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How did Luigi Illica research the setting of Nagasaki for Madama Butterfly?
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Madama Butterfly
Italian composer Giacomo Puccini, 1908.
To introduce an element of realism into the opera Madama Butterfly, the librettist Luigi Illica traveled to Nagasaki to investigate local color firsthand. This effort was part of a broader commitment by the creative teamâincluding composer Giacomo Puccini and librettist Giuseppe Giacosaâto ensure the production was grounded in authentic detail.12