From chrysanthemums to butterflies, the geisha has always fascinated writers, poets and musicians.
The great composer Giacomo Puccini was fascinated by Pierre Loti’s novel Madame Chrysanthème, and brought the unforgettable Madame Butterfly to life. His most beautiful love duets flourish around his namesake string quartet Crisantemi.
Other composers – Mascagni with Iris and Messager with Madame Chrysanthème – equally attracted by the Far East, its exoticism and the figure of the fragile, naive young geisha, will also be invited to take part in this program, which will feature a new work by composer Fabrice Boulanger on the “Japanese soul”, based on texts by Pierre Loti.
