Madama Butterfly Study Guide

MADAMA BUTTERFLY

2025 Study Guide

AREPO REVUOCNAV TA

NOITACUDE

Dear Friends, Opera is an incredible unification of all the artistic disciplines and we hope that you have a wonderful time at our production of Giacomo Puccini’s Madama Butterfly.

Producing opera is no easy task,

and what you will see on the stage is the culmination of months of hard work from directors, conductors, designers, technicians, musicians, marketing staff, and of course, SINGERS. We hope you will share the details of this exciting experience with your friends and family, and share the passion for this incredible art form with them!

See you at the opera,

Ashley D Foot

Ashley Daniel Foot Director of Engagement and Civic Practice

STUDY GUIDE TEAM DIRECTOR OF ENGAGEMENT, CIVIC PRACTICE | ASHLEY DANIEL FOOT EDITOR | JANE POTTER

ABOUT

Madama Butterfly

Puccini’s sublime masterpiece closes out our celebratory 2024–2025 season in grand style, with five performances conducted by VO’s Music Director, Maestro Jacques Lacombe. This extended run boasts a double cast bursting with world-class talents, including Tokyo-born soprano Yasko Sato. Praised for her “disarming, honest, refined and authentic” approach, she makes her VO/Canadian debut as Cio-Cio-San, having previously explored the role’s complexities in performances throughout Italy, the US, Belgium, Slovenia, Greece, Spain, and Japan.

DISCOVER MORE

Inside Vancouver Opera Podcast provides a unique backstage glimpse into the world of Vancouver Opera.

The story of Pinkerton, an American Lieutenant stationed in Nagasaki, who marries a young Japanese girl, CioCio-San. For him, it’s a marriage of convenience, a touristic fantasy abroad before he finds himself a “real” (American) bride. For Cio-Cio-San, it begins her story of tragically unrequited love.

One of the greatest works in operatic history, Puccini’s poignant, deeply emotional music steers Madama Butterfly through love, heartbreak, hope, and tragedy.

Scan the QR code or got to vancouveropera.ca/ podcast/

Study Guide - Madama Butterfly

vancouveropera.ca

10 Unusual Details about Puccini’s Life

The Composer

Giacomo Puccini Born in Lucca, Italy, in 1858, Giacomo Puccini was one of the most prolific and successful composers of his time.

His most well-known operas include La Boheme, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, and Turandot.

Puccini was known for developing the verismo, or realism, style of opera which featured real life characters, their everyday lives, and the tragedies which beset them, a departure from the romantics before him who relied on myth, history, and fairytales for their storylines.

Some of opera’s best know arias were composed by Puccini, including “Nessun Dorma”, “O Mio Babbino Caro”, and “Un Bel dì, Vedremo.”

A life-long smoker, Puccini developed throat cancer at age 64, eventually dying from complications from treatment in 1924 at age 65.

Find out more

Study Guide - Madama Butterfly

Speed Demon: Loved fast cars; crashed badly while writing Madama Butterfly.

Heavy Smoker: Constant cigar smoker; led to throat cancer.

Family Business: Came from five generations of musicians in Lucca.

Recording Pioneer: His music was among the first recorded on Edison’s phonograph.

Opera Rivalry: Bitter feud with composer Leoncavallo over La Bohème.

Duck Hunter: Passionate hunter near his home in Torre del Lago.

Sabotaged Premiere: First night of Madama Butterfly disrupted by bird whistles.

Romantic Scandals: Turbulent affairs; wife caused tragic public scandal.

Superstitious: Refused performances on unlucky Friday the13th.

Unfinished Finale: Died before completing Turandot, later finished by another composer.

vancouveropera.ca

Director’s Note Mo Zhou For over a decade, I deliberately avoided directing or even assisting on Madama Butterfly. Its pervasive influence on Western popular culture – perpetuating harmful stereotypes and hypersexualizing Asian women – has always made me wary. Yet, as I grew as an opera director, I found myself returning to the dramaturgical complexities of this work. How could I engage with a beloved yet deeply problematic opera in a way that speaks to the present moment? This question became a quiet obsession. After years of reflection, I discovered my path forward: to recontextualize the opera in the aftermath of World War II, specifically after the atomic bombing of Nagasaki.

Placing Madama Butterfly in this period reframes the Japanese characters' motivations, allowing them to reflect the brutal realities of post-war Japan. Survival became paramount, and the American Dream seemed a distant, yet tantalizing, hope. This narrative resonated deeply with my own immigrant experience, and through research, including a field trip to Nagasaki, I unearthed a largely forgotten chapter of history. Between 1946 and 1952, during the Allied Occupation, thousands of Japanese women married American soldiers. Some married for love, but many were driven by fear—fear of another atomic bomb or a bleak future in a shattered country. These “war brides,” often branded as traitors or enemies, were rejected by both societies.

