Editorial Review:

Amazon.com essential recording:
The score for La Bohème comes to glowing life under Herbert von Karajan's baton, and Mirella Freni and Luciano Pavarotti make beautiful music together as the ill-fated lovers. The smaller parts are wonderfully sung, the comedy sharply profiled, and the pathos contained in such a way that the opera's ending proves remarkably gripping. London's sound is excellent. --Ted Libbey



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Disc 1:

1. Act 1: 'Questo mar rosso'
2. Act 1: 'Pensier profondo!'
3. Act 1: 'Legna!'
4. Act 1: 'Si può?'
5. Act 1: 'Io resto'
6. Act 1: 'Chi è la?'
7. Act 1: 'Si sente meglio?'
8. Act 1: 'Che gelida manina'
9. Act 1: 'Sì. Mi chiamano Mimì'
10. Act 1: 'O soave fanciulla'
11. Act 2: 'Aranci, ninnoli! Caldi i marroni e'
12. Act 2: 'Chi guardi?'
13. Act 2: 'Viva Parpignol! Parpignol! Parpignol!'
14. Act 2: 'Oh!... Essa!... Musetta!'
15. Act 2: 'Quando men vo'
16. Act 2: 'Chi l'ha richiesto?'

Disc 2:

1. Act 3: 'Ohè là, le guardie! Aprite!'
2. Act 3: 'Sa dirmi, scusi, qual'è l'osteria'
3. Act 3: 'Mimì!'
4. Act 3: 'Marcello. Finalmente!'
5. Act 3: 'Mimì è una civetta'
6. Act 3: 'Mimì è tanto malata!'
7. Act 3: 'Donde lieta uscì al tuo grido'
8. Act 3: 'Dunque è proprio finita!'
9. Act 4: 'In un coupé?'
10. Act 4: 'O Mimì, tu più non torni'
11. Act 4: 'Si sgombrino le sale!'
12. Act 4: 'C'è Mimì... c'è Mimì che mi segue'
13. Act 4: 'Sono andati? Fingevo di dormire'
14. Act 4: 'Che avvien?'

Rating: - * Pure magic ... When you compare Freni with the light roles that she used to sing in the 60s and this Freni, you will think they are two different singers. But what is truly amazed is the fact that not only her voice changed, but she became bar none to one the hardest heavy lyric soprano roles ever: Mimi. And when she has Pavarotti next to her, it is like heaven. But, wait... Who is conducting is Karajan, unarguably one of the best puccinian ever. This is a record to listen, re-listen, re-listen, re-listen until I don't know when... Rating: - * One of the two best recordings ... In a recent BBC3 "CD Review" broadcast, Alexandra Wilson made a gallant attempt to achieve the impossible task of choosing amongst forty or so recordings of "La Boheme" - and while I agreed with her ultimate choice of the Beecham recording with Bjorling, Merrill and De Los Angeles, I have rather more regard for this discarded Karajan recording simply because Pavarotti's voice, in its prime, as she herself put it, "runs through the recording like a golden seam". The rest of the cast is wonderful, too, although Karajan's love for the score is manifested in a rather deliberately "beautiful" approach and thereby slightly undercuts the drama. I cannot be without either recording of this eternally youthful and moving opera, and although Freni was captured in slightly fresher, more limpid voice in the earlier Schippers set, for me Gedda is absolutely no substitute for Pavarotti at his best. Both Merrill and Panerai are infinitely touching in the great duet "O Mimi, tu piu non torni" and although Beecham's recording is a little rough around the edges, he conveys greater energy and fun in the slapstick scenes while, Karajan extracts slightly more pathos from the last act, in better sound. Acquire both sets for the complete experience. Rating: - * A Definitive Production of La Bohème. ... Puccini's iconic La Bohème (1896) is among the most popular operas in history (second only to Puccini's Madama Butterfly), and "Che gelida manina" is one of the most familiar arias in opera. Based on Scènes de la vie de Bohème by Henri Murger, La Bohème is a romantic opera in four acts. Set in Paris (around 1830), Puccini's opera is about four bohemians living in the Quartier Latin. One of them (Rodolfo) falls in love with a seamstress (Mimì), who contracts a cough which slowly consumes her (it is presumably tuberculosis). Rodolfo confesses to Marcello that he has left Mimi because of her deadly illness. When Mimi later dies, Rodolfo cries out Mimì's name and then weeps uncontrollably. La Bohème was first performed in Turin in 1896. I experienced a live HD simulcast performance of Puccini's opera from The NYC Metropolitan Opera yesterday, with tenor Ramón Vargas performing as Rodolfo, Angela Gheorghiu in the role of Mimì, and Nicola Luisotti conducting. (Franco Zeffirelli produced the opera and designed the sets.) Before the Met performance, I listened to this CD performance to familiarize myself with the opera, and it is truly superb. This production, conducted by maestro Herbert von Karajan, is a definitive recording of La Bohème, with perfect performances (rich in bohemian heart and soul) by Luciano Pavarotti and Mirella Freni in the leading roles. Many opera buffs more knowledgeable than me have called this the greatest recording of La Bohème. The sound quality is impeccable. Highly recommended. G. Merritt Rating: - * Question ... I'm sorry this is not a review. I was wondering if someone can tell me if libretto is included in this product. Thanks in advance. Rating: - * The best recording of the opera!!!!! ... This is the best recording made of this opera. I recommend it for any opera fan!!! Fantastic!!!