This opera is a big fat reality check for those who believe that you don't need money when you have love.
A while back, I went to see Madison Opera's performance of Giacomo Puccini's classic tragedy, La Boheme. Now I didn't cry as much as I thought I would, but that does not make the opera any less a tearjerker. This performance featured tenor Mackenzie Whitney and Greek soprano Eleni Calenos as the unfortunate lovers Rodolfo and Mimì. Also starring in performance was baritone Dan Kempson as the painter Marcello and soprano Emily Birsan as the flighty Musetta.
This opera is a simple tragedy of circumstances. I'll try to keep this a short as possible.
Act 1 finds four Bohemians (not actually from Bohemia in this case), living in a garret in the Latin Quarter of Paris. On Christmas Eve, the philosopher Colline and the musician Schaunard come home with plenty of money and declare that they will dine at the Cafe Momus that evening. The painter Marcello and the poet Rodolfo agree to come, but Rodolfo stays behind for a while yet to finish an article. A few moments later, a pretty neighbor, the seamstress Mimì shows up at his door. The two fall instantly in love and he takes her with him to join the others.
Act 2 takes place outside the Cafe Momus where Rodolfo introduces Mimì to the other Bohemians. Marcello is unnerved when his coquettish ex-girlfriend, the singer Musetta, comes strutting in on the arm of the wealthy Alcindoro. She distracts her sugar-daddy by claiming that one of her shoes doesn't fit right and sending him off to buy another pair. With Alcindoro out of the way, Musetta and Marcello fall into each others arms.
Act 3 is when things start to go downhill. Mimì confides in Marcello that Rodolfo's has been behaving jealously for no apparent reason. She hides as he approaches. At first, Rodolfo tells Marcello that he believes Mimì unfaithful. Marcello doesn't buy the story and Rodolfo finally confesses the bitter truth. Even before she met Rodolfo, Mimì had been suffering from tuberculosis, and now she is entering the terminal stages of the disease. And Rodolfo, in spite of his love, is sorely lacking in physical resources and thus cannot take care of the woman he adores. Mimì overhears this and starts crying and coughing. She tells Rodolfo that she intends to leave him, but the cold winter weather (and maybe the quarrel going on between Marcello and Musetta at that moment) makes both Mimì and Rodolfo decide to wait until spring before breaking up.
Act 4 finds the Bohemians back in the garret, now separated from their girlfriends. Muestta enters and reveals that Mimì has made her way back to the garret, but has no strength left in her; in fact, she is dying. Mimì is brought in and made as comfortable as possible. Musetta sells her earrings and Colline pawns his coat in order to buy medicine for Mimì. After everyone else leaves, Mimì and Rodolfo recall their first happy days together. Some time later the others return with medicine, and Musetta gives Mimì a muff to warm her hands. Mimì seemingly dozes off, and Rodolfo is the last one to realize that she has died.
This was my first time seeing this opera as opposed to just hearing it. I could not help but enjoy it. If there was one highlight of the show, to me it's always been Colline's aria from Act 4, when he gives away his coat knowing it's the only one he has. Baritone Liam Moran is a new one for me. And he sang that aria as though he'd been doing it for forty years. I adored his performance.
The other one I wished to speak of was Emily Birsan who sang Musetta. This role demands quite a bit of comedy for Act 2 (Puccini seemed to love that method, use comedy in the first two acts before tightening the drama). And I think Birsan nailed it.
I hope Madison Opera does this one again.
