Puccini: La Bohème (López Cobos)

Introduction

This live recording took place over three nights in March 2006 in the Teatro Real de Madrid.

The story is set in Paris, around 1830.

The curtains open on a bunch of students, Rodolfo, a poet, Marcello, a painter; Colline, a philosopher; and Schaunard, a musician. It seems students (especially the artistic ones) haven`t changed for centuries! They argue over money, who does what, how they deal with the heating (burning one of Rodolfo`s plays is always a good idea), and how to sort the landlord out.

Mimi, a young lady who lives nearby, turns up when the rest of the gang have gone off to the pub, and one thing leads to another (although Rodolfo should really be finishing of a leading article for `The Beaver` - the exact nature of the publication`s content is not explained)

Act 2 - everyone is in a trendy bar somewhere in the Latin Quarter.

Marcello bumps into Musetta, an ex-lover who has `moved on` to an older, but richer gentleman. She flirts like crazy, and the smell of jealousy is palpable.

By Act 3, Rodolfo has himself become jealous of Mimi and what he sees as her own flirtatious ways. He decides to finish the relationship, but tells Marcello eventually that the real reason he wants to end it is that he is concerned about Mimi`s illness, and he suspects that she is dying. He needs her to find someone with money, who can afford the medicine she needs. Mimi has overheard this, and is understandably shocked to think that she may actually be terminally ill, but agrees that an amicable break-up is the best for her.

Act 4 see the students back to their old ways in the top-floor flat, messing about as usual, but there is an obvious sadness about the place. Musetta enters with Mimi, who is now very sick indeed. She has been found wandering the streets. The students begin to work out what they can sell to buy medicine, and Musetta herself hands over her earrings.

All this is too late however, Mimi slips away, leaving Rodolfo heartbroken.

Video

The video quality (NTSC - Anamorphic 16:9) is superb throughout.

Audio

Sound too (DTS amd LPCM Stereo), is exemplary. There is absolutely no problem with balance between the orchestra and the stage, and no shrillness in the treble lines (sometimes a problem with digital sound).

Features

The main extra is a 25-ish minute `Reflections` film, which has nothing really new to say, but it`s nice to see everyone so enthusiastic about the production without sounding less-than-honest (although the insistence that this a a `new` production due to its `cinematographic` qualities is menioned a bit too much). The usual suspects of a `cast gellery` (pictures of the cast and their names) and some blurb in the booklet by the director, Giancarlo del Monaco, are the others.

Conclusion

This has been described as a one million Euro production of Puccini`s rather popular opera, which, at the time of posting the review, adds up to 1,320,075.41 US Dollars, 1,869,443,642.07 Iraqi Dinars, or 42,992,712.58 Taiwanese New Dollars.

Anyway, this is completely irrelevant (unless Basra and Tainan are about to get a surprise Puccini festival hoisted upon them)

Bohème is one of the few operas which I have always recommended to those who are not that familiar with, or indeed, those who claim they hate this particular art form (after they were dragged along to see the whole Ring Cycle by a dodgy uncle when they were 4 years old, and the experience stayed with them ever since).

I`m not changing my mind a bit. This is a brilliant performance and a fantastic production, and should be on anyone`s Christmas list if by any chance they have the urge to get some Puccini on DVD.

Any really small niggly issues will be dealt with now.

I felt that sometimes, López Cobos`s interpretation was a little too smooth and brisk. Despite the orchestra playing very well indeed, it could have done with a little more breathing space in certain passages, and a huge glissando (or a least a mild portamento - pardon the terminology) from the violins at the moment of Benoit`s flirting accusation would not have gone amiss (ok..it`s not written, but the dive down demands it! - or perhaps I`m just being tacky).

The camera close-ups reveal the heavy sweating going on on stage, which is understandable considering the heavy clothes everyone wears, but it`s supposed to be the height of Winter and `absolutely freezing outside`.

Also, the opening credits were covered by what seemed to be an over-zealous orchestra warming up loudly, and sounded as if it was in a loop as I`m sure I head one of the fiddles practise the same passage very loudly, twice.

And those were the bad points.

As a production, I was amazed at the ingenuity of the staging, and delighted that it was utterly traditional with no contemporary `message` being forced down your throat. The unexpected Act1 - Act2 change is a great piece of theatre, although the (deserved) applause tends to spoil the effect but that`s quickly forgotten.

The singing and acting is superb from everyone. This was apparently recorded over three nights, and the producers have done a fantastic job in presenting a seamless performance.

Usually, I would go through each of the soloists and pass some form of opinion but there is really no need here. Everyone holds their own very well indeed. La Bohème is full of great tunes and inexhaustable imagination, and if there is any sort of measurement of success in a performance of this opera, it is gauged on how moved you are at the end. I`m not ashamed in admitting that despite knowing this work very well indeed, the tears were flowing, and so everything was as it should be.

I can`t recommend this highly enough.