It’s impossible not to see the parallels between these women and Cio-Cio-San. How many were left behind, caught between two worlds, like Butterfly and her son? How many American soldiers went to Japan chasing the romanticized “Butterfly” they had seen on stage, pursuing a fantasy never grounded in reality?

This production seeks to illuminate these voices while critically examining how Madama Butterfly has shaped Western perceptions of Asian women for over a century.

Study Guide - Madama Butterfly

Vancouver, with its vibrant AAPI community and deep historical ties to Japanese settlement—from the pre-war Powell Street enclave to the resilience of the issei and nisei after internment—feels like the right home for this reckoning. It’s also the city where my opera career began, making this journey all the more poignant.

The creation of this work has been a deeply personal and collaborative journey, led by an all-female, AAPI creative team. Our Japanese movement and cultural consultant, Asuka Morinaga Derfler, a descendant of Hiroshima atomic bomb survivors, brings authenticity and emotional depth to the production, grounding it in lived experience.

In many ways, this production feels like fate – one that chose me, rather than the other way around. I hope tonight’s performance compels you to see Madama Butterfly through a new lens, one that acknowledges the histories it represents and the voices it has long silenced. This work is both a tribute to and a challenge of the opera’s legacy.

May it provoke thought as deeply as it stirs your heart.

vancouveropera.ca

Madama Butterfly

COMIC STRIP

ILLUSTRATIONS BY CHRISTOPHER SOUZA AND AMY FIELDER

Study Guide - Madama Butterfly

vancouveropera.ca

Madama Butterfly

COMIC STRIP

Study Guide - Madama Butterfly

vancouveropera.ca

Madama Butterfly

COMIC STRIP

Study Guide - Madama Butterfly

vancouveropera.ca

Madama Butterfly

COMIC STRIP

Study Guide - Madama Butterfly

vancouveropera.ca

Madama Butterfly

COMIC STRIP

Study Guide - Madama Butterfly

vancouveropera.ca

Madama Butterfly

COMIC STRIP

Study Guide - Madama Butterfly

vancouveropera.ca

Madama Butterfly

COMIC STRIP

Study Guide - Madama Butterfly

vancouveropera.ca

Madama Butterfly

COMIC STRIP

Study Guide - Madama Butterfly

vancouveropera.ca

Madama Butterfly

COMIC STRIP

Study Guide - Madama Butterfly

vancouveropera.ca

Madama Butterfly

COMIC STRIP

Study Guide - Madama Butterfly

vancouveropera.ca

Madama Butterfly

COMIC STRIP

Study Guide - Madama Butterfly

vancouveropera.ca

Madama Butterfly

COMIC STRIP

Study Guide - Madama Butterfly

vancouveropera.ca

Madama Butterfly

WHO’S WHO Pinkerton

Pinkerton

Cio-Cio-San

Cio-Cio-San

April 26, May 1, May 3

April 26, May 1, May 3

Robert Watson

April 27, May 4 Adam Luther

April 27, May 4 Karen Chia-Ling Ho

Suzuki

Sharpless

Nozomi Kato

Brett Polegato

Yamadori/ Imperioal Comissioner

Yasko Sato

Goro Julius Ahn

Luka Kawabata

Imperial Registrar

The Bonze

Kate Pinkerton

Danlie Rae Acebuque

Insung Sim

Heidi Duncan

Study Guide - Madama Butterfly

vancouveropera.ca

Madama Butterfly

SYNOPSIS ACT I ACT I: Nagasaki, Japan, 1946—within a year of the atomic bomb, amidst the haunting aftermath of World War II. U.S. Navy Lieutenant B. F. Pinkerton inspects a house perched above Nagasaki harbour, secured through the services of the opportunistic marriage broker, Goro.

Pinkerton, captivated by the delicate allure of Cio-Cio-San, dismisses any qualms about the gravity of their union, driven by the unchecked pursuit of pleasure emblematic of American hubris. Meanwhile, Cio-Cio-San, having recently survived the atomic devastation, eagerly anticipates her wedding as the gateway to her American Dream. Despite the thunderous disapproval of her uncle—resulting in her abandonment by her entire family—she steps into the marriage with unshaken hope. In a fleeting moment of intimacy, amidst the swirling uncertainty of their intertwined destinies, Pinkerton and Cio-Cio-San forge a connection that momentarily transcends the tumultuous landscape of postwar Japan.

