La Boheme, Act I and II
Did anyone else develop an interest in opera – and La Boheme in particular – after seeing the movie Moonstruck? I sure did. The 1987 movie, featuring Cher and Nicholas Cage, is still one of my all time favorites. It’s amazing how music can affect the overall experience of a film. The music of Giacomo Puccini defines Moonstruck. Because of the movie, La Boheme (and opera) entered my life.
The story of La Boheme is centered around the love between Rodolfo (a poet) and Mimi (a seamstress). No happy ending here. Mimi succumbs to tuberculosis at the end. But it’s quite a journey – stunningly powerful, beautiful, and heartbreaking at the end. See this Wikipedia article for a full synopsis of the opera.
The performance here comes from earlier this year at New York City’s Metropolitan Opera. Here are Acts I and II. III and IV will be coming in a few days.
If you’re hesitant to try this out, at the very least download “Si sente meglio?” (track 7) through “O soave fanciulla” (track 10). Listen to them all the way through. Rinse. And repeat.
La Boheme
February 3, 2007
Metropolitan Opera, New York City
— Act I: In the four bohemians’ garret —
Questo Mar Rosso mi ammollisce e assidera
Pensier profundo!
Legna!
Si può?
Io resto per terminar l’articolo di fondo
Chi è la?
Si sente meglio?
Che gelida manina
Sì. Mi chiamano Mimì
O soave fanciulla
— Act II: Quartier Latin —
Aranci, datteri, caldi i marroni!
Chi guardi?
Viva Parpignol! Parpignol! Parpignol!
Oh! … Essa! … Musetta!
Quando men vo soletta per la via
Chi l’ha richiesto?
Metropolitan Opera Choir and Orchestra
Conductor: Carlo Rizzi
Cast:
Marcello (baritone) – Dwayne Croft
Rodolfo (tenor) – Marcello Giordani
Colline (bass) – John Relyea
Schaunard (baritone) – Aaron St. Clair Nicholson
Benoit (bass) – Paul Plishka
Mimì (soprano) – Cristina Gallardo-Domâs
Parpignol (tenor) – Meredith Derr
Alcindoro (bass) – Paul Plishka
Musetta (soprano) – Susannah Glanville
6 Comments
lolly
Pete, what can I say, this is an absolute treasure trove, Iam so happy I could cry,what more could one ask, unless you had “Madame Butterfly” no I must not be greedy, thank you so much, the sound quality is superb, and I cant wait for the rest of it, la la la mm mm da da da dee………oh bliss!
KathyB
Ditto for me, except substitute “Gianni Schicchi” for “Madama Butterfly” (it’s also a lot shorter!).
T
great post. Likewise I can listen to Springsteen, Opera, Van, Smiths, it’s all good. If you plan on another opera upload, my vote also for Madame Buttefly – Thanks for the post.
Bo-bella
Thanks! I’m listening right now…all the way through…then I’ll probably rinse and repeat.
BlueSkyMine
I made my fiancé sit through the Magic Flute a few weekends ago when it popped up on HDTV. Opera gets a bad wrap in our generation.
Jshua
*Holds hand up*
Actually, Phantom of the Opera really got me into the entire “science” of it, which led me to so much other stuff…
The music THEORY behind all of it really trips me out
J-