An introduction to Madam Butterfly

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Composers have long taken inspiration from literature for their operas. From novels to novellas, find out more about the literary sources from some of the best-known works in the repertoire.

Thanks to opera’s origins in the preservation of Greek drama, it’s no surprise that one of operas founding fathers, Claudio Monteverdi, chose Greek tragedy as his first opera’s starting point. Take a look at some of these best known operas based on myths and legends.

From murderers to monarchs, historic moments and famous faces have inspired operas throughout the centuries. We’ve chosen six of the best known operas which have done just that.