Recommended Recordings
Compiled by Peter Russell
There have been so many recordings of La bohème in the past 65 years or more that some of them have attained classic status, and it is safe to bet that there is something to suit all tastes among these recommended listings.
Although currently unavailable, many feel that the 1946 live NBC radio broadcast conducted by Arturo Toscanini to commemorate the 50th anniversary of La bohème's premiere (which Toscanani also had conducted) is the only one to have. While it certainly bears the stamp of authenticity, some of us feel that, even in remastered sonics, the sound is still too ?boxy,? and that Toscanini frequently seems to be hectoring his cast of singers, led by Licia Albanese and Jan Peerce (it doesn't help that the maestro audibly sings along virtually throughout). A decade later, Sir Thomas Beecham took an antithetical approach, conducting a recording with tempi that are extremely leisurely, yet very natural-sounding, and his cast can't be beat, starring Victoria de los Angeles and Jussi Björling. This recording, available on an EMI reissue, was originally recorded (as was the Toscanini set) in monaural sound.
Caught in his youthful prime in 1973, Luciano Pavarotti is a peerless Rodolfo, partnered by the equally lovely Mirella Freni, both conducted less fussily than is his wont, if still rather broadly, by the late Herbert von Karajan on the Decca label. There is no gainsaying the lush beauty of the Berlin Philharmonic on this recording. If you can live with the scrappier playing of the Rome Opera House Orchestra, Freni is heard in even fresher form a decade earlier on an EMI mid-price reissue that further offers a lot of vitality in Thomas Schippers' conducting and an impassioned, stylish Rodolfo from Nicolai Gedda.
The earliest stereo recording of La bohème dates to 1958, and is conducted by Puccini's old friend and colleague Tullio Serafin. For those who like their passions broad and grand in this opera, this may be the recording of choice: Renata Tebaldi's rich tone and manner hardly suggest the consumptive heroine, but she sings beautifully, and the all-star lineup further includes Carlo Bergonzi, Ettore Bastianini, and Cesare Siepi.
Another favorite is the RCA/BMG 1974 version, with an impassioned Sir Georg Solti at the helm, and Montserrat Caballé, Placido Domingo, and Sherrill Milnes among the principals.
If you insist on something much newer, probably the best La bohème of the past several years is that on EMI, alertly conducted by Antonio Pappano, and starring the husband-wife team of Roberto Alagna and Angela Gheorghiu. Finally, although currently out of the catalogue, I cannot resist plugging a personal favorite with an all-Italian cast that originated on the Cetra label in 1951, and which has resurfaced periodically in decent sound and at bargain basement prices. Taken from a live radio broadcast, this performance stars the much-undervalued soprano Rosanna Carteri as Mimì, with Ferruccio Tagliavini as Rodolfo, and is conducted by Gabriele Santini. It combines beautiful singing with a great deal of soul.
There are several decent videos as well. The most mainstream is the Metropolitan Opera's lush Franco Zeffirelli version, taped in 1982. James Levine conducts, and the impressive line-up of stars is led by a particularly affecting Teresa Stratas as Mimì, partnered by José Carreras. Freni and Pavarotti, although physically mature by the time they were caught on camera in San Francisco Opera's 1989 production (and, in his case, it's hard to believe that this starving poet has missed any meals recently), both sing splendidly and convey plenty of emotion.
For something very different, those who missed the Baz Luhrmann's staging of La bohème on Broadway can either rent or buy a recording of the production for Australian Opera on which the Broadway version was modeled. Recorded live in 1993, it offers no standout performances among its cast, but the 1950's updating works cleverly, and the feeling of ensemble is refreshing.
One hopes that the classic 1982 production from Covent Garden, perhaps the best of all of these, will be re-released sometime soon. Showcasing an exquisite Mimì in Ileana Cotrubas, and an ardent Rodolfo in Neil Shicoff, it is worth seeking out in the meantime.
Note: Concerning these recommendations for audio and video recordings, especially regarding audio recordings, it is critical to bear in mind that recordings go in and out of print constantly. If a recording is described herein as ?currently out of print,? it may again be available within the coming year, so it is always worthwhile to seek things out.
