Madama Butterfly/Madamu Batafurai: Transpositions of a 'Japanese Tragedy'

Puccini's famous but controversial Madama Butterfly reflects a practice of temporary marriage between Western men and Japanese women in nineteenth-century treaty ports. Groos' book identifies the plot's origin in an eye-witness account and traces its transmission via John Luther Long's short story and David Belasco's play. Archival sources reveal how Puccini and his librettists imbued the opera with differing constructions of the action and its heroine, providing a more complex understanding of the heroine's presumed marriage.

Format: Hardback
Length: 300 pages
Publication date: 16 February 2023
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Puccini's renowned yet contentious Madama Butterfly encapsulates a historical practice of temporary marriages between Western men and Japanese women in nineteenth-century treaty ports. In his book, Groos delves into the origins of the plot, tracing its transmission through John Luther Long's short story and David Belasco's play. Extensive archival sources, many of which remain unpublished, unveil the intricate ways in which Puccini and his librettists infused the opera with diverse interpretations of the action and its central character, Cio-Cio-San. Groos's insightful analysis sheds light on how they crafted a contemporary music-drama that presents multiple possibilities for understanding the tumultuous misalliance between a callous American naval officer and an impoverished fifteen-year-old geisha. This intricate portrayal offers a more nuanced understanding of the heroine's presumed marriage, contributing to a deeper exploration of her character and the societal dynamics at play. As an orientalizing tragedy with a racially charged portrayal of Cio-Cio-San, the opera became a focal point for identity politics in Japan, while also inspiring decolonizing transpositions into indigenous theatrical traditions like Bunraku puppet theatre and Takarazuka musicals.

Weight: 686g
Dimension: 176 x 252 x 26 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781009250672