LA BOHÈME - GIACOMO PUCCINI

 

Opera in four acts by Giacomo Puccini. Its characters are intellectual workers, without money to pay the rent. The story is set in Paris, around the 1830s.

 

Régis Mengus in Opera Metz (January / 2015) and Reim (May / 2015), through his voice and acting, gives life to Marcello, Rodolfo's roommate painter who apparently did not sell many paintings)

 

Act 1

           

Marcello paints a Red Sea Walkway (Passage from the Holy bible); Rodolfo writes a drama. They feel cold and are hungry. Marcello offers sacrifice "Red Sea"; Rodolfo replies that this would make a lot of smoke, and it's better to sacrifice the drama he has written. The fire, however, is short-lived. Colline arrives - he could not pawn his books - and Schaunard - who is bringing food, wine, wood and cigarettes. They are partying when Benoît comes - the owner of Cortelha where they live -; to collect the unpaid rent. They invite you to come and drink wine. Marcello praises his good taste, confessing had seen him arm in arm with a beautiful woman. He says prefer to the more robust, as the skinny ones tend to be neurotic and boring as his wife.

 

When they heard this, the boys expel him from the garret, saying that “He corrupts the respectable home”. After They laugh a lot, They go out to celebrate at the Café Momus. Rodolfo stays to finish the article he Has Been writing for a newspaper, he promises to join them later. Rodolfo sits down to write when he hears someone knocking at the door. An extremely pale and sick, beautiful young lady. she is panting due to the stairs, she asks fire to relight her candle. Rodolfo insists, inviting her to come in and sit down; she faints, dropping the candle and the key. Rodolfo sprinkles her some water, and makes her sitting by the fire and drink some wine. she rises up, lights the candle, she thanks him  and goes out.

         

When he is crossing the door, He realizes lost his key. The wind blows off the two candles, his and hers, at the same time. They both come in to look for the key in the halfdark room. In the darkness, Their hands meet each other. The act ends with a duet of love.

 

Act2

       

In the Latin Quarter, bohemian neighborhood of Paris, Rodolfo and Mimì arrive and he presents her to his friends as his new girlfriend. Musetta, Marcello's former girlfriend, arrives together with another man, Alcindoro, older and richer. When,,, When She sees Marcello, however, gets restless. she climbs on a table and sing to seduce him. Screams that his shoe's hurting her. Alcindoro goes out to buy a new pair. Musetta falls in the arms of Marcello, and says to the waiter; "Alcindoro will pay for the expenses." Marcello carries her on his shoulders and out. When Alcindoro arrives, the waiter presents him the bill.

 

Act 3

        

Street sweepers chant while working. Mimì, pale and coughing, asks to a sergeant “where is the cabaret Marcello, the painter, lives and works?”.

At the cabaret, Mimi asks to the waitress to send a note (to Marcello) inviting him for talking. Marcello goes to meet her. She explains to him that the relationship with Rodolfo is going bad. "Last night he ran away from home" - she complains. Rodolfo exits from the tavern, Mimì hides behind a tree. In conversation with Marcello, Rodolfo confirms what Mimì had said.She coughs, snitching her presence. The lovers sing a duet of love, which is also a farewell. The duet becomes a quartet when they come in addition to - the Musetta and Marcello's voices voices - who are fighting.

 

Act 4

         

Marcello and Rodolfo are together again in the same garret, and sing a duet, each one remembering their own mistress. Schaunard and Colline arrive bringing food. The men eat, drink, sing, laugh and have fun. Mimì knocks at the door, breathlessly after climbing the stairs. They make her lie down on the bed. Musetta offers to sell her jewelry, Colline, his coat to get a doctor. Everybody leaves, Mimì and Rodolfo stay together They sing a final duet of love and death. They recall their first meeting. Marcello, Musetta, Colline, Schaunard bring a new blanket to warm her better. A chord warns Mimì's death. Musetta protects the flame of a single candle that lights the room and she makes a prayer to the Virgin. Rodolfo cries while shouting the name of the beloved, and everything dies in a chord.