The Bernstein Legacy: Some Americans in Paris

Looking back at a flawed but interesting 1988 La bohème.
by Paul J. Pelkonen

The catalogue of any large record company is filled with interesting failures: pricey boxed sets that get re-issued at a bargain price or in some cases quietly and suddenly dropped from the catalog, only to reappear in complete compilations of a composers or conductors works. One of those rarities is the 1988 Deutsche Grammophon recording of La bohème, made in Rome with the Orchestra of the National Academy of St. Cecilia under the baton of Leonard Bernstein.

Metropolitan Opera Preview: La bohème

Death, romance and the rooftops of Paris in Puccini's timeless opera.
by Paul J. Pelkonen

He ain't got nobody: Vittorio Grigolo returns to the role of Rodolfo in La bohème.
Photo by Marty Sohl © 2018 The Metropolitan Opera.

The Metropolitan Opera markets Puccini's fourth opera as "the most popular opera of all time." That may be debatable, but the show returns this year in Franco Zefirelli's elaborate and constantly rehabilitated production. As usual it is a proving ground for a young soprano as Nicole Car takes on the role of Mìmì.

Metropolitan Opera Preview: La Bohéme

The Met brings back its meal ticket featuring four starving artists.
by Paul J. Pelkonen

If the shoe fits...Susanna Philips (center) as Musetta in a scene from Act II of La Bohéme.
Photo by Cory Weaver © 2016 The Metropolitan Opera.

A brace of young, talented tenors, sopranos and baritones portray Puccini's Paris bohemians, trying to stay warm through a long cold winter and a massive Act Three cascade of fake stage snow. This is the Met's most-performed and most revived show, back for another year.

Metropolitan Opera Preview: La bohème

The timeless and much-repaired Zeffirelli production is back for three runs.
by Paul J. Pelkonen

Upper West Side real estate. Sleeps four. Act I of La bohème.
Photo by Ken Howard © 2010 The Metropolitan Opera.

To its credit, the Metropolitan Opera is pretty good about stocking its frequent revivals of La Bohème with solid casts of singers who do a wonderful job with Puccini's too-familiar score. This year's revival features three seperate casts, with Rámon Vargas and Bryan Hymel each taking on the role of the ardent poet Rodolfo who falls head-over-notebook for the seamstress Mímí in belle epoque Paris.

Opera Review: The Art is in the Details

The Met revives La bohème...again.
by Paul J. Pelkonen

Rodolfo (Joseph Calleja) woos Mimì (Maija Kovaleska) in Act I of La bohème.
Photo by Cory Weaver © 2014 The Metropolitan Opera.

At the Metropolitan Opera House, La bohème is as much of a tourist attraction as the Swarovski chandeliers and Marc Chagall murals. Franco Zeffirelli's production of Puccini's opera remains unassailable: an ode to the excesses of that Italian director and the enormous resources mustered by this formidable organization. The lives of these starving artists play out on sprawling, still-handsome sets, that are lovingly rebuilt and repainted for each revival. With its Act II crowd scenes and Act III snowfall, it is easy to forget that  the singing should come first.

Opera Made (very) Easy

The Met's current slate is ideal for the opera novice.
by Paul J. Pelkonen

Cio-Cio San (Amanda Echalaz) meets Pinkerton (Bryan Hymel) in Madama Butterfly.
Photo by Ken Howard © 2014 The Metropolitan Opera.

The month of January is the crux of the season at the Metropolitan Opera, when the company experiments with unusual repertory or quietly opens new productions that take familar works and redo them in an experimental manner (last year's Rigoletto).

However, the Met's current slate of productions features four shows, currently running that are great for those coming to the opera for the first time. So if you're a novice looking to experience their first opera, or the veteran who wants to see a classic work for the first time in years, we've got you covered.

Your Daily Gingerbread

For your viewing pleasure this holiday season, the opening of Act II of Puccini's La bohème, filmed in 2003 at La Scala.

From the libretto:

ACT II: IN THE LATIN QUARTER 

CHRISTMAS EVE

A conflux of streets; where they meet, a square, flanked by shops of all sorts; on one side the Café Momus.

Aloof from the crowd, RUDOLPH and MIMI; COLLINE is near a rag-shop, SCHAUNARD stands outside a tinker's, buying a pipe and a horn, MARCEL is being hustled hither and thither.

A vast, motley crowd; soldiers, serving maids, boys, girls, children, students, work girls, gendarmes, etc. It is evening. The shops are decked with tiny lamps; a huge lantern lights up the entrance to the Café Momus. The café is so crowded that some of the customers are obliged to seat themselves outside.

(Content from Puccini's La bohème © Ricordi and Sons)

And you thought the streets of New York were crowded at Christmas.

Opera Review: Gateway to Greatness

Young talent adds life to the Met's mega-Bohéme.

Rush hour in Paris: Act II of La bohéme features over 200 people onstage.
Photo by Ken Howard © The Metropolitan Opera.

