A frosty winter day in Paris. In the bohemians' attic studio, Rodolfo, a writer, and Marcello, a painter, struggle for survival – together with the philosopher Colline and the musician Schaunard. Money, food, and warmth are lacking, but the will to live remains. When the seriously ill embroiderer Mimì enters Rodolfo's life, a love affair begins that is marked not by happiness, but by farewell.
Image gallery
La bohème
Joseph Calleja als Rodolfo, Adriana Ferfecka als Mimì
La bohème
La bohème
Joseph Calleja als Rodolfo, Markus Brück als Marcello
La bohème Joseph Calleja als Rodolfo, Joel Allison als Schaunard, Markus Brück als Marcello, Byung Gil Kim als Colline, Jörg Schörner als BenoitBettina Stöß
Joseph Calleja als Rodolfo, Adriana Ferfecka als Mimì
La bohème
La bohème
Meechot Marrero als Musetta, Burkhard Ulrich als Alcindoro
Joseph Calleja als Rodolfo, Adriana Ferfecka als Mimì
Joseph Calleja als Rodolfo, Adriana Ferfecka als Mimì, Markus Brück als Marcello, Samueol Park als Sergeant der ZollwacheBettina Stöß
Joseph Calleja als Rodolfo, Joel Allison als Schaunard, Markus Brück als Marcello, Byung Gil Kim als CollineBettina Stöß
Joseph Calleja als Rodolfo, Adriana Ferfecka als Mimì
Puccini's La Bohème – Love, Poverty and Death in Paris
Mimì suffers from tuberculosis. Rodolfo leaves her, afraid of not being able to help her. But fate brings her back – terminally ill, but full of love. While her friends sacrifice everything to bring her relief, Mimì dies in Rodolfo's arms. A quiet, heartbreaking farewell – and one of the most moving operatic moments of all.
Puccini's Music: Soundscape of an Age
With La Bohème, Puccini reached the pinnacle of his musical realism. Impressionistic timbres, scenically precise tone painting, and soulful melodies bring Paris around 1900 to life – from the frosty garret to the bustling Café Momus to the icy dawn in the third scene. Claude Debussy praised the work as the most authentic musical depiction of the Parisian spirit of his time.
Directed by Götz Friedrich: The Belle Époque on the Opera Stage
Götz Friedrich's timeless production (1988) relocates the action to the time of the opera's creation and brings the Parisian spirit of the turn of the century to life both visually and emotionally. Large-scale sets, richly detailed costumes, and a sensitive sense of the social contrast between bohemian life and big city flair authentically recreate the atmosphere of the Belle Époque. More than 30 years after its premiere, this production remains one of the audience favorites at the Deutsche Oper Berlin.
Cast & Musical Direction
- Conductors: Juraj Valčuha / Anna Handler
- Director: Götz Friedrich
Featuring:
- Attilio Glaser – Rodolfo
- Maria Motolygina – Mimì
- Philipp Jekal, Thomas Lehman, Volodymyr Morozov, Alexandra Oomens, and others
2 hours 30 minutes / One intermission
Sung in Italian with German and English surtitles
Additional information
- Opera in 4 acts
- Based on the novel „Scènes de la vie de bohème“ by Henri Murger
- Libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa
- First performed on 1. February, 1896 in Turin
- Premiered at the Deutsche Oper Berlin on 25. December, 1988
Participating artists
Juraj Valčuha (Musikalische Leitung)
Götz Friedrich (Inszenierung)
Peter Sykora (Bühne, Kostüme)
Thomas Richter (Chöre)
Christian Lindhorst (Kinderchor)
Stephen Watson (Licht)
Attilio Glaser (Rodolfo)
Philipp Jekal (Schaunard)
Thomas Lehman (Marcello)
Volodymyr Morozov (Colline)
Jörg Schörner (Benoit)
Maria Motolygina (Mimì)
Alexandra Oomens (Musetta)
N. N. (Parpignol)
Burkhard Ulrich (Alcindoro)
Paul Minhyung Roh (Sergeant der Zollwache)
Benjamin Dickerson (Zöllner)
Chor der Deutschen Oper Berlin (Chöre)
Kinderchor der Deutschen Oper Berlin (Chöre)
Orchester der Deutschen Oper Berlin (Orchester)
