CA 2: La Boheme
La Boheme is an opera composed by Puccini.
I went to a ´pocket version´ by the Nationale
Reisopera that took one hour, while the
original is nearly two and a half hours. All
four acts are still included though. It is quite
a modern approach to opera, since the
actors wore modern clothes and ran all over
the stage. Also the director tried to give
young talent a chance by letting actual
young people play the young people. He
gave his own twist to the opera. There was
only a piano, a cello and a Clarinet to
accompany them. Normally there is an small
orchestra, but now they were playing in the corner of the stage. The stage was also really
close to the public (5-10 meters) and the room small. Also they used modern clothing
instead of that from 1890
The opera is focused on Rodolfo, a poet, Mimi, his neighbor, Marcello, a painter and
Musetta. Rodolfo and Mimi fall in love, and Marcello and Musetta are the second couple in
the opera. The story of the opera revolves around them in the 4 acts. In the end Mimi dies,
and adds drama.
The choice
I went there because it’s an opera that is not too long, because I expect it would bore me
quickly. To go to a four-hour opera from Wagner would not be smart. This opera was a bit
out of the classical opera style and more made for and by youth.
Research
La Boheme is Puccini’s most famous work. In 1896 he broke through and became famous
because of this Opera. There has been a second opera: ‘la rondine’, that continued the story
line but it never got the fame that La Boheme got.
La Boheme is based on the Novel of Henri Murger, “Scènes la vie de bohème”.
Not only the director differs in his views, but also Puccini. After a character dies, there
usually is a long final song of them in Opera’s. Mimi’s dying scene is very short however, she
doesn’t sing her last breath. This is not normal.