Oh, this is fun: Puccini's La Boheme ("The Bohemians" seems the likeliest translation b/c the opera is based on a novel about "the Bohemian life"). This production is set in Paris in the early 20th century [the Victrola in Act I didn't appear until 1901, Google tells me] and sung in Italian, with English subtitles, from a production in Spain. International, much?
Opera buffs here can weigh in with their opinions of this production. To me, it's very good, but what do I know? I'm more a musical theater person.
Still, this production from 2006 seems excellent to me. And the music is, of course, transcendent.
Inva Mula plays Mimi. But when I went looking for a short clip from the same production, I couldn't find one. So please join me below the fold for a bit of Wiki background and an entire, and entirely captivating, production of Puccini's famously popular opera.
La bohème is an opera in four acts,[N 1] composed by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa, based on Scènes de la vie de bohème by Henri Murger. [1] The world premiere performance of La bohème was in Turin on 1 February 1896 at the Teatro Regio,[2] conducted by the young Arturo Toscanini. Since then, La bohème has become part of the standard Italian opera repertory and is one of the most frequently performed operas worldwide.[3] In 1946, fifty years after the opera's premiere, Toscanini conducted a performance of it on radio with the NBC Symphony Orchestra. This performance was eventually released on records and on Compact Disc. It is the only recording of a Puccini opera by its original conductor....
http://en.wikipedia.org/...
Musically, there is next to nothing that came across as wrong. The orchestra play with such ravishing tone and elegant line as well as real poetry and nuance. The chorus sing in an animated and well-balanced way(it is a shame about dramatically chaotic they looked) and Jesus Lopez-Cobos' conducting is incredibly attentive to the singers with perfectly pitched pacing, letting the emotion breathe while still keeping the drama and music moving. Inva Mula is splendid as Mimi, you really feel Mimi's tragedy and you genuinely care for her while her singing has power but has real sensitivity and lyricism and it has a beautiful, heart-wrenching tone. Aquilles Machado sings with such ring and strength and is ardent and passionate, the most involved I've seen him act. His chemistry with Mula and everybody else has a lot of conviction.
Fabio Maria Capitanucci's Marcello is powerful yet sympathetic, with robust yet subtle singing. While Laura Giordano is one of the most youthful Musettas and loses none of the character's wit or seductive charm and her later more humble change of heart, her singing is bright and agile if not large in size. David Menéndez is one of the most entertainingly physical Schaunard and every bit as vocally robust, Felipe Bou is a noble and wholly likable Colline and sings Vecchio Zimarra with sensitive line and pathos and Alcindoro and Benoit are typically characterful. To conclude, a winner all round apart from a couple of staging oddities, performed superbly, very emotional, sumptuous and imaginative with a wonderful cinematic touch. 9/10 Bethany Cox
http://www.imdb.com/...