Organization

Dirigent

Herbert von Karajan

Regisseur

Franco Zeffirelli

Set designer

Kostuum ontwerper

Marcel Escoffier

Zanger

Soprano

Mirella Freni

Musetta

Baritone

Rolando Panerai

Marcello

Bass

Ivo Vinco

Colline

Teatro alla Scala

Italiaans

La Bohème

Milaan

Italië

The career of the Italian theatre, film and opera director Franco Zeffirelli, born February 12, 1923 in Florence, spans more than half a century. When he saw Lawrence Olivier in the film "Henry V" in the late 1940s, he gave up his architecture studies and turned to the theater. He began as an actor in various theatrical productions by Luchino Visconti. He later worked as Visconti's assistant and began his career as a set designer and director in the 1950s. In 1965 his first film was released: Puccini's "La Bohème" under the musical direction of Herbert von Karajan. It is based on Zeffirelli's Milan production of 1963 and is still considered a classic of opera films. Zeffirelli became known far beyond the field of opera with his Shakespeare film adaptations "The Taming of the Shrew" (1967, with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton) and "Romeo and Juliet", for which he was nominated for an Oscar as best director in 1969. To this day he is a successful director and set designer in the world of film, opera and drama.

For his fourth opera, Giacomo Puccini chose the novel "La vie de Bohème" by the French writer Henri Murger. Here the life of bohemians in Paris is portrayed in a realistic way: their daily struggle for survival, their love affairs, poverty, deprivation and death. Puccini's worldwide success as an opera composer began with "Manon Lescaut" (1893), three years later he consolidated and increased it with "La Bohème". With regard to a convincing, precise musical description of all persons, scenes and situations, he reached his peak as a composer here. In 1896 Arturo Toscanini conducted the world premiere of "La Bohème", which has become an integral part of the repertoire of every opera house.

Four friends live together in a miserable attic in Paris: the poet Rudolf, the painter Marcel, the musician Schaunard and the philosopher Colline. They are bohemians and have little money. It's Christmas. They want to go to Café Momus and celebrate there. But Rudolf stays in the apartment to work. Then someone knocks on the door: It's an enchantingly beautiful girl. Her name is Mimi and she asks for a light for her candle. Rudolf and Mimi fall in love; they go to the café together with friends. Musette, a former lover of Marcel, also comes to Café Momus. She is with her elderly admirer Alcindoro, but soon she sits down at Marcel's table and turns his head. When the friends leave the café, Alcindoro stays behind and is allowed to foot the bill for everyone. But the couples soon separated and the four men are living in their attic again. Suddenly Musette comes to them; she brings the terminally ill Mimi with her...

Herbert von Karajan's and Franco Zeffirelli's "La Bohème" film adaptation is now considered a classic of opera films. It is based on Zeffirelli's Milan production of 1963 and not only marks the beginning of Karajan's long involvement with the medium of film. It is also Zeffirelli's first feature film. In the main roles it features Mirella Freni and the Italian tenor Gianni Raimondi (1923-2008).

Music: Giacomo Puccini
Libretto:  Luigi Illica, Giuseppe Giacosa

Conductor: Herbert Von Karajan. 
Director: Franco Zeffirelli.

Orchestra and Chorus of Teatro Alla Scala

Mimì: Mirella Freni
Musetta: Adriana Martino
Rodolfo: Gianni Raimondi
Marcello: Rolando Panerai
Schaunard: Gianni Maffeo
Colline: Ivo Vinco

Producer: Zeffirelli
Cinematography: Semmelroth
English Subtitles: Cipriani

La bohème Puccini

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