this time Puccini was successful, starting with the first performance in Brescia on May 28, 1904.Madama Butterfly has a significant place in the operatic repertoire around the world, and is ranked 6th by Operabase; Puccini's own La boheme and Tosca rank as 3rd and 5th respectively.Premieres of the standard version of “Madame Butterfly,” has taken place in major opera houses throughout the world including the Teatro de la Opera de Buenos Aires on July 2, 1904, under Arturo Toscanini. This was also the opera’s first performance in the world outside Italy.The opera will be staged on September 22, 2018 at Kungliga Operan, AB Box 160 94, 103 22 Stockholm For details, visit https://www.operan.seClick on the slideshow for a sneak peek at the production. http://www.blouinartinfo.com Founder: Louise Blouin
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