OPERA TALK: LA BOHÈME BY GIACOMO PUCCINI
OPERA TALK: LA BOHÈME BY GIACOMO PUCCINI
La bohème continues to be one of Giacomo Puccini’s hits with memorable music and characters. This opera is about a beautiful love affair between poet, Rodolfo and seamstress, Mimi during Christmas in Paris.
1. Talk only with audio-visual presentation
2. Talk with 1 aria performed by the speaker
3. Virtual Talk
SUMMARY SETTING TANISHA’S PICKS LEGENDARY CAST OPERA-ALIKES
SUMMARY SETTING TANISHA’S PICKS LEGENDARY CAST OPERA-ALIKES
SUMMARY
La bohème is an opera in four acts by Giacomo Puccini (Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa) that premiered at the Teatro Regio in Turin, Italy, on Feb. 1, 1896. The story, a sweetly tragic romance between seamstress Mimí and poet Rodolfo in 1830s Paris, was based on the episodic novel Scenes of Bohemian Life (1847–49) by French author Henri Murger. READ MORE IN BRITTANICA
SETTING
As Sophia from the Golden Girls says “picture it” La bohème is set in Paris between 1837–38.
ACT 1: A garret on the Left Bank of the Seine on Christmas Eve, 1837
ACT 2: The Latin Quarter and Café Momus
ACT 3: A snowy morning at dawn, a month later, at the customs gate just outside Paris.
ACT 4: Several months later in the garret.
LEGENDARY CAST- WHO YOU WILL HEAR
Due to time constraint, this opera talk features a partial cast. If you loved the program, purchase from our affiliates or borrow the above DVD’s from your local library to see the full cast.
Mimí
RENATA TEBALDI
MIRELLA FRENI
Mimí
RENATA TEBALDI
Dalila
SHIRLEY VERRETT
MIRELLA FRENI
ANGELA GHEORGHIU
ILEANA COTRUBAS
Rodolfo
JUSSI BJORLING
Dalila
SHIRLEY VERRETT
RAMON VARGAS
PIOTR BECZALA
NEIL SHICOFF
Marcello
ROLANDO PANERAI
Dalila
SHIRLEY VERRETT
MASSIMO CAVALLETTI
Musetta
ADRIANA MARTINO
MARILYN ZSCHAU
AINHOA ARTETA
Dalila
SHIRLEY VERRETT
ANGELA GHEORGHIU
ILEANA COTRUBAS
Rodolfo
JUSSI BJÖRLING
RAMON VARGAS
PIOTR BECZALA
NEIL SHICOFF
TANISHA’S PICK
This opera talk features Tanisha’s favorite casts from these recordings. Click the link to purchase them for your own collection.
La bohème [videorecording (DVD)]
San Francisco Opera, 1989
Cast: Mirella Freni, Luciano Pavarotti, San Francisco Opera Orchestra, Tiziano Severini, conductor ; San Francisco Opera Chorus, Ian Robertson, Chorus director
La bohème [videorecording (DVD)]
Filmed in 1967
Cast: Mirella Freni, Adriana Martino, Gianni Raimondi, Rolando Panerai, Gianni Maffeo, Ivo Vinco, Carlo Badioli, vocals ; Coro e Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala ; Herbert von Karajan, conductor
La bohème [videorecording (DVD)]
Live from the Metropolitan Opera, 2008
Cast: Angela Gheorghiu, Ainhoa Arteta, Ramón Vargas, Metropolitan Opera Chorus and Orchestra ; Nicola Luisotti, conductor
La bohème [videorecording (DVD)] Released 2012, Salzburg Festival.
Cast: Anna Netrebko, Piotr Beczala, Nino Maichaidze, Massimo Cavalletti, Daniele Gatti conductor
La bohème [videorecording (DVD)] Originally broadcast by BBC Television in 1982
Cast: Ileana Cotrubas, Neil Shicoff, Thomas Allen, Marilyn Zschau; Royal Opera Chorus ; Orchestra of the Royal Opera House ; Lamberto Gardelli, conductor
The art of singing [videorecording (DVD)] : golden voices of the century
A film written by ; directed by ; produced by Pierre-Oliver Bardet and Stephen Wright ; a BBC/ IMG Artists / Idéale Audience / La Sept-Arte / Imalyre-Vtcom France Telecom coproduction in association with NVC Arts ... [et al.] ; directed by Donald Sturrock
OPERA-ALIKES
If you liked La Bohème then try these opera talks featuring this opera or dealing with ill-fated love.
