Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)The story has been set to 1950s Paris; the characters are portrayed with young faces; the songs are sung by fresh and splendid voices, this contemporary version of La Bohème completely blew me away. In this production, whether or not the singings are perfect takes second place in the face of vitality, passion, and intensity brought out by the brilliant young cast.
Bravo, David Hobson for giving such a wonderful wonderful Rodolfo. This is the Rodolfo you'll be dreaming of. He is handsome, he is tall, and his tenor rings out with beauty, clarity, and youthfulness. To make things even better, he acts brilliantly. He gives life to every note he sings. When he belts out a high C, it's not a matter of showing off his tenor, but a real emotional outpouring. Seldom did I see vocalist acting with such depth and sincerity. He put himself so deep into the character that at the curtain calls he is still in tears.
Brava, Cheryl Barker for conveying a tender and lovely Mimi. At some places Cheryl Barker's voice is not at her best in portraying Mimi, but her acting makes up the weakness, and in the end, she has become real Mimi. Her highlight is Mimi's death scene. Of all the times I have watched this scene, not a single time was I not in tears. She and David Hobson make a very good match, between them the chemistry is convincing, which makes their parting all the more heartbreaking.
Bravo, Baz Luhrmann for the creativity and courage of blazing new trails for classical opera, and for the raw artistic design. Instead of making a cliché of yet another production of classical opera, he has turned it into a great piece of modern theater, in which the essence is embodied with realism and bestowed with novelties.
Opera lovers, especially young opera lovers, this La Bohème is a must!
Click Here to see more reviews about: Puccini - La Bohème / Baz Luhrmann, The Australian Opera (1994)
Recorded live at the Sydney Opera House, this Australian Opera production of Puccini's perennial favorite was staged by the creative team who made the hit film Strictly Ballroom: director Baz Luhrmann and designers Catherine Martin and Bill Marron. They have crafted a compelling and artful reworking of the opera, using the post-war privations of 1950s Paris as a convincing setting and capturing, above all else, the youthfulness and intensity of the story with a raw sincerity. This opera in four acts features a libretto by Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica after Henry Murger's novel Scenes de la Vie de Boheme. In Italian with English subtitles.112 minutes.
No comments:
Post a Comment