For three decades, the Metropolitan Opera's La bohéme has thrilled tourists and opera newbies with Franco Zeffirelli's over-the-top version of fin de siècle Paris. And it's provided excitement to hard-core opera lovers as well, with Anna Netrebko and Angela Gheorghiu among the divas dying onstage in the key role of Mimì.

Monday night's performance had all of the spectacle and flash that audiences expect from this staging, which packs 200 people onstage to depict the French Quarter at Christmas in Act II. It also had lesser known singers as Rodolfo and Mimì. But that can be fun too, as the opportunity comes to discover a new singer in one of these evergreen roles. 

Mimì was Russian soprano Hibla Gerzmava, who made her house debut as Antonia in last year's revival of Les contes d'Hoffmann. She sang the part with full, warm tone, stumbling on a very fast "Sventatta, sventatta" but sounding better in "Mi chiamino Mimì". The two singers voices blended and rose, mixing the aural cocktail that has kept this opera at the top of the repertory for over a century. Her final duet with Rodolfo (tenor Dmitri Pittas) was very moving. 

Mr. Pittas is a New York native who is making a name for himself at the Met. Armed with a bright instrument with a little metal in it, struggled with his intonation in the first scene. He found his footing when he hit the familiar tenor arias that anchor the music of this opera. His performance improved as Rodolfo began to decline, hitting hard emotional truths as the false snow fell in the third act. 

Of course, you can't have Bohéme without Bohemians, and Mr. Pittas was supported by a fine trio. Baritone Alexey Markov was an exceptional Marcello, spitting jealous venom at Musetta but providing able support to his friends in time of need. Susanna Philips was a high-lying Musetta, injecting energy into the crowded second act with her entrance, and real sympathy in the finale.

Bass-baritone Patrick Carfizzi was an energetic, spring-heeld Schaunard, bouncing around the stage. Matthew Rose was an exceptional Colline, making the most of "Vecchio zimarra," the philosopher's touching farewell to his beloved old overcoat. This is another role that leads to great things in the future of a young singer--today's Colline can become tomorrow's Mephistopheles.

The production did boast one sturdy veteran. Paul Plishka took his usual twin roles of Benoit and Alcindoro, and made a fine comic foil to the younger singers. Louis Langrée conducted an unmannered performance of the score, which featured some very fine playing from the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra woodwinds.

Anna Netrebko Cancels Japan Jaunt

Diva withdraws from Met tour, citing Chernobyl concerns.

She'll take her candle and go home. Anna Netrebko in a publicity photo for Anna Bolena.
Photo © 2011 The Metropolitan Opera.

The Metropolitan Opera is on its way to Japan, but Anna Netrebko is not.

The Russian diva, scheduled to sing Mimi in the company's touring production of La bohéme has announced her 11th-hour withdrawal from the tour. The decision was announced last night in a New York Times article by Daniel J. Wakin. The article included the following statement from the Met press office: "Ms. Netrebko changed her mind having lived through the tragedy of Chernobyl." You can read the full article here.

The decision of Metropolitan Opera general manager Peter Gelb to carry on the Japan tour despite the danger of leaked radiation from the damaged nuclear reactors at Fukushima has been an unpopular one at the world's most famous opera company. The company arrived in Japan last night.

Ms. Netrebko is the fifth major artist to cancel on the Met's ill-starred tour of the Orient. So far, casualties include tenors Jonas Kaufman and Joseph Calleja, who both cited concerns about radiation leakage from the damaged nuclear reactors at Fukushima. Olga Borodina cancelled, citing a need to rest her voice. Conductor James Levine, who is taking a five-month sabbatical for health reasons.


But the soprano, whose face adorns the Met's current marketing campaign and season ticket drive, is currently the biggest star at the Met. The diva is scheduled to open the season with a new production of Donizetti's Anna Bolena, a Metropolitan Opera premiere. In March, she will sing the title role in a new staging of Manon. Both performances will be included in the Met's schedule of Live in HD broadcasts for next year.

The Met's tour includes presentations of La bohéme, Lucia di Lammermoor and the company's new staging of Don Carlo. The cancellations have required some role shuffling. Barbara Frittoli, scheduled to sing Elisabeth in Don Carlo, will switch over to Bohéme. Russian soprano Marina Poplavskaya, who created the role of Elisabeth in this production, will step in to sing the role. She cancelled a Moscow concert appearance to join the Met in Japan.

The touring company includes 350 Met stage hands, extras, and musicians. The roster of and an impressive roster of singers: Mariusz Kwiecen, John Relyea, Rene Pape, Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Diana Damrau. Tenors Marcelo Álvarez and Rolando Villazon, returning after a lengthy hiatus due to voice problems, will add firepower to the three productions. Met principal guest conductor Fabio Luisi will take James Levine's place on the podium. Gianandrea Noseda will also conduct.

The Met's two-week tour will conclude on June 14 with a concert in Tokyo. The program of that concert is listed as "TBA."