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LA BOHÈME
--Standard Repertory--
By Giacomo Puccini
VIDEO: Cheryl Barker, David Hobson, Douglas, Lemke,
Smith conducting, Australian Opera, 1993; PGD [Polygram] 071
276; A sincere, talented youthful cast sweeps the field, making
Puccini's intimate story the heartbreaking picture of growing up that
it was meant to be; doesn't try to be sentimental, just lets the
music and the sheer, human helplessness of the characters
(brilliantly portrayed in a risky but successfully updated
production) carry the day; be warned, its very resolve not to be
either prettified or melodramatic makes this overwhelmingly sincere
presentation a three-handkerchief show! Given the abuses of some of
the modernized, "with-it" productions that are out there and the
formidable vocal competition of the fine AUDIO recordings itemized
below, it is astonishing that this performance by unknowns may just
delve that much deeper into the helplessness and pity of Puccini's
work than any known AUDIO (or other VIDEO) recording has yet done!
[G.R.]
AUDIO: A) EMI: Mirella Freni, Nicolai Gedda,
Schippers conducting; a happy partnership of two musicians who
combine opulent vocalism with fresh spontaneity and genuine
commitment; Freni and Gedda, in their vivid realization of
Puccinis masterpiece, take their cue from Schippers
uncommonly energized baton; despite a strictly average supporting
cast, Schippers, Freni, and Gedda have left us a real milestone with
this recording [G.R.]; stereo
B-1) EMI: Licia Albanese, Beniamino Gigli, Berrettoni
conducting; classic pairing of the foremost Mimi of her generation in
her youthful prime opposite one of the greatest lirico voices of the
twentieth century; though their musicianship does not match that of
their counterparts in A, their fully comparable commitment to
their roles is enhanced here by an accomplished ensemble far superior
to As [G.R.]; Fair Mono
B-2) RCA: Licia Albanese, Jan Peerce, Toscanini conducting;
the raison detre for this performance is Toscanini, who
conducted the world premiere under Puccinis direct supervision
(1896); Maestros presence at the podium gives this
reading tremendous authority; his passion for this score and his
galvanizing effect on everyone in the cast is palpable and worth the
whole set (provided you dont mind his audible humming along in
places!); if anything, Albanese here surpasses her Mimi on B-1; even
though a duly responsive top seems less of a piece now with the rest
of the voice, it still remains easy and free, and there are warmer
colors in the mid-range than before; true, all this results in the
occasional hollowness on some connective tones, but the
hollowness is not yet as noticeable here as it was later, and the
dividends, both dramatic and musical, are considerable, yielding
arguably the most apt interpretation of the role on disc; sadly, on
repeated hearings, Peerce starts to wear on one; his atypically tense
vocalism and the extra-musical grunts are disconcerting from such a
reputable musician [G.R.]; Fair Mono
B-3) EMI: Maria Callas, Giuseppe Di Stefano, Votto
conducting; since I first heard this recording, Di Stefano for me has
been -- and remains -- the finest Rodolfo on disc; no one else
imparts so much youthfulness, so much vulnerability, so much sheer
variety, so much vocal beauty to this role; his assumption is unique;
he is in glorious voice; his interpretation made such an overwhelming
impact on me that it proved necessary for me to rehear this
performance quite recently before I properly appreciated
Callass contribution as well; no, she is not one of
natures Mimis, but her fine insight and musicianship weave
their own spell, and she is in strong enough voice here to achieve
all her interpretive aims [G.R.]; Mono
C) EMI: Victoria De Los Angeles, Jussi Bjoerling, Beecham
conducting; Beecham incorporates all the later refinements in the
score that Puccini conveyed to him personally; unlike Callas, De Los
Angeles is indeed one of natures Mimis, but Bjoerling, whose
bewitching vocal colors are readily apparent here, nevertheless shows
some constriction in his vocal production and was, in fact, not well
at the time; this set is almost as handsomely cast in its supporting
roles as any other set out there [G.R.]; Mono
D) DECCA/LONDON: Renata Tebaldi, Giacinto Prandelli, Erede
conducting; Though arguably the most consistently well sung set of
all (superior in its consistency, if not its vocal peaks, to the
Beecham), this lacks just that extra bit of vividness typical of its
less generously endowed competition; some may find its comparative
sobriety a refreshing change, but, having cut my eye teeth on this
set, I was still transported by the subsequent revelation of the Di
Stefano recording, B-3; the Di Stefano set spurred me to
explore the other recordings listed above and showed me what was
missing here; that said, it is a joy, to take just one example, to
return here to Hilde Gueden, the Musetta, a genuine artist and
musician with a diamond of a voice, who really sings her role, not as
the seconda donna of the evening -- applying the usual knee-jerk,
off-the-rack, off-pitch, unfocused shcr-r-reaming mit
shtick! -- but as a three-dimensional character captured in
music that requires just as alert a technique (if not more so!) and
just as musically disciplined an approach as any of the more profound
music given the two leads; her example seems to set the pace for much
of the assured music-making throughout this performance
[G.R.]; Mono
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