Study Guide - Madama Butterfly

Madama Butterfly photo courtesy of Portland Opera. Photo by Cory Weaver

vancouveropera.ca

Synopsis ACT II Six years later, winter 1953, on the eve of the withdrawal of the Allied Occupation. Cio-Cio-San and her faithful maid, Suzuki, anxiously await Pinkerton’s return amidst the dwindling resources of their once-promising existence. Sharpless, burdened with a letter from Pinkerton fraught with hesitation, delivers a stark dose of reality to the resolute Cio-Cio-San. Rejecting the advances of wealthy suitors, including Prince Yamadori, she defiantly presents her son, Sorrow, as a living testament to her unwavering faith in Pinkerton’s return and her relentless pursuit of the American Dream.

Just as despair begins to set in, a cannon pierces the air—Pinkerton’s ship has arrived. Gripped by a delirium of joy, she seizes binoculars and confirms the sight. With fervent determination, she commands Suzuki to adorn the house with flowers in preparation for the long-awaited reunion. As night descends, Cio-Cio-San, Suzuki, and the child begin their vigil—a silent testament to their unyielding hope amidst the shadows of uncertainty.

Madama Butterfly photo courtesy of Portland Opera. Photo by Cory Weaver

Study Guide - Madama Butterfly

vancouveropera.ca

Synopsis ACT III

Madama Butterfly photo courtesy of Portland Opera. Photo by Cory Weaver

The following day. As dawn breaks, exposing the wreckage of broken dreams, Pinkerton returns with his American wife, Kate, casting a pall over the once-hopeful household. Suzuki’s anguish is palpable as she delivers the crushing truth to Cio-Cio-San, whose heart is shattered by betrayal—realizing she could never be “American” enough for him.

Left alone, she stands resolute, recognizing the falsehood of her promised dream. With quiet strength, she bids farewell to her son, shielding him from her tragic fate. In her final moments, as echoes of Pinkerton’s voice linger, she finds a measure of peace, knowing her protest will not be in vain. With dignity and pride, she embraces death in true Japanese honor—symbolically freeing herself from the illusion of the American Dream.

Study Guide - Madama Butterfly

vancouveropera.ca

Q&A

WHAT IS OPERA? WHERE DID OPERA COME FROM?

Opera came from Italy, just like gelato! The word opera means ‘work’ in Italian, as in work of art, not homework.

WHO MAKES OPERA HAPPEN? Opera is a group effort by conductors, musicians, singers, dancers, set designers, costume creators, lighting experts, directors, theatre staff, make-up artists, wig makers, carpenters, prop designers, and more, to tell a story, sing, dance, and entertain the audience all the same time.

NO MICROPHONES? Unlike Drake or Taylor Swift, opera singers don’t use microphones. Instead, they learn to project their voices. They may go from projecting over the sound of the live orchestra in one moment, to dropping to a near whisper in the next moment (just like your school principal during assemblies).

To protect each other’s hearing, opera singers cannot face directly towards each other while singing. Ear plugs are not allowed.

HOW LONG DO YOU HAVE TO TRAIN? Opera singers often have as many years of education as physicians, and must continue training throughout their career.

Study Guide - Madama Butterfly

HOW LONG ARE OPERAS?

Operas can be up to four hours long, which may be how long French class feels, but at least you don’t have to wear a costume, make-up, possibly a wig, sing and dance under hot lights, and memorize an entire opera, like the performers do.

NO SKIPPING FRENCH CLASS! Composers write in their language, and sometimes in second or third languages too, so opera singers must often learn English, French, German, Italian, and even Russian and Czech if they want to perform worldwide. And in case you’re wondering, ‘ice cream’ in Czech is ‘zmizlina’.

DOES IT PAY THE BILLS? If you were a top opera singer, you could make as much as $20,000 per performance.

WHAT OTHER SKILLS DO OPERA SINGERS NEED? Singers must learn to brush off negative reviews in time to perform the same show the following night.

FUN FACT Opera has been around for as long as gelato, which is just over four hundred years. vancouveropera.ca

GLOSSARY

OPERA TERMS ACTS / SCENE

Acts and scenes are ways of categorizing sections of operas. An act is a large-scale division of an opera, and each opera will typically include from two to five acts. Acts can be subdivided into scenes, which are often differentiated by a change in setting or characters.

ADAGIO Literally “at ease,” adagio is a tempo marking that indicates a slow speed. An adagio tempo marking indicates that the performer should play in a slow and leisurely style.

