Puccini: La Bohème
Thomson Smillie
La Bohème is one of the three operas – the others are Carmen and Aida – believed to be the most popular ever written. In the case of La Bohème the reason is that it virtually defines the term ‘romantic’. The poignant story of Mimì and Rodolfo is told in music of such tender beauty, allied, as always, to Puccini’s intuition of what works in the theatre, resulting in an opera that readily appeals to our emotions and senses. ‘Che gelida manina – Your tiny hand is frozen...’ The moment when Mimì and Rodolfo meet and first touch is one of the very great moments of opera – created by the master hand of Giacomo Puccini, who unerringly trod the fine line between romance and sentimentality. Thomson Smillie outlines the background to the opera, explaining how painstakingly the composer worked to achieve this effect. An absorbing introduction both for those approaching La Bohème for the first time and for those wanting to know a bit more than just the big arias.
Author - Thomson Smillie.
Narrator - David Timson.
Published Date - Thursday, 19 January 2023.
Location:
United States
Networks:
Thomson Smillie
David Timson
Opera Explained
Naxos Audiobooks
English Audiobooks
Findaway Audiobooks
Description:
La Bohème is one of the three operas – the others are Carmen and Aida – believed to be the most popular ever written. In the case of La Bohème the reason is that it virtually defines the term ‘romantic’. The poignant story of Mimì and Rodolfo is told in music of such tender beauty, allied, as always, to Puccini’s intuition of what works in the theatre, resulting in an opera that readily appeals to our emotions and senses. ‘Che gelida manina – Your tiny hand is frozen...’ The moment when Mimì and Rodolfo meet and first touch is one of the very great moments of opera – created by the master hand of Giacomo Puccini, who unerringly trod the fine line between romance and sentimentality. Thomson Smillie outlines the background to the opera, explaining how painstakingly the composer worked to achieve this effect. An absorbing introduction both for those approaching La Bohème for the first time and for those wanting to know a bit more than just the big arias. Author - Thomson Smillie. Narrator - David Timson. Published Date - Thursday, 19 January 2023.
Language:
English
Chapter 1
Duration:00:02:42
Chapter 2
Duration:00:01:24
Chapter 3
Duration:00:04:23
Chapter 4
Duration:00:03:38
Chapter 5
Duration:00:01:21
Chapter 6
Duration:00:04:57
Chapter 7
Duration:00:04:34
Chapter 8
Duration:00:03:36
Chapter 9
Duration:00:02:35
Chapter 10
Duration:00:01:36
Chapter 11
Duration:00:01:06
Chapter 12
Duration:00:03:56
Chapter 13
Duration:00:02:06
Chapter 14
Duration:00:03:28
Chapter 15
Duration:00:02:48
Chapter 16
Duration:00:01:09
Chapter 17
Duration:00:03:09
Chapter 18
Duration:00:04:09
Chapter 19
Duration:00:00:53
Chapter 20
Duration:00:00:42
Chapter 21
Duration:00:03:50
Chapter 22
Duration:00:01:56