Gil Harel Presents: Puccini’s Madama Butterfly: Exoticism, Tragedy, and Verismo Opera

Join Professor Gil Harel as he examines Giacomo Puccini’s Madama Butterfly (1904) as a pivotal work in the verismo tradition, highlighting its fusion of exoticism, psychological realism, and tragic inevitability. 

Centering on Cio-Cio-San’s transformation from devoted bride to sacrificial figure, the discussion will explore cultural appropriation, gendered power dynamics, and fin-de-siècle imperialism embedded in the narrative and score. 

Puccini’s orchestration, marked by pentatonic motifs, leitmotivic development, and harmonic ambiguity—serves as a sonic lens for analyzing the collision between Eastern resilience and Western transience. 

About the Presenter

Gil Harel (PhD, Brandeis University) is a musicologist and composer whose interests include styles ranging from western art music to contemporary musical theater. Previously, he served on the faculty at CUNY Baruch College (where he was awarded the prestigious "Presidential Excellence Award for Distinguished Teaching"). Currently, he is Full Professor of Music at CT State Naugatuck Valley, where he has been presented with the AFT "Merit Award for Exemplary Service to the College" on seven occasions. 

Among many accolades, he has been honored with the coveted Connecticut Board of Regents (BOR) Teaching Award. At Naugatuck Valley, Dr. Harel conducts the college chorale, a cappella ensemble, teaches music history and theory, and serves as musical director of theater productions.