Opera Company of Philadelphia and The School District of Philadelphia Present

Giacomo Puccini’s

LA BOHÈME

OperaThe Opera Company of Philadelphia believes the family is the most important foundation to

learning. Let your kitchen table become a classroom where your children can build their knowledge ofopera and the humanities. As you join in the teaching and learning process with your children, watchtheir eyes sparkle. Opera is a communal celebration, so too should be your children’s education.

Pennsylvania’s standards in education call for students to demonstrate what they know and areable to do and children need to share what they have discovered or learned. Thus, the title of our programis Sounds of Learning™. It reflects our belief that children must actively be engaged in sharing ideas.

The Sounds of Learning™ workbook and teacher guide will integrate with the local core literacy curriculum in many ways. Just as opera is a uniquely integrated art, combining orchestra, voice, literature, drama, and dance, Sounds of Learning™ is an interdisciplinary, student-centered program. Thegoal of the Active Learning sections is to have your children engaged in the process of self-teaching. They will be able to show how they have gained insights into their learning by drawing, writing, and discussing the issues most relevant to them. In this way, students demonstrate what theycan do with what they know.

In preparing for the opera, we suggest you purchase one of EMI Classics’s excellent audio orvideo recordings of this opera. We are grateful to EMI Classics for offering us their libretti for use in ourprogram. Together, we hope to build future audiences for, and performers of, the arts. Visit EMI on theweb at www.emiclassics.com.

Goals and Objectives of Sounds of Learning™• Understand the plot, characters, and their motivations of the opera• Learn something about the composer and others involved in writing the opera• Make a connection to the historic and social context of the story• Know some key musical elements, recognize certain melodies, differentiate between voices• Understand the role music plays in expressing emotions and heightening the dramatic experience• Understand the various elements of producing opera and the functions of those involved;

e.g. conductor, director, set designer, technical crew, etc.• Develop the ability to make inferences about the opera, production, and performance• Relate incidents in the opera to those of the present day

Best Practices in Arts Education is sponsored by Pennsylvania Alliance for Arts Education,Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

A Family Guide to

Opera 101: Getting Ready for the Opera2 Opera Company of Philadelphia3 Philadelphia’s Academy of Music4 The Then and Now of Opera6 The Language of Opera7 The Highs and Lows of the Operatic Voice

Relating Opera to History: The Culture Connection8 The Man Behind the Music: Giacomo Puccini

10 A Bohemian Named Mimi11 A Woman’s Work: Women’s Issues in the 1850s12 Health Care Issues in the 1850s13 An Ancient Killer Returns: Tuberculosis14 With Art, Philadelphia15 Art in Philadelphia Directory

Inside the Opera: La bohème16 Meet the Maestro, Corrado Rovaris17 La bohème Meet the Artists18 La bohème Synopsis20 1898 Newpaper Review of La bohème

ContentsTable of

2 Opera Company of Philadelphia

Right: SopranoErmonela Jaho and

tenor RogerHoneywell in Jun

Kaneko’s stylized production

of Puccini’s MadamaButterfly.

Below: TenorWilliam Burden

stars as Hippolyt inHans Werner

Henze’s Phaedra.

Photos: Kelly & MassaPhotography

For over 30 years the Opera Company ofPhiladelphia has brought audiences outstandingproduction quality, artistry and educational opportu-nities. A strong blend of traditional and innovative programming will continue to ensure theexcitement of opera in Philadelphia.

Each season over 5,000 students from thePhiladelphia area attend an opera through the Soundsof Learning™ program. The Company also hosts community recitals and lectures, internet events, and more.

Opera has played a vital part in Philadelphia’shistory. The first known opera staged in Philadelphiawas Midas in 1769. Since then, opera has been so popular here that there have been several opera companies in the city at the same time! The OperaCompany of Philadelphia was created when thePhiladelphia Grand Opera Company and thePhiladelphia Lyric Opera Company joined in 1975.Since then, the Opera Company of Philadelphia hascontinued the city’s operatic traditions.

