Opera in three acts: composition by G. Puccini; By G. Giacocha and L. Erica. First performance: Milan 1904.
Character: Qiaoqiaosang, also known as Madame Butterfly (soprano): Suzuki, maid (soprano); B.F. Pinkerton, captain of the US Navy (tenor); Sharpless, American consul (baritone); Goro, matchmaker (tenor); Prince Yamashima (baritone); Monk (bass); Kate Pinkerton (soprano) Qiaoqiaosang's child (silent).
Nagasaki, at the turn of19th century and 20th century. Scene 1: Captain Pinkerton comes to his new house to make the final arrangements for his wedding. The house overlooks Nagasaki Harbor, and the matchmaker Goro shows him around. Three servants met their new master, one of whom was a maid named Suzuki.
American consul Sharpless came. He sat down and had a drink with Pinkerton. The young comforter preached the adventurous spirit of Americans traveling around the world for fun. The conversation then turned to the bride. Goro praised her beauty and Pinkerton told him to invite the bride quickly. Pinkerton can't help but be elated at the thought of the bride. However, the kind consul advised him not to dump the girl, because judging from her behavior, she was very serious about this marriage. Goro came back and reported that Butterfly and his girlfriend had arrived. You can hear the girls chirping happily from a distance, and they know that a disaster has been uncovered.
Inside, the butterfly is ready to start a new life. She told her friends that she was the happiest person in Japan and even in the world. After being introduced, the bride told Pinkerton that her family was once quite rich, but unfortunately, she was forced to make a living as a geisha. Soon, Japanese officials and relatives of butterflies also came.
Pinkerton approached the butterfly, and the butterfly took out her things hidden in the kimono sleeve one by one. There is one thing she doesn't want to show in front of everyone. Goro quietly told Pinkerton that it was the dagger that the emperor had committed suicide by caesarean section for her father. Butterfly confides to Pinkerton that she has secretly embraced Christianity, so as to make their fate more closely linked.
The wedding is going on. After the ceremony, Japanese officials and American consuls congratulated the groom and left first. Everyone was raising their glasses to propose a toast to the young couple when suddenly a voice called Joe Joe Sang's name in the distance. It turned out that her monk uncle discovered Butterfly's apostasy. He pleaded guilty at home and ordered all relatives to cut off contact with butterflies. Pinkerton finally intervened, and the guests broke up in discord, swearing all the way.
Butterfly stood silently, her hands bowed, but under Pinkerton's gentle and loving comfort, her sad and desperate expression quickly turned into a naive smile. As night falls, there are only two of them in the room now. Butterfly changed into a white bride's dress, and her newly-married husband gently took her to the balcony. The two of them made a vow of eternal love.
Act II: Pinkerton has been away from home for three years. Butterfly stood in her room, facing the garden and overlooking the harbor, thoughtfully. Suzuki prayed to the Japanese gods to bless her mistress to stop crying. Butterfly is a little annoyed. She believes more in American gods-unfortunately, American gods don't seem to know where butterflies live. She has spent almost all her money, and if Pinkerton doesn't come back soon, disaster will come. But Butterfly firmly believes that he will come back. Suzuki doesn't believe it? Anyway, the butterfly believes that this day will come: on a clear day, on the distant sea, we saw a wisp of black smoke. (See "Madame Butterfly's Aria")
Sharpless, accompanied by Goro, looked for butterflies. The purpose of his trip is to give a letter from Pinkerton to Butterfly, who is so naive and happy that it is really difficult to speak for a while. Butterfly tells the consul angrily how Goro tried to introduce her to the consul one after another in the three years after Pinkerton left. The current suitor is a rich mountain island prince. Butterfly claims to be a married woman, and thinks that according to American law, a man can't just leave his wife and forget her like in Japan.
Sharpless can finally start reading this letter, but when he reads the key word "Be careful to prepare her ...", Butterfly is overjoyed, which makes the consul really unable to understand. He scolded Pinkerton and suddenly asked Butterfly what she would do if Pinkerton never came back. Butterfly hesitated and muttered that she could become a geisha again, otherwise she might as well die. The consul sympathized with her and suggested that she marry Prince Yamashima. She asked him out on impulse, but suddenly she ran into the next room and brought back a child. She snapped, can he forget this blond child? Is she going to take this child in the wind and rain, dance and beg, and become a geisha again? No, that's impossible. She would rather die than go back to her old job. Sharpless was deeply moved. Before leaving, he promised to tell Pinkerton about the child.
Just then, there was a gunshot in the port, and Suzuki ran in and said it was a warship. Butterfly was so excited that she recognized Pinkerton's battleship Abraham Lincoln in the telescope. She said loudly that everyone had been lying to her; Pinkerton is back, and her love has won. She told Suzuki to pick cherry blossoms and all the flowers in the garden to fill the room with the fragrance of spring. Suzuki reluctantly agreed, and the two of them scattered flowers all over the room. Butterfly puts on the bridal gown she wore on her wedding night and signals Suzuki to close the screen leading to the balcony. She dug three small holes in the screen, from which they could see the long-awaited arrival of Pinkerton. They stared at the distance for a long time, and the light slowly dimmed.
Act III: The night gradually passes and a new day begins. But the butterfly still stood still, staring at the harbor. Persuaded by Suzuki, she retired to the back room to have a rest.
Pinkerton and the consul knocked at the door and came in. Suzuki was horrified to see a woman in the garden and knew that she was Pinkerton's wife Kate. Sharpless asked Suzuki to comfort her mistress and asked her to mobilize butterflies to give up the baby and give it to Kate. Seeing this, Pinkerton recalled the past, but he couldn't help it. He was scolded by Sharpless, said goodbye to the past with regret and left with tears.
Butterfly rushed into the room, but was afraid to ask the consul about Pinkerton. Then she found Kate and understood what was required of her. Sad, she wished Kate happiness and promised that if Pinkerton arrived in half an hour, she would personally give him the child.
The consul and Kate left, and the butterfly fell to the ground, full of tears. After waking up, she sent Suzuki out, then went to the shrine to take out the dagger and read the inscription on it: "I would rather die than beg for it." Just as she raised her sword, the door opened and Suzuki's hand pushed the child towards his mother. The butterfly hugged him madly and said goodbye to him sadly. She blindfolded the child. Give him an American flag to play with She picked up the dagger again and turned and walked behind the screen. There was the sound of a sword falling to the ground, and the butterfly struggled to climb to its son. Then Pinkerton caught up with the mountain and called the butterfly's name. When he arrived at the door, the butterfly was already dead.