Madama Butterfly

The failure of Puccini's Madama Butterfly at La Scala, Milan in 1904 is one of opera's most celebrated fiascos. Puccini immediately withdrew the work, made a few judicious cuts and re-writes, and a couple of months later it emerged triumphant in Brescia. Since then, it has become one of the most popular and loved works in the repertory.

Richard Wagner

It's been said that with the exception of Napoleon and Jesus, there have been more books written about Richard Wagner than anybody else. A hugely controversial figure, he was undoubtedly a pioneer and a visionary who did much to advance music and theatre. He remains one of the most influential artists of all time.