What makes La bohème a dream-come-true for opera singers? (The Royal Opera)

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The cast and creative team of The Royal Opera on what makes Puccini's opera La bohème a classic.
Acclaimed director Richard Jones (Boris Godunov, Il trittico) directs a new production of Puccini’s La bohème. Irresistible in its witty, passionate blend of comedy and tragedy, the opera focusses on the lives of a group of young artists as they eke out an existence on the bohemian fringes of Paris. Jones brings his characteristically acute insight to this much-loved classic, visualized in Stewart Laing’s spectacular, stylized designs.
Puccini’s romantic depiction of bohemian Paris, with wonderful music and a love story drawn from everyday life, has captivated audiences around the world, making La bohème one of the best-loved of all operas. It was first performed in Covent Garden in 1897 and has had more than five hundred performances here since.

[@philipotto9852]

What a treat to have watched this on U.K. Christmas day TV, all of the cast were excellent and I think Nicole Car was one of the best Mimis I've ever seen, never heard of her before but certainly a name to look out for!

[@lilly6250]

Grateful! Very nice! When i have the oportunity i will watch in Rio de Janeiro.

[@dcossi1]

I thought Sir Pappano had stopped using a Baton ?

[@hashatz]

Agreed that this clip is intended to interest the viewing public in the new ROH production of Boheme. However, the discussion of the characters is two-dimensional and focusses on the singers' personal reading of the work rather than on what Puccini, himself, says in it. The discussion of the "first love" nature of the scene between Rodolfo and Mimi is banal, almost a cliche. Consider the possibility that in both arias there is an element of confession. Puccini's brilliant insertion of the "Nei cieli bigi" theme that introduces Rodolfo to us, is repeated in his aria immediately before "In poverta mia lieta". In both places, reference is made to a "gran signor" (grand lord) who does not live up to expectations. In the first instance, it is the pot-bellied stove in the bachelor abode of the Bohemians; in the second, it is Rodolfo who implies that he disappoints. This is hardly the thing one says to a young woman upon meeting her for the first time. Mimi takes her cue from Rodolfo. In her aria she concludes that the flowers (artificial) that she makes, alas,(apologetically) have no fragrance. This, too, is of a negative nature. This observation is based on what the composer himself presents to us. It is Puccini's intent and it makes this scene real; it is his view, not mine or anyone else's. In a nutshell, this interpretation is psycho-dynamically based, and this factor is elementary in all human interaction. Opera combines music with text to explain the human experience. With that in mind, let's look forward to the production's success.

[@honeychurchgipsy6]

Shlomo Hoffert - thank you for your insight - I went to the live streaming event of the revival of this production at my local cinema last week and they included an interview with Pappano where he discusses some of what you say from the musical motif view point. He talks about how Puccini includes different motifs in different arias to remind us, for example, of the cold and the threat of hunger/starvation, when we first meet Mimi (sorry that I don't know all of the names of the arias, musical motifs etc.). They are encoring this 2020 production soon all over the world - I think you might enjoy going to see it. I thought that the acting was wonderful and definitely brings into each scene and aria all of the complexity of human relationships.