Puccini - La Boheme / Baz Luhrmann, The Australian Opera (1993)

This youthful, extremely talented cast brings an old classic to new romantic heights. Headed by David Hobson and Cheryl Barker, it is a more realistic look at the most romantic of operas. David Hobson's tenor soars over the opera audience and onto the recording. He is honestly young, boyishly handsome and really acts as he sings, putting realistic emotion into every note. He doesn't just ACT "Rudolpho," he IS "Rudolpho," one of the best I've ever seen. As "Mimi," Cheryl Barker reciprocates with a beautiful voice and very truthful acting. They are perfect together. The whole cast is excellent. By the finish, I had tears as I think you will. After watching this, you will also want to hear more of David Hobson's voice, which fortunately can be heard in other "Opera Australia" productions. This version of "La Bohème" is not to be missed.

The story has been set to 1950s Paris; the characters are portrayed with young faces; the songs are sung by fresh and splendid voices, this contemporary version of La Bohème completely blew me away. In this production, whether or not the singings are perfect takes second place in the face of vitality, passion, and intensity brought out by the brilliant young cast.Bravo, David Hobson for giving such a wonderful wonderful Rodolfo. This is the Rodolfo you'll be dreaming of. He is handsome, he is tall, and his tenor rings out with beauty, clarity, and youthfulness. To make things even better, he acts brilliantly. He gives life to every note he sings. When he belts out a high C, it's not a matter of showing off his tenor, but a real emotional outpouring. Seldom did I see vocalist acting with such depth and sincerity. He put himself so deep into the character that at the curtain calls he is still in tears.Brava, Cheryl Barker for conveying a tender and lovely Mimi. At some places Cheryl Barker's voice is not at her best in portraying Mimi, but her acting makes up the weakness, and in the end, she has become real Mimi. Her highlight is Mimi's death scene. Of all the times I have watched this scene, not a single time was I not in tears. She and David Hobson make a very good match, between them the chemistry is convincing, which makes their parting all the more heartbreaking.Bravo, Baz Luhrmann for the creativity and courage of blazing new trails for classical opera, and for the raw artistic design. Instead of making a cliché of yet another production of classical opera, he has turned it into a great piece of modern theater, in which the essence is embodied with realism and bestowed with novelties.Opera lovers, especially young opera lovers, this La Bohème is a must!

La Boheme is one of the fundamental works in any opera lover's collection. It's plot has been called "saccharine" by critics who confuse sentiment with cloyishness, but it's score is nonstop lyricism from beginning to end. Anyone who has dry eyes at the end lacks a heart.I have seen it many times, but this performance, in many ways, is like seeing it for the first time.It is set in Paris in the 1950's rather than in the late 19th century. I believe that the staging is "minimalist", but if that is the wrong term, it is certainly unconventional. Yet everything works so well!The singers are all young, vocally talented and are capable actors. For example, in scenes where the camera does close up work on Mimi and Rodolfo, the singers are totally focused on each other. Neither looks for a prompter or at the conductor.All of the singers are good, from a vocal perspective. More importantly, they are all believeable in their roles, even when the viewer KNOWS that this is ...opera! Opera which has been referred to as the ultimate in unbelieveability. I cannot say enough about this aspect of this DVD. There are many versions on CD, some better than others, and at least one other version ( an excellent Met performance with Stratas and Carreras ), yet this performance, with all its departures from tradition, has a youthful intensity that has to be experienced to be understoodThe disc quality is excellent. The video is crisp, with no degredation at any time, and the sound has Dolby 5.1 as an option, which makes the immediacy of the performance so compelling. Conductor and orchestra, minor players and principals, stage director and producer combine to provide the viewer with a memorable theatrical experience.La Boheme is an excellent "starter" opera for those who want to learn about it, and this performance is an eye opener for those of us who are perhaps too familiar with it. For those who live in areas where stage performances are nonexistant, the DVD experience can enable the operatic experience as "next best" to live. I recommend this one without reservation.

La Boheme is one of my favorite operas and I own a couple of different versions. I bought this out of curiosity and am glad I did. To see Boheme performed with such youthful exuberance and innocence is a joy - it is fitting that Hobson and Barker are youthful as that is how the characters are meant to be and they played their roles beautifully. The voices lack experience, but are more than adequate, especially David Hobson. Cheryl Barker can sound a little strained in the top range, however all of this can be forgiven because of the delightful perfomances and sheer emotion they bring to the role. The only version that I can say I prefer is the Carreras/Stratas version, and that is mainly due to Theresa Stratas. My thirteen year old daughter actually sat and watched this Boheme and the modern setting and youthful singers were very appealing to her - this may well be a good introduction to opera for younger people. If you want to see something other than the usual standard opera, buy this DVD, have an open mind and enjoy.

Great addition to my Baz Luhrman collection.

My favourite opera and this is my favourite version as well. David Hobson shines as Rodolpho and Cheryl Barker is the perfect Mimi.