After the great success of "La Boheme" and "Tosca ", Puccini looked for a subject for a new opera. While staying for a "Tosca" rehearsal in Britain, he saw a play of "Madama Butterfly" and found an ideal heroine image in it. Back in Italy, he began composing "Madama Butterfly" and completed it in 1904. However, the premier in Milan was a complete fiasco. The opera was revised based on Toscanini's advice and three months later, the second performance succeeded. The setting is Nagasaki during the early Meiji period (around 1868). B.F. Pinkerton, a Lieutenant in the United States Navy married Cio-Cio-San, a 15-year-old Japanese woman, brushing aside the opposition of Sharpless, a United State consul. After he returned to the US, Cio-Cio-San waited for him for three years, but when she met him again and learned he had an American wife and children, she killed herself in despair. Puccini used Japanese folk songs and melodies to compose exotic music for this tragic opera. "One fine day we'll see" by Cio-Cio-San in Act 2 is a universal soprano masterpiece. This arrangement begins with the oriental music in the original opening. At 5, the oboe plays a short melody of "One fine day we'll see ", followed by lamentable melodies expressing the tragedy. 6 is music of the wedding scene, in which Cio-Cio-San was taken to the ceremony by her friends. From 9 is a medley of fast tempo scenes with Japanese melodies: "High Mountains", "Miya-san, Miya-san", "Echigo-Jishi" and others. 20 is a trio sung by Pinkerton, Sharpless and Suzuki, Cio-Cio-San's maid. Pinkerton told Suzuki that he would raise Cio-Cio-San's child with her American wife. The music is very expressive with Puccini's poignant melody. 22 is a duet by Cio-Cio-San and Pinkerton and it depicts his wedded bliss three years ago to Puccini's beautiful music. The piece ends with reappearance of "One fine day we'll see". *There is another start available (from beginning until 5) beginning with a love duet "Love me, please".
