Madame Butterfly: Japonisme, Puccini, & the Search for the Real Cho-Cho-SanLong before Puccini wrote his masterpiece, the tale of the poor Japanese girl abandoned by her foreign lover had been taken up by numerous Western writers as part of the wave of Japonisme in late-19th-century Europe. But was there a "real" Madame Butterfly? Following the tragic trail back to its roots in Nagasaki, Jan van Rij believes he's found the answer. Opera lovers will delight in the revelation, and learn not only about the cultural forces and personal fixations that inspired this popular work but why many Japanese remain unconvinced. A long-time opera buff, Jan van Rij served as an E.U. diplomat in Japan, highly regarded for his intimate understanding of Japanese-European relations. |
Common terms and phrases
adopted Alex Glover American André Messager arrived in Nagasaki artistic Awajiya Tsuru Belasco's play born brother BUTTERFLY STORY Butterfly's child Cho-Cho-san Cho-san consulate Correll's daughter Dejima Elvira European event father foreign Geisha Giacomo Puccini Giacosa girl Giulio Ricordi Glover family Goro Groos Guraba Tomisaburo Hana Higashi Yamate Ippon-matsu Japa Japan Japan Magazine Japanese music Japonisme Jennie Correll Jiji Shimpo John Luther Long Kaga Maki Kate Kojimamachi koseki later libretto lived London Long's novel Long's story Loti's Luigi Illica Madama Butterfly Madame Chrysanthème marriage married Mascagni's Messager's Madame Chrysanthème Milan Minami Yamate Miura Tamaki Mosco Carner mother Muramatsu Shofu Nagasaki Prefectural Nagasaki Prefectural Library nese O-Kane-san Osaka Oyama Hisako Paris performed person Pierre Loti Pinkerton Puccini's Madama Butterfly Puccini's opera returns to Nagasaki Sadayakko Saint-Saëns samurai scene Sharpless Shinsaburo Siebold stay in Nagasaki suicide Suzuki theater Thomas Tokyo Waka Western wife woman Yamadori Yamate Yves