Set in the Latin
Quarter of Paris
in the 1830s,
Puccini’s La
Boheme
is one of the
most popular
operas of all
time. This
production is
designed by
Austrian
Wolfram Skalicki
and features
Hei-Kyung Hong
of the
Metropolitan
Opera as Mimi.
Appearing with
Hei-Kyung Hong
as Mimi are
Neil Wilson
as Rodolfo,
Gaetan
Laperriere
as Marcello and
Katherine
Terrell as
Musetta. Stage
director is
Chris Mattaliano,
conductor
Bruno Rigacci.
The production
is sung in
Italian.
Directed for
television by
Norman Campbell.
As the opera
opens, it is
Christmas Eve.
In a garret, two
starving artists
- the painter
Marcello and the
poet Rodolfo -
are burning some
of Rodolfo’s
unpublished
works to keep
warm. In the
nick of time,
they are joined
by their
roommates who
bring wine,
food, fuel and
funds. They are
also met by the
landlord,
demanding his
back rent; but
with a lot of
wine and a
little
blackmail, they
persuade him to
leave without
his rent. They
set off to spend
the money at the
Café Momus - all
but Rodolfo. A
knock at the
door interrupts
his writing and
in comes a
neighbour, the
beautiful but
consumptive
Mimi.
Act II is set in
the café where
Christmas Eve
festivities are
in full swing.
Mimi and Rodolfo
join their
friends, who are
enjoying a
sumptuous and
badly needed
meal. Marcello’s
former mistress,
the glamourous
Musetta, arrives
on the arm of a
decrepit but
wealthy lover.
Still in love
with Marcello,
she begins to
tease him and he
is once more
drawn to her.
But amid all the
gaiety, Rodolfo
displays
troubling signs
of a ferociously
jealous nature -
a bad sign for
his fledging
love affair with
Mimi.
Act III begins
at dawn outside
the tavern where
Marcello and
Musetta now
live. Mimi -
coughing and
feverish -
speaks to
Marcello of
Rodolfo’s
senseless
jealousy. She
resolves to
leave him. As
she goes,
Rodolfo emerges
from the tavern
to speak with
Marcello. Now
Mimi hides and
listens to his
side of the
story,
shivering.
Act IV finds
Marcello and
Rodolfo back in
the garret,
alone again,
abandoned by
their
sweethearts,
sharing their
troubles.
Musetta bursts
in to announce
that Mimi, too
sick to come any
further, has
collapsed in the
hall outside. In
her most
desperate hour,
she has returned
to Rodolfo, the
poor artist, who
can give her
nothing except
his love.
Produced by the
Canadian Opera
Company and
Primedia
Productions
in association
with the CBC
and TVO.
CLICK HERE FOR
SYNOPSIS
