La Bohème

Ruggero Leoncavallo (1857–1919)

DESCRIPTION

Leoncavallo’s La Bohème may not live up to its more famous counterpart, yet it offers a fresh perspective on familiar characters, placing greater emphasis on the relationship between Musetta and Marcello. The musical language leans slightly more traditional than Puccini’s, but Ruggero Leoncavallo’s harmonic curiosity propels him into flights of fancy that sustain the listener’s attention albeit without the additional orchestral embellishments that Giacomo Puccini employed so vividly.

The cast assembled here is excellent, with Ettore Bastianini a particular stand-out as Rodolfo. Doro Antonioli, as Marcello, is given plenty of opportunity to shine and acquits himself beautifully, shaping his part with sensitivity and assurance.

CAST

Marcello - Doro Antonioli
Rodolfo - Ettore Bastianini
Collne - Giuseppe Forgione
Gustave - Antonio Sacchetti
Gaudenzio - Walter Monachesi
Durand - Curzio Flemi
Un Beccero - Piero De Palma
Il Signore del primo piano - Piero De Palma
Visconte Paolo - Pier Giovanni Filippi
Barbemuche - Pier Giovanni Filippi
Mimì - Mafalda Masini
Musette - Rosetta Noli
Eufemia - Anna Di Stasio

DETAILS

Location: Napoli
Date: February 15, 1958
Conductor: Francesco Molinari-Pradelli
Catalogue Number: OD 12237-2
Label: Opera Depot
Number of Discs: 2
In Mono

Act I

Act II

Act III

Act IV