It must be acknowledged that "La Bohème," despite its established status and "timelessness," remains genuinely relevant to this day, especially in Vanemuine's current interpretation.
Once again, with the coming of spring, a new Giacomo Puccini opera has arrived on the stage of Vanemuine, another classic in the opera repertoire, just like "Turandot," which premiered in April last year, and "Madama Butterfly," which debuted in March 2019. Although one could say that all of Puccini's renowned operas are among the most beautiful, outstanding, and grand, securing their place in the majestic canon, this year's premiere of "La Bohème" at Vanemuine can be noted for its simplicity, somewhat naivety, yet also for being profoundly sincere and human. After its premiere in 1896 in Turin, "La Bohème" remained in the Parisian repertoire for almost 60 years continuously, securing its spot both among revered canonical masterpieces and in the hearts of the concert audience, who were touched by its relatively exceptional, relatable plot brought forth in a narrative form rather than as a numbers opera.
The libretto of this opera, which has captivated audiences for generations, is based on the prose work "Scènes de la vie de bohème" by French writer Henri Murger (1822–1861). It was written to celebrate a lifestyle that emerged in the mid-19th century, with its most distinctive prototype being somewhat unorthodox, free-spirited, boundary-testing, and crossing, yet most importantly, valuing creative freedom and (at least a little) the suffering and starving artist, be they poet, painter, philosopher, or musician—all archetypes represented in Puccini's opera. Murger was reportedly the first French writer to depict the life of bohemians in the Latin Quarter of mid-19th century Paris. While the characters in Puccini's "La Bohème" have to manage life in the 1830s Paris amidst the winds of the July Revolution, Vanemuine's current rendition places the events in the early 1960s Paris, during a time when societal tensions were rising, culminating in the protests of 1968. These student protests peaked with the May riots in the Latin Quarter of Paris—the very setting of "La Bohème."
Compared to many other operas (even those like Puccini's "Turandot," also performed at Vanemuine), "La Bohème" holds a somewhat special place in the canon. Specifically, with this opera, Puccini turned to a form of verismo storytelling, focusing not on kings and their grand deeds but on ordinary people who had for some time been enjoying the fruits of bourgeois concert life. Just as the deeds of kings and mythical gods, the story and heartache of an ordinary person can be memorable and more impactful. Whether it's the seamstress Mimi who makes artificial flowers or the impoverished and battered avant-garde—a near extremist embodiment of suffering geniuses waiting for their novel art to be recognized and valued, and for someone to save both their creations—and themselves—from poverty.
Furthermore, it is commendable that although the verismo story is very compact, it spans from sweet and restrained infatuation to a whirlwind of jealousy and bleak tragedy in a short time. As noted by Vanemuine's version director, John Ramster, in his foreword, "La Bohème" is indeed an economical opera with a precise story, as Puccini's dramaturgy shares much in common with short stories, where events unfold logically, are temporally framed, and allow for the presentation of dramatic situations quickly and effectively. Moreover, Ramster finds that "La Bohème" is truly a flawless work of art: "On a meta level, this opera is exactly the kind of artistic perfection that young bohemians like Rodolfo and Marcello strive to achieve through hardship."
This statement can indeed be agreed upon, as the dramaturgy, music, and libretto of "La Bohème" form an intertwined theatrical whole, which Vanemuine's interpretation has masterfully conveyed. Considering that Puccini, when writing the opera, considered its staging and included notes on lighting and costumes in the librettos, Vanemuine's version's attention to detail and successful stage design are admirable. The use of the revolving stage and its atmospheric authenticity is genuinely evocative and true to the idyllic bohemian Paris that we have read about in books and seen on the big screen. Although set in the Latin Quarter rather than Montmartre, one cannot help but hear Charles Aznavour's evergreen 1965 chanson "La bohème," perfectly illustrating the selected era for the production (although Vanemuine's version takes place in 1960 and 1961). However, Aznavour laments in his nostalgic song the loss of bohemianism as such—a farewell to the last days of bohemian Montmartre.
In addition to the stage design and artistic work, the musical quality of the opera and the choice of performers, especially Mirjam Mesak in the role of Mimi, who personifies poetry itself and sets the narrative in motion upon meeting the poet Rodolfo, are praiseworthy. "La Bohème" has long accompanied Mesak, who is currently with the Bavarian State Opera. The beguilingly modest role of Mimi was her first truly professional role in London in 2018, and later, she has appeared in Germany as Musetta, the opera's other female character, extravagant and self-conscious.
Both Mesak and Vanemuine's music director Risto Joost have mentioned in interviews that "La Bohème" is captivating primarily because of its content, the story aptly characterized by Mimi's line "dolce malìa," or "sweet magic," describing how art can elevate and move us, console and traumatize us. Ultimately, "La Bohème" centers around art, which is greater than life. But is it also greater and more enduring than love?
Despite its timeless and sincerely human themes, it must be noted that since Vanemuine's latest opera productions have been quite bold contemporary interpretations, music director Risto Joost's current desire for a "classically fresh production" was surprising. He mentioned that some stories should not be overly altered, as audiences and musicians may not appreciate significant changes. Director Ramster also stated, "We are presenting a fresh but classical version of an opera that many people have seen before, and it is most important that we tell the story as clearly as possible, highlighting the characters and their decisions."
When discussing the fresh interpretation of canonical works and beloved stories, or conversely, their most authentic representation, Italian musicologist and philosopher Alessandro Baricco's observation comes to mind. In his book "Hegel's Spirit and the Cows of Wisconsin," he states: "The peculiarity and anomaly of music is that its transmission and interpretation are one and the same gesture."
Indeed, any music, whether a suite or a symphony, oratorio or opera, comes to life when performed. Performance inherently requires interpretation. Interpreting a work always involves questions and risks, extending from period-appropriate performance practices, rigid notational fidelity, and even pronunciation to questions of the work's originality and fidelity to the original. Overzealous interpretation can, at worst, betray and distort the original beyond recognition, while at best, a thoughtfully collaborative interpretation can enrich the work further. The question of whether such a "fear of betrayal," as Baricco describes it, legitimizes, for example, mediocrity in interpretation, the performer's lack of skill, or simply a spiritless rendering, leads to the realization that an original doesn't truly exist. This is also true in opera, where each production is different, and even the same production's performances are not identical.
Despite the fact that Vanemuine's "La Bohème" is, in a broad sense, truly traditional and faces the described fear of betrayal to some extent, it must be acknowledged that its fresh interpretation, but primarily its verismo plot, elevates it among the canonical operas in Vanemuine's repertoire. Although one might repeatedly argue why present an old, classic opera again rather than try something genuinely new and fresh that would engage a younger audience (as the opera world lacks audience growth), it must be acknowledged here that "La Bohème" remains genuinely relevant to this day, despite its classic status and "timelessness," especially in Vanemuine's current interpretation. Perhaps even more so than contemporary interpretations of heroic and other operas (like "Turandot" or "King Arthur") have been. Moreover, the romanticization of bohemianism as such has by no means completely faded, and this story (and the production overall) is genuinely sincere and human, despite certain naivety and the emotional storms typical of the opera genre, and it is precisely this sincerity that touches and engages.