Puccini: La Boheme

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CHAN 3008

Multiple Set of 2 CDs

Puccini: La Boheme

Running Time: 110:34

Release Date: June 1998
Originally recorded in September 1997

Composer
Giacomo Puccini

Solo soprano - Mimì
Cynthia Haymon

Solo tenor - Rodolfo
Dennis O'Neill

Baritone Voice baritone - Marcello
Alan Opie

Bass Voice bass - Colline
Alastair Miles

Baritone Voice baritone - Schaunard
William Dazeley

Baritone Voice baritone - Benoit
Andrew Shore

Solo tenor - Parpignol
Mark Milhofer

Solo soprano - Musetta
Marie McLaughlin

Choral
Geoffrey Mitchell Choir

Choral
Peter Kay Children's Choir

Orchestra
Philharmonia Orchestra

Conductor
David Parry

Venue
Blackheath Halls, London

Producer
Brian Couzens

Engineer
Ralph Couzens

Engineer (Assistant)
Richard Smoker

Genre:
Vocal & Song
Opera in English

CD About Reviews Media

Temporarily out of stock

Opera - La Bohème

GIACOMO PUCCINI

La bohème

111:00

A Bohemian Life

COMPACT DISC ONE: 54:57

Opera in four acts

Libretto by Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica after Henry Murger's Scènes de la vie de bohème

English version by William Grist and Percy Pinkerton, with amendments by David parry

Act I: 35:26

Marcello - 'This Red Sea Passage feels deep and chill to me'

4:21

(Marcello, Rodolfo, Colline)

Colline - 'Profound and thoughtful!'

1:21

(Colline, Marcello, Rodolfo)

Rodolfo - 'Firewood!'

3:48

(Rodolfo, Marcello, Colline, Schaunard)

Benoit - 'Hello'

5:33

(Benoit, Marcello, Schaunard, Colline, Rodolfo)

Rodolfo - 'I'll stay here, I must complete my article'

1:00

(Rodolfo, Marcello, Colline, Schaunard)

Rodolfo - 'No inspiration'

2:44

(Rodolfo, Mimì)

Mimì - 'Oh! How dreadful!'

1:40

(Mimì, Rodolfo)

Rodolfo - 'Your tiny hand is frozen!'

4:40

(Rodolfo)

Mimì - 'Yes, I'm always called Mimì'

5:17

(Mimì, Rodolfo)

10.

Schaunard - 'Hey! Rodolfo!'

0:48

(Schaunard, Colline, Marcello, Rodolfo, Mimì)

11.

Rodolfo - 'Lovely maid in the moonlight'

4:16

(Rodolfo, Mimì)

Act II: 19:20

12.

Hawkers - 'Come, buy my oranges!'

2:48

(Chorus, Schaunard, Rodolfo, Mimì, Colline, Marcello)

13.

Rodolfo - 'What is it?'

3:18

(Rodolfo, Mimì, Schaunard, Marcello, Chorus)

14.

Children - 'Long live Parpignol!'

3:12

(Chorus,Schaunard, Marcello, Colline, Rodolfo, Mimì, Alcindoro, Musetta)

15.

Marcello - 'You had better ask me'

2:40

(Marcello, Musetta, Alcindoro, Colline, Schaunard, Chorus, Rodolfo, Mimì)

16.

Musetta - 'As thro' the street I wander'

5:04

(Musetta, Marcello, Alcindoro, Mimì, Rodolfo, Colline, Schaunard)

17.

Colline - 'Who had him bring it?'

2:17

(Colline, Schaunard, Rodolfo, Marcello, Chorus, Musetta, Mimì)

COMPACT DISC TWO: 56:03

Act III: 26:11

Scavengers - 'Hallo! You soldiers! Admit us!'

3:41

(Chorus, Customs Official, Musetta)

Mimì - 'Oh, please sir, tell me, do you know the tavern'

1:46

(Mimì, Customs Sergeant, Customs Official)

Marcello - 'Mimì!' - Mimì - 'I hoped that I would find you here'

4:57

(Marcello, Mimì)

Rodolfo - 'Marcello, you're outside here'

1:45

(Rodolfo, Marcello, Mimì)

Rodolfo - 'Mimì is fickle-hearted'

1:25

(Rodolfo, Marcello)

Rodolfo - 'Mimì's so sickly, so ailing!'

3:29

(Rodolfo, Marcello, Mimì)

Mimì - 'To the home that she left'

3:13

(Mimì)

Rodolfo - 'Then it really is over'

5:55

(Rodolfo, Mimì, Marcello, Musetta)

Act IV: 29:45

Marcello - 'In a coupé?'

1:13

(Marcello, Rodolfo)

10.

Rodolfo - 'Oh Mimì, our love is over'

5:47

(Rodolfo, Marcello, Schaunard, Colline)

11.

Colline - 'Gavotta'

1:47

(Colline, Marcello, Rodolfo, Schaunard)

12.

Musetta - 'It's Mimì! It's Mimì who is with me'

6:04

(Musetta, Rodolfo, Schaunard, Mimì, Marcello)

13.

Colline - 'Venerable garment, listen'

2:38

(Colline, Schaunard)

14.

