“Madama Butterfly” by Giacomo Puccini

Paperback libretto with side-by-side translation

Read Madama Butterfly with the original libretto and a clear English translation printed on facing pages.

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Premiere / 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
3	English
4	French

original libretto
line-by-line of the original libretto

History

• 1903 December 27 — 1903-12-27 — Giacomo Puccini finished the score of Madama Butterfly (ahead of the planned La Scala production in February 1904).
• 1904 February 17 — World premiere of Puccini’s "Madama Butterfly" at La Scala (Teatro alla Scala) in Milan.
• 1906 November 12 — First New York performance of Puccini’s "Madama Butterfly" at the Garden Theatre.
• 1907 February 11 — Company premiere of Puccini’s "Madama Butterfly" at the Metropolitan Opera (New York).
• 1934 February 24 — Birth of Renata Scotto, Italian soprano celebrated for roles including "Madama Butterfly" and "La traviata".
• 2003 March 18 — Premiere at the Royal Opera House of the Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier production of Puccini’s "Madama Butterfly".

Images

Notable videos

Printed Editions

Year	Edition	Publisher	Buy
2025	Madama Butterfly: Opera Libretto with Italian–English Translation	DM’s Opera Series

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	$13.98
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	$15.95
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
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	$6.84
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	$5.00
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	$24.60
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	$15.63
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	$4.49
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	$21.47

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	$13.99
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	$32.10
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	$44.00

External links

• Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• Recordings of Madama Butterfly on operadis-opera-discography.org.uk