In the 50's, in Paris, the neighbors Rodolfo and Mimi meet each other when Mimi's candle blows out in a cold and dark night. They immediately fall in love for each other, in times of ... See full summary »
Director: Geoffrey Nottage
Baz Luhrmann ... director: opera production
Julian Smith ... conductor
Per Wikipedia, this is Puccini's 4 opera, followed by Tosca and Madama Butterfly, my favorites.
Time: about 1830
Place: Paris
Rated 6 on 2006-01-02, but I rated 140+ titles that day; no idea why. This was one of the 2-3 opera discs I owed before embarking on a quest to collect the essentials. This one has the highest rating (but only 32 votes) on Amazon for La boheme Movies & TV. I'm sure I got it because I'd liked Moulin Rouge! ('01), and this was also directed by Baz Luhrmann. Aside from displaying "L'amour" in neon when Mimi & Rodolfo are falling in love, the set could have been a David Lynch production: metal scaffolding abounds.
Of the 30 results for the search "Title Matching "bohème " With Giacomo Puccini (Sorted by IMDb Rating Descending)," this ranks 3rd: 8.6 with 152 votes.
But it's not the production that bothers me. It's the characters.
The characters seem shallow and unlikable. Unless I missed something, Rodolfo rejects Mimi supposedly because she's a flirt (of which I saw no evidence onstage), but then admits it's because he believes she's dying. All the characters seem shallow, reveling when they get some money to splurge on food and wine. The other romantic couple in the piece also break up and get back together more than once. Why are they starving artists in a garret? The don't seem particularly dedicated to their arts.
I found 3 other performances I want to see; ordered 2 of them. The 3rd has Pavarotti, over 40 yo, and I'm shallow enough that I grimace thinking of him as a starving artist.
Cast:
MIMI, a seamstress Soprano : Cheryl Barker
RODOLFO, a poet Tenor : David Hobson
MARCELLO, a painter Baritone : Roger Lemke
COLLINE, a philosopher Bass : Gary Rowley
SCHAUNARD, a musician Baritone : David Lemke
BENOÎT, a landlord Bass : Graeme Ewer
ALCINDORO, a state councilor and follower of Musetta Bass : John Bolton-Wood
PARPIGNOL, an itinerant toy vendor Tenor : Jin Tea Kim
CUSTOM-HOUSE SERGEANT Bass : John Fernon
MUSETTA, a grisette Soprano : Christine Douglas
Opera Australia, cond. Smith; 7
