The story of Madama Butterfly, written by John Luther Long, on which the libretto for this opera based, was originally inspired by the 1887 novel Madame Chrysantheme by Pierre Loti. It was then further adapted from Long's short story, to a play by David Belasco, which Puccini saw in London in 1900. From this, Puccini was inspired to create his opera.
The actual creation of the opera was about as smooth as its origins, and Puccini wrote five different versions. The premiere, at La Scala in February of 1904, was plagued by delayed rehearsals due to Puccini's revisions, and was not particularly
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Madama Butterfly guide sections
