Puccini: La Boheme

Giacomo Puccini (Artist), Sir Thomas Beecham (Artist), Victoria de los Angeles (Artist), Jussi Björling (Artist), Robert Merrill (Artist), Thomas Powell (Artist), Lucine Amara (Artist), Fernando Corena (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 23, 1997)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Angel Records
• ASIN: B000002RXE
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #91,839 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. La Boheme: Act 1 - 'Questo Mar Rosso...' (Marcello, Rodolfo, Colline) - Puccini

2. La Boheme: Act 1 - 'Pensier profondo!' (Colline, Marcello, Rodolfo) - Puccini

3. La Boheme: Act 1 - 'Legna!...Sigari' (Rodolfo, Marcello, Colline, Schaunard) - Puccini

4. La Boheme: Act 1 - 'Si puo?...Chi e la?' (Benoit, Marcello, Schaunard, Colline, Rodolfo) - Puccini

5. La Boheme: Act 1 - 'lo resto per terminar...' (Rodolfo, Marcello, Colline, Schaunard) - Puccini

6. La Boheme: Act 1 - 'Non sono in vena...Scusi' (Rodolfo, Mimi) - Puccini

7. La Boheme: Act 1 - 'Oh! sventata, sventata!' (Mimi, Rodolfo) - Puccini

8. La Boheme: Act 1 - 'Che gelida manina' (Rodolfo) - Puccini

9. La Boheme: Act 1 - 'Si, Mi chiamano Mimi' (Mimi, Rodolfo) - Puccini

10. La Boheme: Act 1 - 'Eh! Rodolfo!' (Schaunard, Colline, Marcello, Mimi) - Puccini

See all 17 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. La Boheme: Act 3 - 'Ohe, la, le guardie...Aprite!' (Coro, Doganiere, Musetta) - G. Puccini

2. La Boheme: Act 3 - 'Sa dirmi, scusi, qual'e l'osteria...' (Mimi, Sergente, Doganiere) - G. Puccini

3. La Boheme: Act 3 - 'Mimi?! ... Speravo di trovarvi qui' (Marcello, Mimi) - G. Puccini

4. La Boheme: Act 3 - 'Marcello. Finalmente' (Rodolfo, Marcello, Mimi) - G. Puccini

5. La Boheme: Act 3 - 'Mimi e una civetta' (Rodolfo, Marcello) - G. Puccini

6. La Boheme: Act 3 - 'Mimi e tanto malata!' (Rodolfo, Marcello, Mimi) - G. Puccini

7. La Boheme: Act 3 - 'Addio ... Donde lieta usci al tuo grido' (Mimi, Rodolfo) - G. Puccini

8. La Boheme: Act 3 - 'Dunque e proprio finita!' (Rodolfo, Mimi, Marcello, Musetta) - G. Puccini

9. La Boheme: Act 4 - 'In un coupe?' (Marcello, Rodolfo) - G. Puccini

10. La Boheme: Act 4 - 'O Mimi, tu piu non torni.' (Rodolfo, Marcello, Schaunard, Colline) - G. Puccini

See all 15 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential recording

Every so often in the recording industry, there's a miracle, and this is one of them. This 1956 recording was organized quickly in New York, not on the heels of a stage performance and not even with a noted orchestra. All the right singers were in town at the same time--some popping in to sing a few bars before heading for the airport--and the result is the single greatest recording of this oft-recorded opera. The leads--Victoria de Los Angeles and Jussi Björling--would make it special in any case. But Robert Merrill is excellent and Lucine Amara is a light-voiced, French-sounding, ultra-stylish Musetta. This is also the only full-length Puccini recording by the great conductor Sir Thomas Beecham. A classic. --David Patrick Stearns

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the greatest opera recordings of all time, March 14, 1999

By 

[e-mail] "[e-mail]" (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Puccini: La Boheme (Audio CD)

A perfect cast, a sensitive interpretation by a great conductor, a brilliant work. What more could anyone ask for? This is truly one of the handful of greatest opera recordings of all time. de los Angeles and Bjorling are perfect. Robert Merrill has just the right vocal weight to match Bjorling. Beecham is deeply insightful in his interpretation. If you love this opera, or if you just plain love opera at all, buy this disc.

By the way, some other nominees for the greatest opera recordings of all time include Guilini's version of Don Giovanni, Callas in Tosca, and Milanov and Bjorling in Il Trovatore. I'll return to this site from time to time to read other listeners' nominations.

By the way, too bad Amazon buried this recording so deep into the listings of La Boheme. Many potential buyers might not have the patience to scroll all the way to this performance.

Another small point: the Callas version, which is quite good, if not quite up to this one, was given only one star by a reviewer upset over the way Amazon spelled the word Boheme. I think that unfairly gives a worse impression of that performance than it deserves.

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best, May 19, 2000

By 

Roy Gordon (Berkeley, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Puccini: La Boheme (Audio CD)

This was the recording that hooked me into Italian opera. I listened to it endlessly in the 70's.

I really can't add to the more than deserved accolades the other reviewers heap upon it. So I'll just add a few notes (so to speak).

The single most affecting element to me is Bjoerling's burnished voice. Next is Beecham's conducting. But really, it's the totality of the performance. I think Mimi might not have been quite so saintly (she was a bohemian, after all), but De los Angeles' performance is quite affecting. And, to my ears, the sound is unexpectedly quite decent.

But as I just think of this recording I can feel the tear ducts starting to well, as well as remembering endless hours of pleasure this recording has afforded me.

My wife (not an opera fan, although she likes Boheme) made a (literally) passing comment one day when I put this on: "They sound like they really mean it."

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the greatest tenor performances of all time, September 10, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Puccini: La Boheme (Audio CD)

About everything in this recording is perfect: the style, the singers, you are really carried into the world of the "Bohémiens" in old Paris. There is one thing which makes this recording extraordinary, which is the singing and vocal performing of Jussi Bjoerling - perfect in style, beautiful the voice and touching his version of the character. If you don't have it, get it NOW!