| Giacomo Puccini operas |
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• Manon Lescaut (1893) • La bohème (1896) • Tosca (1900) • Madama Butterfly (1904) • La fanciulla del West (1910) • Il trittico (Il tabarro, Suor Angelica, Gianni Schicchi) (1918) • Turandot (1926) |
“Madama Butterfly” by Giacomo Puccini
Madame ButterflyPremiere / date of written: 17 February 1904
The original version of the opera, in two acts, had its premiere on February 17, 1904, at La Scala in Milan.
Libretti
| # | Language | Authors |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Italian
  |
Giuseppe Adami, Renato Simoni |
| 2 |
German
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| 3 |
English
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| 4 |
French
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original libretto
line-by-line of the original libretto
Images
Notable videos
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Renata Tebaldi sings Madama Butterfly
Renata Tebaldi sings "Death of Butterfly" (excerpt) 1961 |
Audio recordings
| Year | Cast | Conductor, Opera chorus and orchestra |
Label, Comment |
Buy |
| 1954 | Cio-Cio San — Victoria de los Ángeles, Pinkerton — Giuseppe Di Stefano, Suzuki — Anna Maria Canali, Sharpless — Tito Gobbi, Goro — Renato Ercolani, Uncle Bonze — Bruno Sbalchiero, Kate Pinkerton — Maria Huder, Prince Yamadori — Arturo La Porta |
Gianandrea Gavazzeni Rome Opera House Orchestra and Chorus |
Recorded by HMV. CD: Testament Cat: 2168 |
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| 1958 | Cio-Cio San — Renata Tebaldi, Pinkerton — Carlo Bergonzi, Suzuki — Fiorenza Cossotto, Sharpless — Enzo Sordello, Goro — Angelo Mercuriali, Uncle Bonze — Paolo Washington, Kate Pinkerton — Lidia Nerozzi, Prince Yamadori — Michele Cazzato (Casato) |
Tullio Serafin Santa Cecilia Academy Orchestra and Chorus, Rome |
CD: Decca, Cat: 452594 |
|
| 1960 | Cio-Cio San — Victoria de los Ángeles, Pinkerton — Jussi Björling, Suzuki — Miriam Pirazzini, Sharpless — Mario Sereni, Goro — Piero De Palma, Uncle Bonze — Paolo Montarsolo, Kate Pinkerton — Silvia Bertona, Prince Yamadori — Arturo La Porta |
Gabriele Santini Rome Opera House Orchestra and Chorus |
CD: EMI, Cat: 7636342 |
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| 1966 | Cio-Cio San — Renata Scotto, Pinkerton — Carlo Bergonzi, Suzuki — Anna di Stasio, Sharpless — Rolando Panerai, Goro — Piero De Palma, Uncle Bonze — Paolo Montarsolo, Kate Pinkerton — Silvana Padoan, Prince Yamadori — Giuseppe Morresi |
Sir John Barbirolli Rome Opera House Orchestra and Chorus |
CD: EMI Classics, Cat: 67888 |
|
| 1974 | Cio-Cio San — Mirella Freni, Pinkerton — Luciano Pavarotti, Suzuki — Christa Ludwig, Sharpless — Robert Kerns, Goro — Michel Sénéchal, Uncle Bonze — Marius Rintzler, Kate Pinkerton — Elke Schary, Prince Yamadori — Giorgio Stendoro |
Herbert von Karajan Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Vienna State Opera Chorus |
CD: Decca, Cat: 417577 |
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| 1976 | Cio-Cio San — Montserrat Caballé, Pinkerton — Bernabé Martí, Suzuki — Silvana Mazzieri, Sharpless — Franco Bordoni, Goro — Piero De Palma, Uncle Bonze — Juan (Joan) Pons, Kate Pinkerton — María (Asunción) Uriz, Prince Yamadori — Dalmacio González |
Armando Gatto Barcelona Symphony Orchestra, Gran Teatre del Liceu Chorus |
Audio LP: Decca, Cat: 7484/86 |
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| 1978 | Cio-Cio San — Renata Scotto, Pinkerton — Plácido Domingo, Suzuki — Gillian Knight, Sharpless — Ingvar Wixell, Goro — Florindo Andreolli, Uncle Bonze — Malcolm King, Kate Pinkerton — Ann Murray, Prince Yamadori — Jonathan Summers |
Lorin Maazel Philharmonia Orchestra and the Ambrosian Opera Chorus |
CD: CBS Masterworks, Cat: 35181 |
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| 1987 | Cio-Cio San — Mirella Freni, Pinkerton — José Carreras, Suzuki — Teresa Berganza, Sharpless — Juan Pons, Goro — Anthony Laciura, Uncle Bonze — Kurt Rydl, Kate Pinkerton — Marianne Rerholm, Prince Yamadori — Mark Curtis |
Giuseppe Sinopoli Philharmonia Orchestra, Ambrosian Opera Chorus |
CD: Deutsche Grammophon, Cat: 423567 |
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| 2009 | Cio-Cio San — Angela Gheorghiu, Pinkerton — Jonas Kaufmann, Suzuki — Enkelejda Shkosa, Sharpless — Fabio Capitanucci, Goro — Gregory Bonfatti, Uncle Bonze — Raymond Aceto, Kate Pinkerton — Cristina Reale, Prince Yamadori — Roberto Valentini |
Sir Antonio Pappano Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia |
CD: EMI Classics, Cat: 456215-2 |
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Video recordings
| Year | Cast | Conductor, Opera chorus and orchestra, Director |
Label, Comment |
Buy |
| 1956 | Cio-Cio San — Anna Moffo, Pinkerton — Renato Cioni, Suzuki — Miti Truccato Pace, Sharpless — Afro Poli, Goro — Gino Del Signore, Il Bonzo — Dimitri Lopatto, Kate Pinkerton — Lella Dori, Il Principe Yamadori — Pierluigi Latinucci |
Oliviero De Fabritiis Chorus and Orchestra della RAI di Milano Mario Lanfranchi |
DVD: VAI |
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| 1974 | Cio-Cio San — Mirella Freni, Pinkerton — Plácido Domingo, Suzuki — Christa Ludwig, Sharpless — Robert Kerns, Goro — Michel Sénéchal, Il Bonzo — Marius Rintzler, Kate Pinkerton — Elke Schary, Il Principe Yamadori — Giorgio Stendoro |
Herbert von Karajan Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and Vienna State Opera Chorus Jean-Pierre Ponnelle |
DVD: Deutsche Grammophon Cat: 00440 073 4037 |
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| 1995 | Cio-Cio San — Ying Huang, Pinkerton — Richard Troxell, Suzuki — Ning Liang, Sharpless — Richard Cowan, Goro — Jing Ma Fan, Uncle Bonze — Kusakabe Yo, Kate Pinkerton — Constance Hauman, Prince Yamadori — Christopheren Nòmura |
James Conlon Orchestre de Paris Frédéric Mitterrand |
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment |
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