La Boheme

[Roehre]

One Bohème on my shelves suits me more than enough, in my case Karajan's.

[Barbirollians]

One Bohème on my shelves suits me more than enough, in my case Karajan's.

You have my sympathies if you have never heard the Beecham and Serafin you really have missed out

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I used to have the Beecham - it always irritated me how the conductor seemed to cut off the magnificent Bjorling's top note in You're Tiny and it's Frozen. I find now that I only have two recordings, both on Cassette - the Karajan, and the Schippers with Freni and Gedda. This latter was the version I first heard of the work, and it remains my favourite. Having said that, I can't remember hearing the opera in about twenty years (I think there must have been a TV broadcast of it in that time, though). A work I know practically by heart.

[Roehre]

You have my sympathies if you have never heard the Beecham and Serafin you really have missed out

I am afraid Puccini's Boheme is for me not important enough to have more than the score and the Karajan recording on my shelves

[Barbirollians]

Considering how many people whose introduction to opera it is I regard it as an extraordinarily important work .

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Considering how many people whose introduction to opera it is I regard it as an extraordinarily important work .

Careful, Barbs - it sounds like you're putting on a par with The Very Hungry Caterpillar!

[Barbirollians]

Careful, Barbs - it sounds like you're putting on a par with The Very Hungry Caterpillar!

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe maybe :big grin:

[Roehre]

Considering how many people whose introduction to opera it is I regard it as an extraordinarily important work .

that's completely and utterly new to me I'm afraid. It's not even Puccini's most important.
So Puccini's Bohème is introducing more people to opera than other operas (like Fidelio, my first opera, or Zauberflöte, or Tosca, or Hans und Gretel [the latter especially for children]), or Nabucco, or Traviata, or Trovatore, or Aida?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

that's completely and utterly new to me I'm afraid. It's not even Puccini's most important.
So Puccini's Bohème is introducing more people to opera than other operas (like Fidelio, my first opera, or Zauberflöte, or Tosca, or Hans und Gretel [the latter especially for children]), or Nabucco, or Traviata, or Trovatore, or Aida?

Not necessarily "more people", Roehre - but certainly a lot of people's first experience of Opera was Boheme - including, it occurs to me, me! The only opera recording in the family collection was that Schippers version. My first Opera in the theatre was Zauberflöte, and then there was no stopping me!

[Barbirollians]

that's completely and utterly new to me I'm afraid. It's not even Puccini's most important.
So Puccini's Bohème is introducing more people to opera than other operas (like Fidelio, my first opera, or Zauberflöte, or Tosca, or Hans und Gretel [the latter especially for children]), or Nabucco, or Traviata, or Trovatore, or Aida?

Yes I think so because it is short and full of good tunes . I know quite a few people introduced to the love of opera by Boheme and quite a few put off by longer and less easy to enjoy works .

[martin_opera]

Agree with the many mentions already esp. Karajan, Pappano and Serafin. i also do return often to the Nagano which is just beguiling and has a lovely Rodolfo in Richard Leech. Just to cover off some of the "nearly rans". Solti and Domingo are too rough for my liking even though it's one of Caballe's best recorded performances. Ditto the Leinsdorf with Moffo doing some lovely things but not helped by a brash Richard Tucker. The Votto has been mentioned and I assume it's the Callas one, which is also one of my favourites - seductive with Callas, Di Stefano, Moffo and Panerai all relaxed and communicative. The other Votto is with a marvellous young Renata Scotto who really inhabits the role (an underrated recordng and worth hearing) but not particularly well supported by Poggi (pretty but bland) and Gobbi (doesn't really do Bohemian!) Scotto is sadly past her best with Kraus on the Levine recording (wobbly) but still manages to find meaning where other singers skirt over the phrases. Betrand de Billy despite being favoured by Gramophone at the time leaves me cold (I simply don't get Netrebko). Finally the first Tebaldi is worth listening to the Erede (although he's not the main draw). Tebaldi and Pradelli are in youthful glowing voice and Hilde Guden is an arch Musetta. Well worth listening to and better sound than the Toscanini. What a perfect opera. Along with Act 4 of Don Carlo, Act 3 of Boheme is my favourite Act in all opera.

[Barbirollians]

Agree with the many mentions already esp. Karajan, Pappano and Serafin. i also do return often to the Nagano which is just beguiling and has a lovely Rodolfo in Richard Leech. Just to cover off some of the "nearly rans". Solti and Domingo are too rough for my liking even though it's one of Caballe's best recorded performances. Ditto the Leinsdorf with Moffo doing some lovely things but not helped by a brash Richard Tucker. The Votto has been mentioned and I assume it's the Callas one, which is also one of my favourites - seductive with Callas, Di Stefano, Moffo and Panerai all relaxed and communicative. The other Votto is with a marvellous young Renata Scotto who really inhabits the role (an underrated recordng and worth hearing) but not particularly well supported by Poggi (pretty but bland) and Gobbi (doesn't really do Bohemian!) Scotto is sadly past her best with Kraus on the Levine recording (wobbly) but still manages to find meaning where other singers skirt over the phrases. Betrand de Billy despite being favoured by Gramophone at the time leaves me cold (I simply don't get Netrebko). Finally the first Tebaldi is worth listening to the Erede (although he's not the main draw). Tebaldi and Pradelli are in youthful glowing voice and Hilde Guden is an arch Musetta. Well worth listening to and better sound than the Toscanini. What a perfect opera. Along with Act 4 of Don Carlo, Act 3 of Boheme is my favourite Act in all opera.

Well said Act 3 of Boheme is superb and intensely moving when sung and acted well .

[Conchis]

I think it's a perfect introductory opera: human story, identifiable characters and - important, this! - not too long!

My introduction to opera was Das Rheingold....everything else was a bit of a comedown after that.

[Richard Tarleton]

I think it's a perfect introductory opera: human story, identifiable characters and - important, this! - not too long!

My introduction to opera was Das Rheingold....everything else was a bit of a comedown after that.

Boheme is indeed a perfect starter - it was mine, at the old Sadlers Wells, with a future Brunnhilde and Isolde - Anne Evans - as Mimi . These days, though, my only recording - indeed my only Puccini recording - is a "highlights" of the Serafin, with the incomparable partnership of Tebaldi and Bergonzi. Somewhere along the line I developed an aversion to Puccini

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

There'a also the earlier Karajan with Freni, Ramondi and La Scala Milan. Its a Unitel film, now on DVD. The lip-sync isn't at all convincing in these Unitel productions, but this is Freni at her very best.