2 August 2026
A musical interlude at the Royal Château of Amboise, presented by the company “L’Opéra Clandestin”.
Tell me about Madame Butterfly
Nagasaki, around 1900.
The American officer Pinkerton, whilst visiting Japan, marries Cio-Cio San — nicknamed Madame Butterfly —, a young fifteen-year-old geisha, as beautiful as she is fragile. At that time, a strange custom granted foreign officers the ‘exotic’ pleasure of marrying geishas, a union that was immediately dissolved once they returned home. Despite her family’s opposition and the warnings of Consul Sharpless, who senses Pinkerton’s fickleness, the young woman gives herself entirely to this love, renouncing her religion, her traditions and her world.
Pinkerton returns to the United States without a word. Three years pass. Butterfly waits. With absolute fidelity and unshakeable certainty, she tries to convince herself that he will return. He does not yet know that she has given him a child.
When the truth finally comes to light, Butterfly finds herself faced with an impossible choice — one dictated, as always, by her uncompromising sense of honour.
Madame Butterfly is one of the ten most frequently performed operas in the world, and undoubtedly one of the most moving. Premiered in 1904, it is the work of a composer at the height of his art: in it, Giacomo Puccini achieves a rare dramatic and musical intensity, carried by arias that have become some of the most famous in the operatic repertoire.
This work reflects an era marked by power dynamics between the West and the East, and between men and women. The young Cio-Cio San is a victim of her social status, her youth and a world order beyond her control. What remains deeply moving even today is precisely this disconnect: we watch Butterfly through the eyes of our own time, aware of the injustice unfolding, yet powerless to divert her from her fate.
These tensions between the past and the present, between strength and fragility, loyalty and fickleness, tradition and modernity, the masculine and the feminine, make *Madame Butterfly* a work that remains timeless and painfully universal.
This abridged version aims to make the work accessible to as wide an audience as possible, from the age of 10. The work has been shortened (1 hour 20 minutes), with the story told in French and sung in Italian. Staged narrative interludes, infused with a touch of humour, guide the audience through the plot and allow them to immerse themselves fully in the drama — and in the powerful beauty of music that has continued to move people for over a century.
The company “L’Opéra Clandestin”
Opéra Clandestin is an opera company founded by two singers who came together out of a desire to make their shared passion—opera—accessible to everyone.
Belief : Opera is, above all, a popular art form.
Mission : To popularise opera, helping audiences discover its vibrant, unpretentious beauty. To offer a playful and accessible approach, rooted in vocal tradition whilst being creative in our staging.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
When ? 2 August at 8.00 pm
Duration ? 1 hour 20 minutes
Prices ? Adults : 20€ / Students : 15€ / Children : 10€ / Subscribers : 8€ (valid only for the subscriber card holder)
Booking required. (Online ticket sales to open shortly).