Mimì - 'Have they left us?'

6:53

(Mimì, Rodolfo, Schaunard)

15.

Musetta - 'Sleeping?' - Rodolfo - 'Just resting'

2:16

(Musseta, Rodolfo, Marcello, Mimì)

16.

Rodolfo - 'What did the doctor say?'

2:58

(Rodolfo, Marcello, Musetta, Schaunard, Colline)

Solo: Cynthia Haymon soprano - Mimì

Solo: Dennis O'Neill tenor - Rodolfo

Solo: Mark Milhofer tenor - Parpignol

Solo: Marie McLaughlin soprano - Musetta

Choral: Geoffrey Mitchell Choir

Choral: Peter Kay Children's Choir

Orchestra: Philharmonia Orchestra

Conductor: David Parry

3-7 September 1997

About

Outstanding soprano Cynthia Haymon sings the lead role in this premiere recording in English of La bohème

This recording is part of Chandos’ Opera in English series, made in association with the Peter Moores Foundation. This will be the most comprehensive collection of Opera in English recordings undertaken by a recording company, and a major addition to the general record catalogue.

Born on 23 December 1858 in Lucca, Italy, Puccini was the fifth of seven children. By the age of seventeen he began composing in earnest, writing organ pieces that were largely the result of improvisations, and into which he worked snatches of Tuscan folk songs and Verdi operas. A performance of Aïda in 1876 made such an impact that he followed his instincts and began to compose opera. It was four years before he could leave Lucca for Milan, the mecca for aspiring young composers.

Bohème was the first of three operas in which Puccini collaborated with the librettists Illica and Giacosa, an association referred to by Puccini’s publisher Ricordi as the ’Holy Trinity’. Although it was undoubtedly a volatile combination, it was perhaps the best team of poets Puccini had in his entire career. Its first performance in England was in Manchester in 1897, in English, followed by a performance at Covent Garden in the same year. It was well received in Manchester but the Covent Garden performance was not and was dismissed by the press as "not stimulating enough to be heard often".

Because of its mixture of light-hearted and sentimental scenes and largely conversational style, its display of impressionist features in it harmony and orchestration, La bohème was not opera in the expected vein. It was particularly castigated for the consectutive fifths at the opening of Act III. Now it is generally regarded as Puccini’s masterpiece.

The language of the first English performance was criticized for its textual shortcomings and was soon revised. This recording uses the original ENO version by William Grist and Percy Pinkerton with amendments by David Parry.

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Reviews

David Parry and the Philharmonia are the real heroes here. There is a real dramatic flair from the start to the very end of Puccini’s best-loved stage-work Well worth purchasing Bill Newman - Hi-Fi News & Reviews - November 1998

Performance **** Sound *****
" Cynthia Haymon is an ideal Mimi, clear-toned and winsome yet rising to the intensity of Act II and the final scene with a real sense of Puccinian phrasing Michael Scott Rohan - Classic CD - September 1998

Cynthia Haymon is a touching Mimi, worthy of comparison many sopranos who have recorded the role in Italian David Parry conducts with real passion, the recording is first class. Classic FM - October 1998

The outstanding feature is the wonderful playing of the Philharmonia and the way the opera is conducted by David Parry. Tempi are just right and he gives scrupulous attention to all kinds of orchestral detail. We rarely hear such a superb Puccini interpretation these days at the Royal Opera and the ENO. The recorded balance between singers and orchestra is superlative, as is the clarity. A very recommendable issue, no matter how many other Bohèmes you may have. Michael Kennedy - The Sunday Telegraph - 12 July 1998

Performance *** Sound ****
"The opera goes well in English with the quick repartee of the banner between the Bohemians and bustle of the Café Momus coming over with unusual immediacy the cast makes a good deal of the text, especially Alan Opie’s live wire of a Marcello, while William Dazely’s Schaunard does his dead parrot routine brilliantly. Vocally, too, this is a very good performance, with Dennis O’Niell’s Rodolfo unfailingly stylish Marie McLaughlin is a vivacious Musetta, and Andrew Shore is sheer perfection in his double act as Benoit and Alcindoro. Cynthia hayman’s Mimi rises to the emotional tragedy of the later scenes Good work from the chorus throughout, and top-quality playing from the Philharonia George Hall - BBC Music magazine - December 2002

Altogether an excellent introduction to the old tear-jerker. John Higgins - The Times - 2 July 1998

A well integrated, dedicated cast, all its members versed in their roles, delivers the ever-popular work with real dash and fervour Parry turns in his best work to date for the series with a big-boned, passionate reading that is also observant of the detail and dynamic contrasts of Puccini’s score. Alan Blyth - Opera - October 1998

this set is notable above all for David Parry’s outstandingly fine interpretation which draws wonderfulplaying from the Philharmonia The singing is first-rate too The Sunday Telegraph - 6 December 1998

This is the best that I’ve heard yet in Chandos’ series of Opera in English… Alastair Miles is superb… Henry Fogel - Fanfare - November/December 1998

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Puccini: La Boheme

Temporarily out of stock

Opera - La Bohème

GIACOMO PUCCINI

La bohème

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