Giacomo Puccini was one of the first people able to buy themselves a motor car; speed, however, carried its own dangers, as the composer suffered a serious accident in 1903 and endured an ensuing convalescence that hindered his work on Madama Butterfly. Moreover, the première the following year was an ignominious failure, forcing the composer to undertake a rewrite. In the years since, however, the work has become a success to rival his two earlier operas, La Bohème and Tosca; it is enough if we think of the wonderfully constructed, long ecstatic duet between Cio-Cio-San and Pinkerton that closes the first act.
The hugely successful production of Madama Butterfly that has featured on the Metropolitan programme since 2006 is made extraordinary by the personality of the late Anthony Minghella, the world-renowned Oscar-winning director of The English Patient who passed away in 2008. The title role is sung by Kristine Opolais, one of today's leading sopranos and unrivalled in Puccini roles, while the part of Pinkerton - the naval officer who breaks Butterfly's heart - is sung by another global star in Roberto Alagna. In the role of Suzuki, we can enjoy Maria Zifchak, a mezzo-soprano regularly employed by the Met who has appeared in a number of its legendary productions, while as Sharpless we welcome Dwayne Croft, who has excelled in more than 300 performances of 25 different productions at the New York opera house. Born to parents from Gibraltar, the conductor Karel Mark Chichon is already known to the Müpa audience from his appearance at the 2015 Budapest Spring Festival alongside his wife Elīna Garanča.

Presented by: Müpa Budapest