Madama Butterfly: Libretto
LUIGI ILLICA & GIUSEPPE GIACOSA / GIACOMO PUCCINI
Madama Butterfly
The vocal score of Madama Butterfly appeared in several
different editions in Puccini's lifetime, reflecting the substantial
revisions made to the opera during its early history. The
following libretti follow exactly the texts of those various editions
of the vocal score, all prepared by Carlo Carignani and published by
G. Ricordi & C. as noted. The associations of the editions with
performances in the different venues is rather arbitrary: there is
no way of establishing exactly what was sung at each performance,
and early recordings suggest a continuing evolution which was only
captured in part by the published editions.
- Version 1 (Milan, 1904)
(403 pp) © 1904
G. Ricordi & C.: Milano - Roma - Napoli - Palermo - Parigi - Londra - Lipsia
New York: Boosey & Co.
Buenos Aires: Breyer Hermanos
This edition was released in conjunction with the world premiere at
La Scala on 17.2.1904 and hastily withdrawn after the first-night fiasco.
Surviving copies are extremely rare.
- Version 2 (Brescia, 1904)
(399 pp) New edition © 1904
G. Ricordi & C.: Milano - Roma - Napoli - Palermo - Parigi - Londra - Lipsia - Buenos Aires
New York: Boosey & Co.
Corresponds to the revised version first performed at Brescia 28.5.1904
- Version 3 (American, 1906)
(279 pp) © 1906
G. Ricordi & C.: New York - Milan - Rome - Naples - Palermo - London -
Paris - Leipsig - Buenos Ayres
Italian text and English translation
- Version 4 (Paris, 1907)
(266 pp) © 1907
G. Ricordi & C.: New York - Milan - Rome - Naples - Palermo - London -
Paris - Leipsig - Buenos Ayres - S. Paulo
Italian text and English translation
-
Standard Version (on Mark D. Lew's site)
contributed by
Richard S Bogart and
Mark D Lew
Monday, 08-Dec-2003 21:36:56 PST
