On-line: Madama Butterfly

Not even Covid can clip the wings of Madama Butterfly (though the #MeToo movement might have dulled its colours somewhat). Originally intended as one of the heavy hitters of the Greek National Opera’s live season, Giacomo Puccini’s haunting libretto of sex, betrayal and suicide will now take flight on-line from 25 November as the opening act of the GNO’s exciting new digital channel for the arts, GNO TV. There’ll be all the stirring arias and impressive pageantry you’d expect from this dramatic oriental opera, which was Puccini’s own favourite. Audiences within and outside of Greece can shortly buy €10 tickets to stream the production, with subtitles available in Greek, English and French. (Keep your eye on this site for further details.) The staging marks the 80th anniversary of Madama Butterfly’s historic premiere at the GNO on October 25, 1940, three days before the start of the Greco-Italian war.