Cio-Cio-San & Pinkerton
She waited three years for a man who would not return
The young geisha Cio-Cio-San marries the American officer Pinkerton for love; he abandons her; she waits three years with their child, until he returns with his American wife and she takes her own life.
01Why it matters
Puccini's opera is one of the world's best-loved and an early critique of sentimental colonialism.
02The conflict
Abandonment and the clash between East and West.
03The iconic moment
The aria "Un bel dì vedremo": "One fine day we shall see."
04What survived
The opera "Madama Butterfly"; the musical "Miss Saigon."
05Frequently asked questions
Why is the story of Cio-Cio-San & Pinkerton famous?
Puccini's opera is one of the world's best-loved and an early critique of sentimental colonialism.
How does the story of Cio-Cio-San & Pinkerton end?
The aria "Un bel dì vedremo": "One fine day we shall see." The opera "Madama Butterfly"; the musical "Miss Saigon."
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