Madame Butterfly

"Giacomo Puccini's Madama Butterfly is one of the world's most beloved operas. In this expertly researched book, Jan van Rij uncovers the secret origins of the story: the fact and fiction that have converged to create opera's iconic heroine, the doomed Cho-Cho-san." "Madame Butterfly: Japonisme, Puccini, and the Search for the Real Cho-Cho-San is a pleasurable and enlightening journey, from the mercantile world of old Nagasaki to the heart of modern opera: the conjunction of the tragic, ridiculous, and sublime, in life and in art. It is the perfect gift for opera lovers, students of Japanese history, and admirers of fin-de-siecle European culture."--Jacket.