La Boheme by Puccini

My first attempt to make another love opera. It did not work. So I gave up. But how can you not like this opera. It seemed to obvious. It is a cute opera with some of the best music by Puccini. But no, it was boring and that it was a traditional production was not what my friend wanted. Alban Berg's Lulu in a hyper-modern production could have converted my friends to opera. I have been seen Lulu myself, but I saw Schönberg's Jakobsleiter and then I was really BORED.


Che gelida manina sung by Jose Carreras, can one wish for more? Evidently one can.

7x La Bohème 1989-01-23, 1990-12-29, 2007-06-30, 2007-09-01, 2010-03-20, 2010-03-28, 2011-04-23

So what have I learnt from my 7 La Bohemes? Naturally one does have a soprano to love as Mimi, and a tenor to care for as Rodolfo. But that is not enough, without a great supporting cast it will not really move you. A great supporting cast without an affective Mimi or Rodolfo will not work. LA BOHEME is really a straight forward type of history. It is no need to embellish it, just put it on and let there be realism. 

There are many kinds of realism. Sometimes less is more. Just remove what is not  necessary and as the story is real. La Boheme needs person-regie. No opera is fail-proof not even La Boheme. 

More info (wikipedia links): Giacomo Puccini, La Boheme, bohemianism,
Latin Quarter, Paris

For reviews from my travels, see www.operaduetstravel.com