A night at the opera in front of my telly:ZDF La Boheme

While reading and listening through Youtube I found the complete upload of the opera, it could be handy . Many thanks to the uploader. (today, 7 08 2012 )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Lx-Gqi-4Po


My highlights of a very moving Boheme from Salzburg Festival with feelings expressed at the utmost by the whole cast.
Special mention to Mimi, darker than ever with outburts of violence and despair never felt in this role before. The modernised version is "un coup de génie"! D. Gatti made it sound devastating.
In my previous post, having seen only the rehearsals I was trying to guess what her death would be like.`
Of course Mimi must die but it is not as bad as I imagined, (just by the look of her at first sight).
Now I have watched this Bohème several times, I can correct my comment.
Mimi seems to be suffering from asthma, a modern illness in highly polluted megacities. So, she is suffocating, not coughing, she has her medecine (it seems to be something like ventoline) at hand in her bag. In fact Rodolfo,( when he was looking through her handbag act 1 sc 2) holds it and she nearly snatches it because it is her saviour.
Anna Netrebko sings and acts in a very powerful way which makes me feel the despair of the character even more than ever, it is a stunning performance. This Bohème rediscovered in a version which is done for the image, seen on TV, is a very good film where I almost forgot the actors were singing...If Puccini can be transformed this way, without any change in either the music part or the libretto, it is all due to the cleverness of Damiano Michieletto and the acting plus singing skills of course of this team. The proper film is going to be smashing, there I am puzzled by the power of the image combined with the orchestral work and the singing. It has no relation with the previous very good film recently done casting Rolando Villazon as Rodolfo. It now looks conventional compared to this last Salzburg Bohème. I read Jonas Kaufmann is also taking the part of Rodolfo. It is a star team although I like P.Beczala a lot here.


Ca
Here are the links
http://youtu.be/A164gntHfjg
http://youtu.be/lh_1i6CRZlc


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LEADING TEAM

Daniele Gatti, Musikalische Leitung
Damiano Michieletto, Regie
Paolo Fantin, Bühne
Carla Teti, Kostüme
Martin Gebhardt, Licht
Kathrin Brunner, Dramaturgie
Nikolaos Lagousakos, Choreografische Mitarbeit
Ernst Raffelsberger, Choreinstudierung
Wolfgang Götz, Einstudierung Kinderchor

BESETZUNG

Piotr Beczala, Rodolfo, ein Dichter
Anna Netrebko, Mimì
Ailyn Pérez, Mimi (23.8.)
Massimo Cavalletti, Marcello, ein Maler
Nino Machaidze, Musetta
Alessio Arduini, Schaunard, ein Musiker
Carlo Colombara, Colline, ein Philosoph
Davide Fersini, Benoît, Hausherr
Peter Kálmán, Alcindoro, Staatsrat
Paul Schweinester, Parpignol
Steven Forster, Parpignol (Artist)
Wiener Philharmoniker
Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor
Salzburger Festspiele und Theater Kinderchor
Carlo Colombara: Colline 'Vecchia zimarra senti'(quadro quarte)
Anna Netrebko-Mimi,Maximo Cavaletti-Marcello (quadro terzo,Al di là della Barriera d'Enfer) "O buona donna, mi fate il favore..'