Each season, the Opera Company presentsfive different operas with singers from all over theworld. Three of the operas are given in the beautiful, large-scale Academy of Music. With just under 2,900seats, the Academy is the Opera Company’s home forgrand opera. Two smaller, more intimate operas arestaged in the Perelman Theater. Located in theKimmel Center for the Performing Arts, the PerelmanTheater has only 600 seats, making it the perfectvenue for chamber and modern operas.

Today, the Opera Company’s mission, or corepurpose, is three-fold:

1. To deliver outstanding productions of traditional reper-toire and new, exciting operatic works that resonate withthe community.

To do this we hire the best stage designers.Sets might be built in the Company’s ProductionCenter in the Tacony area of Philadelphia. Sometimesthe Opera Company partners with another companyto create sets and costumes, or rents a productionfrom another company.

The Opera Company also supports creatingnew American operas. In recent seasons five newoperas have been seen at OCP: Margaret Garner byRichard Danielpour, Cyrano by David DiChiera,Ainadamar by Argentinian composer Osvaldo Golijov,and Phaedra by Hans Werner Henze. Tea: A Mirror ofSoul by Chinese composer Tan Dun, who wrote theCrouching Tiger Hidden Dragon film score, had its EastCoast premiere at OCP in February 2010.

2. To identify and cultivate rising young talent and castthese future stars together with internationally-acclaimed singers.

We find the brightest young singers in ourown backyard at two of the best opera schools in theworld - The Curtis Institute of Music and the Academyof Vocal Arts. Singers from both schools have sungright along side stars like Lawrence Brownlee andNathan Gunn.

3. To present innovative programs relevant to the multi-cultural Philadelphia region that educate, broaden, deepen, and diversify the opera audience.

ACTIVE LEARNING1. Find out more about the Opera Company of Philadelphia at our website: www.operaphila.org.

2. Check out www.frankhamilton.org for a ton of information about the history of opera in Philadelphia.

Philadelphia’s

Academy of Music

The Academy ofMusic’s restored chandelier.Photo by Michael Bolton

You will attend the operaat Philadelphia’s Academy ofMusic, which is the country’s

oldest grand opera house stillused for its original purpose - performing opera! It isa very grand opera house with a huge chandelierhanging from the ceiling. Its four-level design wasbased on the famous La Scala opera house in Milan,Italy.

Finding the money to build an opera house inPhiladelphia was difficult, but enough money wasraised by 1854. On October 13th a plot of land wasbought on the corner of Broad and Locust Streets tobuild the opera house.

In the fall of 1854 fifteen architects entered acompetition to see who would design the Academy.On February 12, 1855, the team of Gustav Rungé andNapoleon le Brun won the contest, which included a$400 prize, or about $150,000 today! Within fourmonths, the ground-breaking took place. The projectwas so important that President Franklin Pierce, alongwith the governor and mayor, laid the cornerstone onJuly 26, 1855.

The Academy opened on January 26, 1857with a Grand Ball and Promenade Concert. The firstopera presented in the brand new opera house wasGiuseppe Verdi’s Il trovatore on February 25, 1857. Twoof many operatic highlights throughout the theater’s history include the American premiere ofCharles Gounod’s opera Faust on November 18, 1863and a performance of Giacomo Puccini’s MadamaButterfly on February 14, 1907, with the composer in attendance.

Numerous presidents have visited theAcademy, including Ulysses S. Grant, TheodoreRoosevelt, and Richard Nixon. Prince Charles of Walesvisited the Academy in 2007. Thousands of world-famous performers have also appeared on its stage,like Peter Tchaikovsky, Sergei Rachmaninoff, GeorgeGershwin, Igor Stravinsky, Arturo Toscanini, MarianAnderson, Maria Callas, and Luciano Pavarotti.

