La bohème
La bohème[The title, which is French (although the opera is sung in Italian) and is pronounced , is not directly translatable into English. It refers to the bohemian life the characters lead. A literal translation could be "Bohemia", but this in English refers to a historical region in the present-day Czech Republic. The opera's name does not refer to any particular bohemian but refers instead to their way of life.]
is an
opera in four acts by
Giacomo Puccini to an Italian
libretto by
Luigi Illica and
Giuseppe Giacosa, based on
Scènes de la vie de Bohème by
Henri Murger. The world première of
La bohème was performed in
Turin on
February 1,
1896 at the Teatro Regio (now the
Teatro Regio Torino) and conducted by the young
Arturo Toscanini. In
1946, fifty years after the opera's premiere, Toscanini conducted a performance of it on U.S. radio, and this performance was eventually released on records and on
compact disc. It is the only recording of a Puccini opera led by its original conductor.
La bohème is Puccini's most famous and popular opera as well as one of the most performed operas in the standard operatic repertoire.
Leoncavallo composed an opera of the same name and based on the same story, but with his own libretto. His
La bohème, which was premiered in
1897, focuses more on the Musetta and Marcello relationship, rather than that of Mimì and Rodolfo as in Puccini's. Leoncavallo's
La bohème is almost never played anymore, while Puccini's is, according to
Opera America, the second most performed opera in North America, second only to
Madama Butterfly, also a masterpiece by Puccini.
In 2003, the opera was given a
Tony Award-winning Broadway production by
Baz Luhrmann, with modernized supertitle translations. To play the eight performances per week, three casts of Mimìs and Rudolfos, and two Musettas and Marcellos, were used in rotation. This production was originally done by
Opera Australia in
1993 with a budget of only
AU$60,000.
*"Che gelida manina" -- "Your tiny hand is frozen" (Rodolfo) Act I
*"Mi chiamano Mimì" -- "They call me Mimì" (Mimì) Act I
*"O soave fanciulla" -- "O gentle maiden" (Rodolfo & Mimì) Act I
*"Quando me'n vo soletta per la via" -- "When I go out alone in the street"/Musetta's Waltz (Musetta) Act II
*"Donde lieta uscì al tuo grido d'amore" -- "From here she happily left to [the sound of] your cry of love"/Mimì's farewell (Mimì) Act III
*"O Mimì, tu più non torni" -- "O Mimì, will you not return?" (Rodolfo & Marcello) Act IV
*"Vecchia zimarra" -- "Old coat" (Colline) Act IV
*"Sono andati? Fingevo di dormire" -- "Have they gone? I was pretending to sleep" (Mimì) Act IV
| !Premiere, March 19, 1859
(Arturo Toscanini) | | Rodolfo, a poet | tenor | Evan Gorgo |
| Mimì, a seamstress | soprano | Cesira Ferrani |
| Marcello, a painter | baritone | Tieste Wilmant |
| Schaunard, a musician | baritone | Antonio Pini-Corsi |
| Colline, a philosopher | bass | Michele Mazzara |
| Musetta, a singer | soprano | Camilla Pasini |
| Benoît, their landlord | bass | Alessandro Polonini |
| Alcindoro, a state councillor | bass | Alessandro Polonini |
| Parpignol, a toy vendor | tenor | Dante Zucchi |
| A customs Sergeant | bass | Felice Fogli |
| Students, working girls, townsfolk, shopkeers, street-vendors, soldiers, waiters, children |
:Place:
Paris. :Time:
1830-
1831.
Act I.In the four bohemians' garret. Marcello is painting while Rodolfo gazes out of the window. As they have no fire, they use the manuscript of Rodolfo's drama for fuel. Colline, the philosopher, enters shivering and disgruntled at not having been able to
pawn some books. Schaunard, the musician of the group, arrives with food, wood, wine, and money, and he explains the source of his riches — a job with an English
gentleman. Nobody listens, but they fall ravenously upon the food, which is removed by Schaunard, leaving only the wine. While they drink, Benoit, the landlord, arrives to collect the rent. They flatter him and give him wine. In his drunkenness, he recites his amorous adventures, but when he also declares he is married, they thrust him from the room in comic moral indignation. The rent money is divided for a carousal in the
Quartier Latin. The other Bohemians go out, but Rodolfo remains alone in order to work. Some one knocks, and Mimì, whose candle has been snuffed out, asks Rodolfo to light it. She departs, but returns in a few minutes, saying she has forgotten her key. Both candles are extinguished; they stumble in the dark, and Rodolfo finds the key, which he pockets. They relate the story of their varied experiences in the two arias. ("Che gelida manina — What a cold little hand"; and "Sì, mi chiamano Mimì — Yes, they call me Mimì.") The waiting friends call Rodolfo impatiently. He wishes to remain at home with Mimì, but she decides to accompany him. Departing they sing of their love. (Duet, Rodolfo and Mimì: "O soave fanciulla — Oh gentle maiden")
Act II.Quartier Latin. A great crowd on the street, sellers praise their wares. (Chorus: "Aranci, datteri! Caldi i marroni — Oranges, dates! Hot chestnuts."). The friends repair to Café Momus. While they eat, Musetta, formerly beloved of Marcello, arrives with her rich government minister admirer Alcindoro. She tries to attract Marcello's attention with a risque song (Song, Musetta: "Quando me'n vo — When I go along"), and succeeds after many efforts. She feigns suffering from a tight shoe, and to get rid of him, sends Alcindoro to the shoemaker. During the ensemble, Musetta and Marcello fall into each other's arms and reconcile. The friends wish to pay the bill, but to their consternation find Schaunard's riches gone; the sly Musetta has the entire bill charged to Alcindoro. The police appear, and they rush in all directions. Marcello and Colline carry Musetta out on their arms amid the applause of the spectators. When all have gone, Alcindoro arrives with the shoe seeking Musetta. The waiter hands him the bill, and horror-stricken at the amount he sinks upon a chair.
Act III.At the toll gate. Clothing peddlers come to the city. Mimì, coughing violently, wishes to speak to Marcello, who resides in a little tavern near the barrier where he paints signs for the innkeeper. She tells him of her hard life with Rodolfo, who has abandoned her that night. (Mimì: "O buon Marcello, aiuto! From here she happily left"), but are finally reconciled. Musetta approaches with Marcello, who is jealous. They depart after a fierce quarrel. (Quartet: Mimì, Rodolfo, Musetta, Marcello: "Addio dolce svegliare alla mattina! -- Goodbye, sweet awakening in the morning!")
Act IV.Back in the garret. Marcello and Rodolfo are seemingly at work, though they are primarily bemoaning the loss of their respective beloveds. (Duet: "O Mimì, tu più non torni" Old coat") Mimì and Rodolfo, left alone, recall their past happiness. (Duet, Mimì and Rodolfo: "Sono andati? -- Have they gone?") The others return, and while Musetta prays aloud, Mimi dies. Schaunard checks on Mimì and sadly says that she's dead, Rodolfo is horrified, cries out Mimì's name and starts sobbing.
* The Broadway musical
Rent by
Jonathan Larson.
* The film
Thriller by
Sally Potter.
* The film
Boheemielämää (
La vie de bohème), by
Aki Kaurismaki.
* The film
Moulin Rouge! by
Baz Luhrmann*
Discography*Opera plots taken from
The Opera Goer's Complete Guide by Leo Melitz,
1921 version.
*
Recordings of Puccini's La bohème*
Another site with recordings of La bohème*
Libretto in Italian*
Scènes de la vie de bohème on Gutenberg.org
