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La Bohème is co-sponsored by Hilja K. Herfurth, Charles and Ursula Kafadar, Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Schulein, and The Colorado Trust - Dr. and Mrs. William Maniatis.
Insider's Look
The Music“Che gelida manina”
“Sì, mi chiamano Mimì”
"Quando me n’vò”
Did You Know?
In 1946, fifty years after the opera's premiere, Arthur Toscanini conducted a performance of it on radio with the NBC Symphony Orchestra. This performance was eventually released on record and CD and is the only recording of a Puccini opera by its original conductor.
In 1957, the full libretto to La Bohème was discovered and a missing act was included. It takes place between the Café Momus scene and Act III and describes a party at Musetta’s home. Her jealous protector has refused to pay rent and Musetta is forced to auction off her furniture. The bohemians arrive and Musetta introduces Mimi to a Viscount, sparking Rodolfo’s jealousy. This explains Rodolfo’s Act III reference to the "moscardino di Viscontino" (young fop of a Viscount).
La Bohème has inspired numerous artistic works. Songwriter Bobby Worth adapted Musetta’s Waltz for the 1950 pop song “Don’t You Know,” made famous by Della Reese. The opera was also the basis for Jonathan Larson’s award-winning Broadway musical, Rent. In 1990, director Baz Luhrmann produced a version of the opera set in 1957 for Opera Australia. The show was recorded and released on DVD and later restaged and performed on Broadway.
Production Photos
Photo credit: Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Douglas Hamer.