WATCH

Act 1 Scene from La Bohème starring Jussi Bjoerling and Renata Tebaldi (1955): This rare recording is from the documentary, The Art of Singing: Golden Voices of the Century. It’s one of the few videos where we see these two stars sing opposite to each other. Both singers sing their roles with simplicity and elegance. Unfortunately, I don’t think there’s a full opera video on the market so the scene would suffice.

Puccini’s La Bohème, La Scala featuring Mirella Freni and Gianni Raimondi (1967):  Conducted by the legendary Herbert von Karajan, this full production has excellent singing and acting by opera’s legendary stars performing in La Scala. While the leading cast is exquisite, Adriana Martino is a standout as the vivacious Musetta.

Puccini’s La Bohème starring Neil Shicoff and Ileana Cortubas, Royal Opera House (1987): Now this one here deserves an Academy Award! The singing is great but the acting brings out every character’s personality beyond the singing. The acting is so marvelous that you can watch this without subtitles and understand exactly what’s going on.

Puccini’s La Bohème, Metropolitan Opera starring Angela Gheorghiu and Ramón Vargas (2008): In grand opera style, this MET production includes Angela Gheorghiu, the  opera diva who took the industry by storm at that time with her bold personality yet delicate singing. What stands out the most to me are the grand opera moments especially in Act 2. Watch and be amazed.

Puccini’s La Bohème, Salzburg starring Anna Netrebko and Piotr Beczala (2012): If you like opera with a modern feel, choose this one. While I like traditional production, this one works for me because the singing is on point and the production is different. It’s fascinating to watch because you hear singing that is reminiscent of the past while the setting is casual full of jeans and graffiti.