Puccini’s Madama Butterfly: the greatest recordings

Mark Pullinger
Wednesday, October 2, 2024

Its premiere was a disaster but Puccini’s tear-jerker Madama Butterfly soon established itself as a perennial favourite. Mark Pullinger surveys almost a century of recordings

Maria Callas recorded the role of Cio-Cio-San on Karajan’s first recording in 1955 (photo: Farabola / Bridgeman Images)
Maria Callas recorded the role of Cio-Cio-San on Karajan’s first recording in 1955 (photo: Farabola / Bridgeman Images)

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