Puccini: La Bohème (Nelsons)

Opus Arte's second Bohème on DVD comes from the Royal Opera. Filmed at the end of last year, it is a fitting record of John Copley's justifiably celebrated 36 year old production. I may be wrong, but I think the ROH has only had two different productions of this work in the last century and so perhaps it's time for some changes.

Having said this, it's an extremely well-drafted production (and one in which some of the greatest singers over the last 36 years have been involved) with vividly detailed sets, exciting crowd scenes and just about enough Chistmassy detail to please those who don't want to have to think too much about what they are seeing.

With live opera, there are always going to be hitches, yet when the principal tenor decides he's too ill to carry on half-way through and the chap coming into the role later in the season has to fill in at very short notice, things have become more troublesome than feared.

This is exactly what happened on December 19th, when Piotr Beczala completed two Acts, leaving Teodor Ilincai to finish the role of Rodolfo over the next few performances. According to the DVD booklet, this particular recording was filmed over the 19th and 21st of December, and so I can only assume Acts 3 and 4 were Ilincai's unexpected debut, with the first half filmed two days later (after some frantic rehearsals I've no doubt).


As it is, things appear quite seamless, with Ilincai doing a sterling job on stage, despite a distinct lack of animation about the character. Vocally however, he's very strong indeed, and with a tasteful amount of Italianate flair, enjoys hanging around on the important top notes, which he is fortunately able to hit right in the middle. The final (unwritten) top C at the end of Act 1 is now generally expected, and he doesn't disappoint the audience, although I still prefer Puccini's original.


Hibla Germava appears to be a more healthy Mimi than usual, physically at least, and certainly pulls all the right strings in her major arias, and even though she sounds too full of life just before her death, this is such beautiful singing I'm not going to complain that much. She works well with Ilincai, flashing a wonderful smile at one point that any man would have quite easily fallen in love with her as quickly as Rodolfo does.


Inna Dukach as Musetta is a young, flirty tart rather than an all-knowing predatory tart, which freshens up the role enormously. She also pulls off a stunning subito pianissimo in the Act 2 aria which was enjoyed so much by one gentleman in the audience he couldn't help but shout and clap well before she had finished. Would have annoyed the hell out of me if I'd been sitting nearby.


Rodolfo's three sparring partners are all up to the task, with Gabriele Viviani's passionate Marcello almost being outdone by Kostas Smoriginas who produces a finely sung 'Coat Aria'.

The sound of the DVD favours the pit over the stage, and so there are one or two moments where vocal clarity is lost, although we do then have the pleasure of hearing Puccini's lush orchestration in more detail.

Visually, things on stage are rather dark, which make the flashes of colour, especially in Act 2, all the more noticeable.


Andris Nelsons certainly doesn't have any problems with pushing the music on, although I was a little woried by the brief glimpse of a frantic baton at the start of the work, which I would have found very hard to have followed myself. There are some sections which would have benefitted from more contact with the stage, but in the circumstances everything is held together as well as it could have been.


Extras consist of brief chats with John Copley and Andris Nelsons, in which they talk about themselves.

Overall then, a very satisfying version of a work which is never going to lose popularity. There are plenty of other versions to choose from, but if you are looking for a 'safe' and reliable production then go no further.