Songs from this album are available to purchase as MP3s. Click on "Buy MP3" or
view the MP3 Album.
| |||||||||||||||
Listen to Samples and Buy MP3s
Special Offers and Product Promotions
- Buy a CD or a vinyl record, get a $1 Amazon MP3 Credit. Limit one promotional credit per customer. Here's how (restrictions apply)
- Includes FREE MP3 version of this album Here's how (restrictions apply)
Frequently Bought Together
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images? |
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
The score for La Bohème comes to glowing life under Herbert von Karajan's baton, and Mirella Freni and Luciano Pavarotti make beautiful music together as the ill-fated lovers. The smaller parts are wonderfully sung, the comedy sharply profiled, and the pathos contained in such a way that the opera's ending proves remarkably gripping. London's sound is excellent. --Ted Libbey
Product Description
2CD Pavarotti/Harwood/Bp/Karajan
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
193 of 195 people found the following review helpful
By Eric Krupin
Format:Audio CD
A long time ago, my father was driving my teenaged self somewhere as he listened to a cassette of "Pavarotti's Greatest Hits" on the car stereo. During "Che gelida manina", he tried to enlighten my ignorance as to what was special about it. "This is one of the great moments in opera," he explained. "The man sings this beautiful aria. Then the woman sings something even more beautiful. Then the two of them sing together and it's even more beautiful than that." I grunted in assent that it must be a whole lot of beautifulness and then returned my attention to whatever science fiction novel I was reading at the time.
Many years have passed since then. My father is dead, and I probably know more about opera now than he did. But, perhaps because of that conversation, the end of Act I still defines "La Boheme" for me. [Moral of the story for parents of teens: Keep sharing yourself with your kids, no matter how much they grunt at you. There's no telling what will stick.] If a performance doesn't convey Dad's Guinness-Book sense that opera really doesn't get any more powerful or moving than this, I have to consign it to the "Not Quite" file. Sorry Tebaldi/Bergonzi and Callas/di Stefano.
All of which is to set up my claim that Freni/Pavarotti are the ones who truly deliver the goods in this virtually impossible-to-sing scene. While di Stefano's voice has a marvelous bronze gleam and crisp pronunciation, he simply doesn't have the sheer tone power to compete with the strength of Puccini's melodies. When Rodolfo sings "In te ravviso / Il sogno ch'io vorrei sempre sognar!", the heroic notes demand that the tenor produce a sound that you would follow into battle. Here Pav unforgettably brings da noise - and "Yes, Giorgio" is forgiven all over again.
Freni is equally virtuosic in the soprano's milieu, somehow managing to convey a waifish bohemian as she robustly full-lungs her way through some of the most cruelly exposed high notes in the music. And how euphoniously their two instruments mesh in the duets! How confidently they surf the surging waves of Karajan's conducting!
I don't know what else to say except that it's all here. Every component of the recorded operatic experience - composer, conductor, musicians, and singers - exercising mastery at world-class levels. There is nothing to impede the plucking of your heartstrings until they fray and snap. If you can listen to the final offstage "Amor!" with dry eyes, there is something dead inside you - I'm sorry to say. I'm verklempt now just thinking about it.
So, yes - all the raves here are true. This is not just the best "Boheme", but one of the best opera recordings ever made. You know what to do.
Many years have passed since then. My father is dead, and I probably know more about opera now than he did. But, perhaps because of that conversation, the end of Act I still defines "La Boheme" for me. [Moral of the story for parents of teens: Keep sharing yourself with your kids, no matter how much they grunt at you. There's no telling what will stick.] If a performance doesn't convey Dad's Guinness-Book sense that opera really doesn't get any more powerful or moving than this, I have to consign it to the "Not Quite" file. Sorry Tebaldi/Bergonzi and Callas/di Stefano.
All of which is to set up my claim that Freni/Pavarotti are the ones who truly deliver the goods in this virtually impossible-to-sing scene. While di Stefano's voice has a marvelous bronze gleam and crisp pronunciation, he simply doesn't have the sheer tone power to compete with the strength of Puccini's melodies. When Rodolfo sings "In te ravviso / Il sogno ch'io vorrei sempre sognar!", the heroic notes demand that the tenor produce a sound that you would follow into battle. Here Pav unforgettably brings da noise - and "Yes, Giorgio" is forgiven all over again.
Freni is equally virtuosic in the soprano's milieu, somehow managing to convey a waifish bohemian as she robustly full-lungs her way through some of the most cruelly exposed high notes in the music. And how euphoniously their two instruments mesh in the duets! How confidently they surf the surging waves of Karajan's conducting!
I don't know what else to say except that it's all here. Every component of the recorded operatic experience - composer, conductor, musicians, and singers - exercising mastery at world-class levels. There is nothing to impede the plucking of your heartstrings until they fray and snap. If you can listen to the final offstage "Amor!" with dry eyes, there is something dead inside you - I'm sorry to say. I'm verklempt now just thinking about it.
