Puccini

After the group mind map, i took inspiration from an Italian, Japanese themed opera Madame Butterfly by Puccini. 

A romantic opera with the usual tragic ending, Madame Butterfly first premiered on February 17th 1904.

 

A brief overview of the storyline. 

In 1904, a U.S. Naval officer, Pinkerton, rents a house on a hill in Nagasaki, Japan for him and his soon-to-be wife, "Butterfly"She is a 15-year-old Japanese girl whom he is marrying for convenience, since he intends to leave her once he finds a proper American wife.Three years later, Butterfly is still waiting for Pinkerton to return, as he had left shortly after their wedding.The American Consul, Sharpless, comes to the house with a letter which he has received from Pinkerton in which he is asked to break some news to Butterfly that he is coming back to Japan, but he cannot bring himself to finish it, because Butterfly becomes very excited to hear that Pinkerton is coming back. Sharpless asks Butterfly what she would do if Pinkerton were not to return. She then reveals that she gave birth to Pinkerton's son after he had left and asks Sharpless to tell him.Sharpless and Pinkerton arrive at the house, along with Pinkerton's new American wife, Kate. They have come because Kate has agreed to raise the child. But, as Pinkerton sees how Butterfly has decorated the house for his return, he realizes he has made a huge mistake. He admits that he is a coward and cannot face her, leaving Suzuki, Sharpless and Kate to break the news to Butterfly. Agreeing to give up her child if Pinkerton comes himself to see her, she then prays to statues of her ancestral gods, says goodbye to her son, and blindfolds him. She places a small American flag into his hands and goes behind a screen, cutting her throat with her father's hara-kiri knife. Pinkerton rushes in. He is too late.

Ricordi. (1907). Madama Butterfly. Available: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madama_Butterfly. Last accessed 15/10/12.

Edita Camm. (2009). Madame Butterfly. Available: http://www.iicnairobi.esteri.it/IIC_Nairobi/WebForm/..%5Cwebform%5CSchedaEvento.aspx?id=141&citta=Nairobi. Last accessed 15/10/12.