A starry cast breathes fresh, convivial life into Met’s “Bohème” 

Sun Jan 12, 2025 at 1:33 pm
By Kathryn Felt
Eleonora Buratto is Mimi in the Metropolitan Opera’s January performances of Puccini’s La Bohème. File photo: Curtis Brown/ Met Opera

There is something comforting about revisiting Giacomo Puccini’s La Bohème during the winter at the Metropolitan Opera—it feels as cyclical and heartwarming as the fresh, fleeting flowers Mimì sings of  in her introductory aria.

Like the things Mimì cherishes—sweet, charming, and full of dreams and wonder—Saturday evening’s performance captured all these qualities and more. The Met has presented La Bohème in all but nine seasons since 1900, and the celebrated Franco Zeffirelli staging felt as vibrant and moving as ever, thanks to a dynamic orchestra and a starry cast. 

From her first entrance, Eleonora Buratto showed why she is renowned for her performances as Mimì. The soprano has truly made the role her own and she delivered an intimate yet commanding interpretation of the tragic seamstress. Buratto’s fall Tosca performances in Europe seemed to bring an added layer of intensity to her performance as Mimì, especially in the more dramatic passages. The richness in her voice—especially during Mimì’s heartrending exchanges in the final two acts—was infused with a strength and inner resolve. In the quieter, tender moments, her voice conveyed the difficult combination of fragility and determination. Each phrase flowed with a natural, improvisatory ease; her high register blossomed beautifully throughout, as in the opening of “Mi chiamano Mimì.”

As Rodolfo, the idealistic poet who falls in love with Mimì, Matthew  Polenzani radiated vocal warmth and clarity, with gleaming top notes. The veteran tenor’s phrasing was often spacious and expressive, giving his “Che gelida manina” a personal, human quality as Rodolfo grapples with the uncertainties of being a poor poet in love. Together, Polenzani and Buratto formed a moving duo, with their chemistry and emotional tension serving as the linchpin of the performance.

Matthew Polenzani is Rodolfo in the Met’s La Boheme. File photo: Richard Termine/ Met Opera

The production delivered levity and a convivial sense of a genuine ensemble to the production with delightful exchanges and details, especially in the opening scene, when the bohemians—Marcello, Rodolfo, Schaunard, and Colline—struggle to fend off the cold and, later, their landlord.

Baritone David Bizic as Marcello played up the charm as part of the ensemble, bringing both wit and warmth with his rich, expressive voice. The banter between him and his romantic counterpart, soprano Adela Zaharia as Musetta, was filled with a spectrum of emotion, from flirtation and exasperation to tenderness. 

Zaharia, making her Met debut, infused Musetta with charisma and energy; her bright, forward tone was perfectly suited to the flair in “Quando m’en vo.” Her high notes were brilliant and sparkled with confidence, and the emotional contrast she displayed in Act IV, where she shifted to her sorrow, showcased her impressive dramatic range.

In the final act, bass-baritone Jongmin Park was compelling as Colline, the philosopher, displaying a cavernous voice in “Vecchia zimarra,” as he bids farewell to his beloved coat. Sean Michael Plumb was was a vibrant presence as Schaunard, enlivening the ensemble with his humour. The Met Chorus infused Act II with raucous energy, bringing the Parisian streets in the Latin quarter to life and enhancing the spectacle of Zeffirelli’s iconic sets. 

Kensho Watanabe led the Met Orchestra in a performance that conveyed both the intimacy and grandeur of Puccini’s score with great precision. Watanabe brought the bittersweet nature of the music to life through a rich variety of textures, seamlessly weaving together the fleeting melodic lines. While some minor coordination issues arose in the earlier acts, they were smoothed out by Acts III and IV.

The Met’s La Boheme continues with the current principals through January 25, returning in March and May with different casts.

Kathryn Felt is a pianist with a Doctor of Musical Arts and a current Lecturer at Rutgers University. She specializes in music history and performance, with a focus on piano repertoire by women composers.


One Response to “A starry cast breathes fresh, convivial life into Met’s “Bohème” ”

  1. Posted Jan 13, 2025 at 8:13 pm by John Kelly

    Thank you for this detailed and thorough review. Well written. A.model for others.

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