The opera had taken its inspiration from “Madame Butterfly” a short story by John Luther Long written in 1898 which he based on “Madame Chrysanthème,” a French novel by Pierre Loti.
“Madama Butterfly” is as an emotional roller coaster. It is a story of a U.S. naval officer named Pinkerton who married Cio-Cio-san (from the Japanese word for “Butterfly”) and how he abandoned her and their child for many years only to be further betrayed by marrying an American woman, a sample of grappling story of exploitation and Orientalism, moral cowardice and remorse which led to sorrow and death.
Puccini had created an unapologetically orchestral beauty that honor stories of Madama Butterflies in our society. It became so successful and had been adapted in movies, theater and television.
Learn more about this tragic perfection at: https://galaxymusicnotes.com/pages/story-behind-the-opera-madama-butterfly-by-pucchini