The Academy was made a Registered NationalHistoric Landmark in 1963. Since that time, a fewimprovements have been made to its structure. The“Twenty-First Century Project”, begun in 1996,replaced the stage floor, rigging system, and restoredthe historic ceiling. During 2008, the famous chandelier was rebuilt to how it looked in 1857. All

of these renovations have helped the Academyremain as grand as ever. We hope you find it grandas well!

Academy of Music Facts› The auditorium seats 2,897; 14 columns support the Academy’s tiers; the auditorium is encased within a three footthick solid brick wall.

› The Academy Chandelier is 25 feet high, 50 feet in circumference, almost 17 feet in diameter, and 3,500 poundsin weight. It has 23,000 crystals on it, which, if laid out, couldreach from Broad Street to Rittenhouse Square and back.

› The red and gold pattern on the Academy’s stage curtain simulates that of a pineapple, a Victorian-era symbolfor “welcome.”

› The first-ever indoor football game was held on theAcademy’s Parquet level on March 7, 1889 between theUniversity of Pennsylvania and Riverton Club of Princeton. Athalftime, tug-of-war matches were held as entertainment.

› 1,600 people attended the first-ever motion picture screening on February 5, 1870. The audience saw a coupledancing, a gymnastics routine and more during the silent film.

› Air conditioning was installed in 1959.

› There was no elevator for the general public in the Academy until 1990!

For more information on the Academy of Music, go to thelibrary and take out Within These Walls, by John FrancisMarion or go online to www.academyofmusic.org.

President Franklin Pierce1804-1869

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The Then and Now of

Opera

Theatrical performances that use music, song and danceto tell a story can be found in many cultures. Opera isjust one example of music drama.

These theaters had elaboratestage machinery to create special effects like flying actorsor crumbling buildings. Noteveryone embraced the new form of theater. Somecritics thought that all of the stage antics in operadetracted from the music and drama. Some peopleeven believed that seeing too much comedy in operacould make you immoral!

During the Baroque period (about 1600 to1750), Italian opera spread all over Europe. The Italianstyle of opera was so popular that even non-Italianswrote in this style. For example George Frederic Handel(1685 – 1759) was a German-born composer who livedand worked in England. His operas, like Julius Caesar(1724), were written in the Italian language and usedan Italian style of music. The only nation to create its’own national operatic style was France. Ballet playeda large role in the French culture, and operas oftenincluded ballets in the middle of the opera. The mostfamous French Baroque opera composers were Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632-1687) and Jean-Philippe Rameau(1683 - 1764).

The eighteenth century was full of change forboth Europe and opera. This time period was knownas the Age of Enlightenment. People were starting totalk about new forms of government and organizationin society, especially the ever-growing middle class.Music displayed this new thinking as composersdropped the Baroque era’s complicated musical stylefor simpler, more emotional music. In less-flashymusic, characters could express their thoughts andfeelings more believably. One of the first operas touse this new style was Christoph Willibald Gluck’sOrfeo ed Euridice (1762).

In 1776 the American Revolution changed theworld. A few years later the French had their ownrevolution (1789) and the first modern democracieswere born. To match the times in which they were created, audiences wanted to see characters likethemselves on stage, not gods and goddesses. Theyalso wanted to see issues that were important tothem. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s The Marriage ofFigaro (1786) featured a timely story of aristocraticclass struggles that had both servants and nobility inlead roles. The ideals of the Enlightenment also cameto the stage in Ludwig van Beethoven‘s only opera,Fidelio, a story about equality and freedom.

Have you ever wondered where opera got itsstart? Back in the late 1500s during the height of theRenaissance, a group of men called the FlorentineCamerata got together to create a new and moving theatrical experience. They wanted to recreate whatthe ancient Greeks did during their legendary dramas.The result was something entirely new – opera!

Most of the early operas were based on Greekmyths. The first opera that we know of was calledDafne by Jacopo Peri in 1598, but the most famousopera of this early period that is still performed todayis Claudio Monteverdi’s Orfeo (1607). Certain basicingredients were included in opera: songs, instrumentalaccompaniments, costumes, dance, and scenery. Westill use all of these ingredients today!