So, yes - all the raves here are true. This is not just the best "Boheme", but one of the best opera recordings ever made. You know what to do.
102 of 110 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This is one of the best opera recordings ever produced. For more than a decade, Freni-Pavarotti ruled the interpretation of Mimì and Rodolfo of this opera. This is absolutely the best La Bohème recording available, although some may argue that sometimes Karajan's tempi may be a little bit slow. But Karajan shows his meticulosity in this recording by showing all the poetry and dramatical concept of this opera. The orchestra just sounds perfect, and the singers Freni, Pavarotti and Panerai are exactly Mimì, Rodolfo and Marcello. The combination between Freni and Pavarotti, the way they merge they voices together, is absolutely magic and essential for the results of this recording, because they have the adequate voices for both roles. Panerai sings the nicer Marcello of all, and Ghiaurov nails his Colline role, while Harwood delivers another great role as Musetta, despite her lack of perfect Italian, but with a lot of expressiveness.
Bottomline: this is the best La Bohème available, and it is a must in any opera discography. Thanks for reading!
P.S. If you find my review helpful, vote YES (It does not mean you agree. It just means you found it helpful). You can read all my other reviews if you wish to. I modestly write them to help people form an opinion about movies, music and books, but if nobody reads them (if you don't vote I do not know if you did) there is no point in writing them.
Bottomline: this is the best La Bohème available, and it is a must in any opera discography. Thanks for reading!
P.S. If you find my review helpful, vote YES (It does not mean you agree. It just means you found it helpful). You can read all my other reviews if you wish to. I modestly write them to help people form an opinion about movies, music and books, but if nobody reads them (if you don't vote I do not know if you did) there is no point in writing them.
67 of 74 people found the following review helpful
By Mark
Format:Audio CD
YES.
Finally a great performance with great sound quality. This DECCA recording has it all. Perfect sound and amazing cast.
Finally a great performance with great sound quality. This DECCA recording has it all. Perfect sound and amazing cast.
And what a cast!!
Pavarotti makes here (with some other Donizetti operas on record) one of his BEST performances ever. The voice shines! It is clear with beautiful ringing and healthy high notes.
I loved Freni. She delivers here a very wonderful sick and vulnerable mimi. Along with De Los Angeles, she made history of her performance here as mimi.
I cannot forget the very precious performance of Ghiaurov! Bravo.
And Karajan's recording...amazing (But I think comes second place after Beecham).
Well...nothing goes bad in this performance...on the contrary...it is just Perfect!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Perfect tones
Makes me cry from joy to listen to the beauty of the voices. Listen to it as often as I can.
Published 1 month ago by G. Smietana
5.0 out of 5 stars
"La Boheme" doesn't get much better than that
I wonder if it gets any better at all. I have heard four other rather famous recordings - Albanese/Pierce/Valentino/Toscanini (1946, RCA), Bjoerling/de los Angeles/Merrill/Beecham... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Alexander Arsov
5.0 out of 5 stars
Puccini: La Boheme
Puccini: La Boheme is a 1973 recording starring Pavarotti and conducted by none other then Von Karajan on this Decca recording. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Bjorn Viberg
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great set, not quite as advertised.
First, this is an ADD recording, NOT DDD. Also, the original recording was in 1972; perhaps the CD was made from the master tape in 1990. Read more
Published 14 months ago by J. Wayland Eheart
3.0 out of 5 stars
What Am I Missing?
So many people have praised this as "the" recording of La Boheme. I think not. I listened to this recording years ago - before it ever occurred to me to put a review online - and... Read more
Published 14 months ago by Robert B. Lamm
4.0 out of 5 stars
Overall a good purchase
Sound quality was not as clear as I'd hoped but can't expect much better from this old a recording. No damage to CD's, play beautifully. Arrived quickly and in great condition.
Published 21 months ago by Sharon
5.0 out of 5 stars
Opera at its finest
I listen to opera on a daily basis, and have many excellent recordings of operas from all eras. This recording is not only the best of La Boheme that I've heard, but it's the best... Read more
Published 22 months ago by Warrior
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Term of Reference
This recording of Boheme is simply the unattainable term of reference for anybody who wants to try to sing or record it. Read more
Published 23 months ago by Pietro Zanette
5.0 out of 5 stars
Boheme for a friend
I was introduced to Boheme years ago by the dean of St Louis University Medical School. It has been a favorite of mine ever since. Read more
Published on February 17, 2011 by Mary Kate Butler
5.0 out of 5 stars
Just listen to it.
Years ago, a friend who had majored in opera, dropped this on my desk. I had talked with him about opera, and had expressed some curiosity about it. Read more
Published on January 2, 2011 by Bob Wood
