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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Thomson Smillie provides insights into the most popular oper, 28 Jul 2005
Thomson Smillie lectures and publishes extensively on the arts and runs hiw own publishing company, The OperaBox. "An Introduction to Puccini's 'La Bohème'" is one of a series of recordings telling the history of opera and introducing works to a broader audience. Smillie was a founding staff member of the Scottish Opera, spent five years as the artistic director of the Wexford International Opera Festival in Ireland, has been General Manager of the Opera Company of Boston and the general director of Kentucky Opera for sixteen years. In his career he has produced more than 100 operas and stage directed over 30. Consequently, he has the bona fides to introduce Puccini's most popular opera to listeners.The big question is whether this album is really an introduction for opera neophytes or something better suited to someone who has at least seen a production. I an inclined towards the latter, especially since Smillie's commentary works better if you at least know the characters and the music. What you will get from here are musical excerpts, usually a minute or two in length, provided not only to prove evidence of the point under discussion but also to satiate you because if Simillie talks about Colline's farewell to his coat, then you are thinking about it anyway and you should get to hear a snippet. Overall, there is a nice balance between the musical background and insights and the musical excerpts, but obviously the main attraction here will be Simillie's insights. He is an engaging lecturer, displaying his knowledge with an elegant amount of wit. I liked his observation that when Mimi hits her high C in "O soave fanciulla" at the end of Act I that the tenor should be going for the harmony and not trying to match her note, and his emphasis on Puccini's use of contrast that culminates in Rodolfo's anguished cries of "Mimi!" being spoken rather than sung at the end of the opera. Simillie also puts the career and music of Puccini in context, contrasting what we have in "La Bohème" with his work on "Madame Butterly" and "Tosca." Simillie calls "La Bohème" the most popular opera in the world, and makes a compelling case based on his analysis rather than any statistical record of performances. Although he does not use the term, Simillie argues that the popularity might be due in part to the fact the opera is a dramedy, having some wonderfully comic moments (especially in the cafe in Act II), while still having the soprano die from consumption at the end. For those who can remember a fairly accurate translation of the libretto as they listen or identify a particular singer based on a specific phrase, Smillie may not be reaching the depth of critical insight that they would demand, but then such people hardly need to listen to a CD to find such arguments. For those of us who are familiar enough with "La Bohème" to hum along with the good parts this is an educational and enjoyable experience. Plus, there are dozens of more albums in the series by Smillie and others that can continue our operatic education.
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~ Thomson Smillie
~ Giacomo Puccini
by David Timson
~ Thomson Smillie