ALLEGRO

Italian for “cheerful” or “joyful,” Allegro is the most common tempo marking in Western music, indicating a moderately fast to quick speed.

ARIA

A song for solo voice accompanied by orchestra.

BRAVO / BRAVA / BRAVI

Italian for “nicely done”; shouted by audience members after a performance. “Bravo” for men, “Brava” for women, and “Bravi” for all.

CHORUS

A section of an opera in which a large group of singers performs together, typically with orchestral accompaniment.

CRESCENDO

A gradual raising of volume in music achieved by increasing the dynamic level. When music crescendos, the performers begin at a softer dynamic level and become incrementally louder.

Study Guide - Madama Butterfly

ENSEMBLE

A musical piece for two or more soloists, accompanied by orchestra. Types of ensembles include duets (for two soloists), trios (for three soloists), and quartets (for four soloists).

FORTE

Meaning “loud” or “strong” in Italian, forte is a dynamic level in music that indicates a loud volume. Adding the suffix “-issimo” to a word serves as an intensifier—since forte means “loud,” fortissimo means “very loud.”

LIBRETTO

The text of an opera, including all the words that are said or sung by performers.

OVERTURE

An instrumental piece that occurs before the first act as an introduction to an opera.

RECITATIVE

Speech-like singing in-between musical numbers that advances the plot.

SCORE

The complete musical notation for a piece, the score includes notated lines for all of the different instrumental and vocal parts that unite to constitute a musical composition.

TEMPO

Literally “time” in Italian, tempo refers to the speed of a piece of music.

vancouveropera.ca

ACTIVITY

MATCH THE OPERA TERMS

Study Guide - Madama Butterfly

vancouveropera.ca

ACTIVITY

THEME “Un bel dì vedremo” (“One Fine Day We’ll See”) is the emotional heart of Madama Butterfly, an aria that captures Cio-Cio-San’s unwavering hope and the quiet tragedy beneath it. Sung as she imagines the return of her absent husband, the aria is both dreamlike and devastating— Puccini’s soaring melody disguises the fragility of her belief.

As you listen, consider: What emotions does the music evoke beyond the lyrics? Is this hope empowering or delusional—or both? How does this moment reflect her character’s strength and vulnerability? And how might we interpret this scene differently when we view Butterfly not as a tragic figure of fantasy, but as a real young woman clinging to the last thing she has—faith?

Study Guide - Madama Butterfly

vancouveropera.ca

LYRICS - TRANSLATION Un bel dì, vedremo levarsi un fil di fumo sull'estremo confin del mare.

E poi la nave appare.

Poi la nave bianca entra nel porto, romba il suo saluto.

Vedi? È venuto!

Io non gli scendo incontro. Io no.

Mi metto là sul ciglio del colle e aspetto, e aspetto gran tempo e non mi pesa, la lunga attesa.

E uscito dalla folla cittadina, un uomo, un picciol punto s'avvia per la collina.

Chi sarà? chi sarà?

E come sarà giunto che dirà? che dirà?

Chiamerà Butterfly dalla lontana.

Io senza dar risposta me ne starò nascosta un po' per celia e un po' per non morire al primo incontro; ed egli alquanto in pena chiamerà, chiamerà: "Piccina mogliettina, olezzo di verbena" i nomi che mi dava al suo venire. (a Suzuki) Tutto questo avverrà, te lo prometto.

Tienti la tua paura, io con sicura fede l'aspetto.

Study Guide - Madama Butterfly

One good day, we will see Arising a strand of smoke Over the far horizon on the sea And then the ship appears And then the ship is white It enters into the port, it rumbles its salute.

Do you see it? He is coming!

I don't go down to meet him, not I. I stay upon the edge of the hill And I wait a long time but I do not grow weary of the long wait.

And leaving from the crowded city, A man, a little speck Climbing the hill.

Who is it? Who is it?

And as he arrives What will he say? What will he say?

He will call Butterfly from the distance I without answering Stay hidden A little to tease him, A little as to not die.

At the first meeting, And then a little troubled He will call, he will call "Little one, dear wife Blossom of orange" The names he called me at his last coming.

(To Suzuki) All this will happen, I promise you this Hold back your fears I with secure faith wait for him.

vancouveropera.ca

TICKETS

CONTACT US

VO Ticket Centre Mon-Fri 9am to 5pm 604 683 0222

Vancouver Opera 1945 McLean Drive Vancouver, BC V5N 3J7 604 682 2871

vancouveropera.ca