One of the most beloved operas of all time, Madama Butterfly was born in an age when Europe was coming into closer contact with distant lands. Previously closed cultures like Japan fascinated westerners in ways that the Near East had fascinated their forebearers: the fascination portrayed in Madama Butterfly is a direct descendant of 17the century “Turkish Marches”, Gilbert and Sullivan’s Mikado, Pierre Loti’s Madame Chrysanthème (which heavily inspired Puccini), and Mascagni’s Iris. This universe at the crossroads of East and West is encapsulated well by the minimalist staging of Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier, which brings to mind traditional Japanese dwellings and waterways.
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