Royal Opera House 2022/23: Madama Butterfly (The Royal Opera)

Puccini's heartrending opera, set in 19th century Japan, tells the story of Cio-Cio-San, a young geisha who falls in love with an American naval officer and pays the ultimate price.

'Love cannot kill: it generates new life'

So says the American naval officer Pinkerton to the young geisha Cio-Cio-San on a starry evening in Nagasaki. But as they both must learn, carelessly spoken words and promises can have indelible consequences.
Giacomo Puccini's opera, which includes Butterfly's aria 'Un bel dì, vedremo' ('One day we shall see') as well as the 'Humming Chorus', is enchanting and ultimately heartbreaking.
Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier's exquisite staging is inspired by 19th-century European images of Japan.