La Boheme ... Friday, February 3, 1984
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"In the annals of opera the case of Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924) is a special one. At least three of his works--La Boheme (1896), Tosca (1900), and Madama Butterfly (1904)--are among a handful of the most frequently performed operas of all time. This alone is testimony to his gifts. And yet, although universally hailed as a major composer, he is rarely assessed as a great one according to the highest standards. Not surprisingly, his immense popularity is related to such judgments. One might argue that his ability to identify so completely with his audience kept him from venturing beyond a well-circumscribed and almost personal concept of opera. His artworks, however, were as much a product of his own sensibilities as any other force. ... La Boheme, his fourth opera, abounds with examples. It is based on Scenes de la Vie de Boheme by a lesser French writer Henri Murger (1822-61). That collection of loosely-connected sketches of struggling artists and their loves first appeared in a literary magazine (in serial format) between 1845 and 1848. Murger had lived the Bohemian life of Paris himself, and his characters are based on his friends. Rodolphe, the poet, is a literary self-portrait of the author. This material in the hands of Puccini becomes a curious mix of realism (known in opera history as verismo) tempered with elements of romanticism and exoticism. It is worth noting that the period's fascination for the exotic could be satisfied, in this instance, by treating a subculture of European society--the unconventional and disreputable demimonde of artists. For the opera the composer insisted on refashioning the novel without destroying its tableau effect. The plot, which hinges on Mimi's love for Rodolfo, is thin, but strong in music-theatrical opportunities of certain communication: the lovers' meeting (Act I), their happiness (Act II), their parting (Act III), and Mimi's death (Act IV)."--Puccini and La Boheme.
Table of Contents
Music by Giacomo Puccini ; libretto by Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica (based on a novel by Henri Murger) ; conducted by George Manahan ; production conceived and directed by David Hicks ; scenery designed by Lloyd Evans ; costumes designed by Joseph A. Citarella ; lighting designed by Mark Stanley ; musical preparation by Mitchell Krieger
Inlcudes: Chancellor's introduction ; Cast for La Boheme ; New York City Opera National Company Orchestra (roster) ; Greetings (Chancellor's introduction) ; The Grand Spectacle: music of the nineteenth century, notes by Michael Budds ; New York City Opera National Company (biography) ; New York City Opera National Company Administrative Staff ; New York City Opera National Company Production Staff (roster) ; Synopsis of the plat ; Puccini and La Boheme, notes by Michael Budds ; Appreciation (donor list) ; Future events.
Inlcudes: Chancellor's introduction ; Cast for La Boheme ; New York City Opera National Company Orchestra (roster) ; Greetings (Chancellor's introduction) ; The Grand Spectacle: music of the nineteenth century, notes by Michael Budds ; New York City Opera National Company (biography) ; New York City Opera National Company Administrative Staff ; New York City Opera National Company Production Staff (roster) ; Synopsis of the plat ; Puccini and La Boheme, notes by Michael Budds ; Appreciation (donor list) ; Future events.