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Giacomo Puccini – La Bohème X 3 Rodolfo Teodor Ilincai Conductor Andris Nelsons Royal Opera House, Covent Garden – 21 December 2009 It’s easy to see why Puccini’s La Bohème should hold the affection of audiences worldwide, for it has a great love story, fabulous tunes, marvelous crowd scenes, the most magical intimate moments, and a totally appealing heroine, yet one so frail, who dies at the end. What more could you want for a winning opera? Love and pathos, an extrovert tavern scene and a kind of Liebestod. However, it is a brave man who re–creates for us a work of musical art which is so well known, for if he doesn’t have any new ideas of his own then our evening may be wasted. Tonight’s cast was near perfect, the only hiccough being that Piotr Beczala had lost his voice and thus Rudolpho was sung by Teodor Ilincai – who happened to be in the House preparing for later performances in the rôle. His was a muscular and virile Rudolpho, madly in love with his Mimi but scared of commitment and of her feelings for him. Hibla Gerzmava’s Mimì was, as it always is, too well sung for a young woman who is dying.... That said, her great aria in act 1 was well done, and at the end she made a lovely corpse, ashen faced, worn out and displaying a fine sense of drama in her death scene, never overplaying what could be a piece of grand theatre, she simply faded away as we were concerned elsewhere. A super piece of acting this. Ilincai and Gerzmava received excellent support from Inna Dukach – a magnificently carefree Musetta, who delivered her waltz song with an insouciance and arrogance – and from Gabriele Viviani, Jacques Imbrailo and Kostas Smoriginas as the artists who share the garret. If one had a complaint it was with Andris Nelsons direction, for he really allowed the orchestra to play and, on occasion, they drowned the singers, but this was momentary and the sound from the pit was a delight, full bloodied and forthright. Puccini has always been one of my loves and this production is well worth the visit. I was impressed with the singing, the playing and the staging. The important thing is that every aspect of the production worked well and was most enjoyable and it packed the emtional punch intended. It has a look of authenticity about it and it sounds wonderful. That, surely, is all one really wants for a start... Bob Briggs Opera Up Close Mimi – Rosie Coad Musetta – Clare Presland Rudolfo – Anthony Flaum Marcello – Richard Latham Schaunard – Matthew Duncan Colline – Georgios Papaefstratiou Benoit - Ian Wilson-Pope Alcindoro – David Freedman
Conductor / Pianist – Andrew Charity Director – Robin Norton-Hale Designers – Kate Guiness & Lucy Read 23 December 2009 The Cock Tavern Theatre, London NW6 Think Puccini – think Verismo and this production really does Verismo to perfection! Window, fireplace, tacky many times previously owned hand furniture, walls tacked with a miscellany of posters all testify to the fact that what is now the theatre at the Cock Tavern in Kilburn was clearly at one time a cheapish flat above the pub, and a completely appropriate setting for a modern day take on this opera.
After the first act we were advised to return to the bar for a 10 minute interval to allow for the set to be changed – a statement that turned out to be completely accurate, as the Café Momus scene was sung in the pub itself, which continued its regular trade around the action. Musetta and Alcindoro bustled in, parcel laden, through the front door and there was a certain amount of interaction between cast and patrons. Like the best in theatre, the audience could feel that knife edge of uncertainty, wondering which way the plot would turn. It was exciting, and it was fun!
Another interval and having, like most members of the audience parked my coat on my chair upstairs, a slight misgiving crept into my mind that we might be herded out into the adjoining Kilburn marketplace for the “entrance to the city” scene. No, we were back in the theatre, but the windows had been thrown open to admit a chilly blast and, on that evening at least, traces of Puccini’s snow could be seen falling onto the passing buses.
The close proximity of the action drew the audience in, and it was impossible not to be deeply moved by final tragedy of Mimi’s death.
I cannot say that the singing was the finest I have heard, and director Robin Norton-Hale’s topical new translation frequently sounded cumbersome. Apologies had been made via a slip in the programme for the illness of Anthony Flaum and, in those circumstances he made a brave showing as Rudolfo. Clare Presland’s lively Musetta was all one could wish for and both Rosie Coad’s Mimi and Richard Latham’s were totally convincing. Georgios Papaefstratiou gave a very moving account of Colline’s farewell to his beloved coat (in this production a cigarette case, and David Freedman’s Alcindoro was a beautifully judged cameo.
Roles are double or treble cast, so singers on other nights will vary, as will the chorus, drawn from 40 names listed in the programme. Andrew Charity conducts from the piano with genuine sensitivity throughout. By popular demand the run has been extended to 20 February and plans for a Butterfly are on the drawing board.
Serena Fenwick
This page illustrates the diversity of today's presentations of favourite operas. At the end of 2009, a third element in the equation must be opera at home on television, notably an extended season from New York's Met on Sky Arts 2.
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