Grange Park Opera

Approximate running times:
Curtain up 5:20pm, Interval 6:20pm - 8:00pm, End time 9:15pm

Cio-Cio-San falls in love with and marries a dashing American naval officer, Benjamin Franklin Pinkerton. In his eyes the arrangement is a "local convenience" but she believes she has found true love. He leaves for America. For three years Cio-Cio-San waits patiently.
Pinkerton's ship docks in Nagasaki harbour and he has brought with him his American wife. Nobody dares tell Pinkerton that Cio-Cio-San has remained faithful and has had his child. Puccini's sensual score edges towards the heartrending devastating finale. Claire Rutter plays tragic Butterfly.

Libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa
First performance La Scala, Milan 17 February 1904

Sung in Italian with surtitles

With The English Chamber Orchestra

Sponsored by ICAP PLC

Director: John Doyle
Designer: Mark Bailey
Conductor: Gianluca Marciano
Movement: Nikki Woollaston
Lighting Designer: Wayne Dowdeswell

Cio-Cio-San: Claire Rutter
Pinkerton: Marco Panuccio
Suzuki: Sara Fulgoni
Sharpless: Stephen Gadd
Goro: Andrew Rees
The Bonze: Derek Welton
Kate Pinkerton: Marta Fontanals-Simmons

Full synopsis

Study guide from Pacific Opera

Maria Callas sings Un bel di

The love duet

Puccini resources

Wikipedia