Puccini's "La Bohème"

Though Puccini wrote many operas during his career, one of his most famous and most beloved is "La Bohème." Written in 1896 and based on "Scènes de la vie de Bohème" by Henri Murger, La Bohème tells its story in four acts.

"La Bohème": Plot Synopsis

Puccini worked with librettists (people who write the text used in operas) Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa to compose "La Bohème." Here is a brief plot summary:

In the first act of "La Bohème," we see the joyous quartet of bohemians in their Paris attic: Rodolphe the poet, Marcel the painter, Colline the philosopher and Schaunard the musician.

Destitute, Rodolphe sacrifices the precious manuscript of his tragedy to keep the fire going, and Marcel keeps the landlord at bay, until the arrival of Schaunard who is carrying an unexpected windfall of provisions peaks the spirits of the company.

Three of the bohemians go out to celebrate Christmas Eve at their favorite café, leaving Rodolphe to finish an article. Mimi, an embroiderer who lodges on the same floor, enters the room under pretence of asking for a light. A love-duet follows. After, the lovers go off to join their friends.

The next scene is at the Café Momus, where Musette appears with a wealthy banker. She quickly contrives to get the banker out of the way and rushes into the arms of her ex-lover, Marcel. This scene (which is very short) is a carnival of bustle and fun, and is a brilliant example of Puccini's knack for handling concerted music.

The next scene is a series of quarrels and reconciliations between the two pairs of lovers. In the last act, Mimi, who has deserted Rodolphe, comes back to see him once more before she dies and breathes her last on the little bed in the attic.

The Original Cast of "La Bohème"
"La Bohème" made its public appearance on Feb. 1, 1896. The original cast and characters of "La Bohème" are as follows:
  • Rodolfo, a poet: Evan Gorgo
  • Mimì, a seamstress: Cesira Ferrani
  • Marcello, a painter: Tieste Wilmant
  • Schaunard, a musician: Antonio Pini-Corsi
  • Colliene, a philosphoer: Michele Mazzara
  • Musetta, a singer: Camilla Pasini
  • Benoît, their landlord: Alessandro Polonini
  • Alcindoro, a state councillor: Alessandro Polonini
  • Parpignol, a toy vendor: Dante Zucchi
  • A customs Sergeant: Felice Fogli.

Puccini's Style

Puccini's music echoes the spirit of Murger's romance with marvelous sincerity. It paints the mingled joy and grief of bohemian life in hues most delicate and tender. Like Murger, though dealing with things often squalid and unlovely, Puccini never forgets that he is an artist. The sordid facts of life are gilded by the rainbow colors of romance.

In "La Bohème," Puccini captured the fanciful grace of Murger's style with the dexterity of genius. His music is thoroughly Italian in style, but he never strikes a false note. In the last scene, he dashes off the irresponsible joviality of the earlier scenes with a touch that, though light, is always sure. When the action deepens to tenderness and even to pathos, Puccini can be serious without falling into sentimentality and impressive without encroaching upon the boundaries of melodrama.

"La Bohème" is one of the few operas of recent years that can truly be described as a masterpiece.

Resources

Streatfeild, R. A. (July 9, 2005). The Opera, third edition. London: George Routledge & Sons, Ltd.