Madama Butterfly (Pafos Aphrodite Festival)

The Festival

Pafos Aphrodite Festival Cyprus proudly presents its 10th annual Festival. Building on the success and experience of its previous productions: Aida (1999), Carmen (2000), Nabucco and Zorba the Greek (2001), Turandot (2002), Tosca (2003), Rigoletto (2004), La Traviata (2005), Un Ballo in Maschera (2006) and Il Trovatore (2007) , it aspires to offer the music lovers another unique experience.

The new production's success is guaranteed by its basic elements: Madama Butterfly (29th, 30th and 31st August) this one of Giacomo Puccini's masterpieces and one of the most popular operas of all times, the Lyric Theatre "Giuseppe Verdi" - Trieste, and naturally Pafos Medieval Castle is the magical location that has established itself as a symbol of culture and civilization.

Same as last year's Festival there will be subtitles both in English and Greek.

The opera: Madama Butterfly

Madama Butterfly, one of the most frequently produced operas in the entire repertory, is in three acts (originally two acts) by Giacomo Puccini, with an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. The opera was based in part on the short story "Madame Butterfly" (1898) by John Luther Long - which was turned into a play by David Belasco - and also on the novel Madame Chrysantheme (1887) by Pierre Loti. The first version of the opera premiered February 17, 1904 at La Scala in Milan.

Puccini's music, Illica and Giacosa's libretto both stress the profound psychological transformation of Butterfly from a naive child-bride to a tragic heroine. Τhe contradictory impulse to present Cio-Cio-San as the objectified Orient and the desire to empathize with her on a deep emotional level has continued to fascinate the audiences of Madama Butterfly over the past one hundred years.