Behind the scenes of La bohème: Audio clips from the opera guide

We are fortunate to have an informative guide for every opera the Lyric Opera produces, written by our own Lyric Opera Guild member, Stu Lewis. Guides are distributed to subscribers first, and then made available to single ticket buyers and visitors to the web site.

If you haven’t read the guide for La bohème, you can find it here.

Below are audio clips which add depth and context to the information presented in the guide.

The orchestra sounds the theme which will be associated with the “Bohemian” lifestyle.

[Rololfo's] fragmentary aria “Nei cieli bigi” introduces the musical theme which will characterize him throughout the opera.

Two more acts of Rodolfo’s play are tossed into the fireplace, and a lively melody in the orchestra depicts the fire.

(One might hear in this music a faint reference to the fire music of Wagner’s Die Walküre.)

Introduced by his own theme, Schaunard enters . . .

The Latin Quarter theme (which will be heard in several variations in later acts)

Introduced by her theme in the orchestration, Mimì enters.

The Latin Quarter theme as heard at the beginning of Act II

Marcello, in a jealous rage, describes [Musetta] (beginning with a variation of the lilting theme which will be associated with her) as a “bird of prey.”

A staccato melody on the harps and flutes, possibly a variation of the Latin Quarter theme, depicts the snowy tableau.

Rodolfo and Mimì are left on stage, and they exit singing quietly together, much as they did in Act I (listen for the first four notes of the Bohemian theme in the background, played softly on the oboe).

As Mimì is helped to enter, we hear her theme with some flattened notes.

As if to reinforce this, at the conclusion of the aria the orchestra plays a sad five-note minor-key variation on the Latin Quarter theme.

There is one other subtle link between the two women. One line of Mimì’s aria (beginning Sola, mi fo) echoes Musetta’s theme.
Mimì’s aria:

Musetta’s theme:

The Lyric Opera appreciates EMI Classics for permitting us to use clips of their beautiful recording featuring Maria Callas for this purpose. Like what you hear? Purchase it at Amazon or iTunes.