Puccini's La Boheme from the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden - 7.10.17

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

6.30 p.m.

Puccini's La Boheme from the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, the first new production there for more than 40 years. Telling the tragic love story between Mimi and Rodolfo, the opera focuses on their relationship, and that of Rodolfo and his fellow bohemians. A stellar cast is led by Nicole Car and Michael Fabiano, with Antonio Pappano in the pit.

Mimi ..... Nicole Car (soprano)
Rodolfo ..... Michael Fabiano (tenor)
Marcello ..... Mariusz Kwiecień (baritone)
Musetta ..... Simona Mihai (soprano)
Schaunard ..... Gyula Nagy (baritone)
Colline ..... Luca Tittoto (bass)
Benoît ..... Jeremy White (bass)
Alcindoro ..... Wyn Pencarreg (baritone)
Royal Opera House Chorus & Orchestra
Antonio Pappano (conductor).

[subcontrabass]

6.30 p.m.

Puccini's La Boheme from the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, the first new production there for more than 40 years. Telling the tragic love story between Mimi and Rodolfo, the opera focuses on their relationship, and that of Rodolfo and his fellow bohemians. A stellar cast is led by Nicole Car and Michael Fabiano, with Antonio Pappano in the pit.

Mimi ..... Nicole Car (soprano)
Rodolfo ..... Michael Fabiano (tenor)
Marcello ..... Mariusz Kwiecień (baritone)
Musetta ..... Simona Mihai (soprano)
Schaunard ..... Gyula Nagy (baritone)
Colline ..... Luca Tittoto (bass)
Benoît ..... Jeremy White (bass)
Alcindoro ..... Wyn Pencarreg (baritone)
Royal Opera House Chorus & Orchestra
Antonio Pappano (conductor).

I see that this is being broadcast on Christmas Day: BBC4, 7 p.m.

[Cockney Sparrow]

I and Mrs CS very much enjoyed the performance we went to - in the same run as that recorded for the broadcast. And the new production is very acceptable, replacing the ancient predecessor.

[Conchis]

As a big Richard Jones fan, I'm looking forward to this.

[Barbirollians]

I thought the production so- so , some of the direction slapdash e.g Rodolfo grabs and leans on the chimney he has just burned his work in - might be a little hot!

Michael Fabiano struck me as a belter of the old fashioned sort . Nicole Car sang very well but lacked any kind of frailty. The long hair of the other Bohemians when Colline boasts of and is is pestered to get his cut is odd . Act 2 is the hit with its revolving arcade , classy restaurant and red dressed Musetta , Act 3 is like a much less atmospheric copy of the Copley production - the public house turned at an angle and the snow only symbolic . Act 4 I found hard to take- it showed the nonsense of the garret poor old Mimil left to die on some sacking with head up against the stove as nobody has a bed .

Generally good singing and playing and nothing to scare the horses in the production - but as a rather prosaic 19th century set production without the magic of the old Copley staging I wondered what was the point.

[Conchis]

I thought the production was a fairly major disappointment.

I think Jones is at his best when he is at his most radical. Maybe CG balked at the idea of a 'high concept' Boheme and told him to tone things down?

Whatever, this production came very close to being something I never thought a Jones production could be: nondescript.

I thought it was adequately, if anonymously, sung.

[DracoM]

Thus bringing into serious question the use of 'stellar' to describe singers? Or was that just PR-speak i.e. if Pappano is conducting @ ROCG, the cast must be 'stellar' by definition?

[Pulcinella]

Pretty disappointed here too.
The garret looked too clean and new (very pale wood for the door and rafters) and was far too brilliantly front lit (WAY TOO MANY SHADOWS!).
Why did the tavern start moving at the end of act 3? Just because it could?

Moans apart, we were at least pleased to see that it was being broadcast.