The early operas were first performed in thegrand courts of Italian nobility, but soon operabecame popular with the public, too. As it becameall the rage, productions became more lavish! Soon,theaters began to be built just to mount operas.

Claudio Monteverdi1567-1643

Top: mezzo-soprano Ruxandra Donose as the hero in Gluck’s Orphée et Eurydice; Above: Prisoners in their cells in Jun Kaneko’s production of Beethoven’s Fidelio.

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In the 1800s opera continued to grow. TheItalian tradition continued in the bel canto movement, which literally translates to “beautifulsinging”. These operas asked performers to sing complicated groups of fast notes in the melodies. Themost famous bel canto composers were GioacchinoRossini (1792 –1868), Gaetano Donizetti (1797 – 1848),and Vincenzo Bellini (1801 –1835). Their operas, likeRossini’s popular comedies The Barber of Seville (1816)and Cinderella (1817), are still some of the most popularoperas performed today.

By the middle of the century, the RomanticMovement led many composers to champion theirown national identities. As a result, operas in languages other than Italian became more common;new works often reflected pride in a country’s people, history, and folklore. German operas like CarlMaria von Weber’s Der Freischütz (1821), Russianoperas like Mikhail Glinka’s A Life for the Tsar (1836)and French operas like Giacomo Meyerbeer’s LesHuguenots (1836) started to be performed acrossEurope. By using nationalism in his operas likeNabucco (1842), Italian Giuseppe Verdi became anational hero. In Germany Richard Wagner tookRomanticism to the extreme in a four-part operaticminiseries based on Norse mythology, The Ring of theNibelung (1876), which takes over 15 hours to perform! The operatic stereotype of the singer in theViking helmet comes from these operas.

Opera in twentieth century became even moreexperimental. Composers like Giacomo Puccini (Labohème, 1896), Claude Debussy (Pelléas et Mélisande,1902), Richard Strauss (Salome, 1905), and BenjaminBritten (Peter Grimes, 1945) evolved their nationalstyles. Others, horrified by the destruction of WorldWar I (1914-1919) and other aspects of modern life,created music that was new and drastically dissonant.These operas often explored either dark psychologicaltopics (Wozzeck by Alban Berg, 1925), or simple and

absurd (The Rake’s Progress by IgorStravinsky, 1951). Americanopera had a huge hit with Georgeand Ira Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess(1935) which included jazz andblues musical styles. Not onlydid American composers embracepopular music in opera but also arepetitive, hypnotic style calledminimalism. American composerPhilip Glass’s Einstein on the Beach(1976) is the popular example ofminimalism in opera.

Today, opera is still growingand expanding. The Opera

Company of Philadelphia helps to shape the future ofopera by producing important new works likeRichard Danielpour and Toni Morrison’s slavery-inspired Margaret Garner (2005), OsvaldoGolijov’s flamenco-themed Ainadamar(2003), and Hans Werner Henze’s Phaedra(2007), which interprets Greek mytholo-gy through the eyes of a World War IIsurvivor. This year the Opera Companyof Philadelphia is proud to present NicoMuhly’s Dark Sisters (2011) which is set inthe American Southwest explores thelives of a group of women who live in apolygamist community.

Although opera is one of the oldest musical art forms, it still remainsand expands today. From the oldfavorites to the new experimental worksopera continues to be a moving art formof the people.

ACTIVE LEARNING1. Chose a composer noted above and research two other

operas by that composer.

2. Can you find the story of the Greek myth Daphne?

3. How did Lully die?

4. What does the acronym Verdi stand for in the phrase Viva Verdi?

5. Visit the Opera Road Map on page 7 to learn more about opera.

Right: the cast ofRossini’s Cinderella;

Below: Puccini’sloveable bohemians;

Bottom: DenyceGraves and GreggBaker in Danielpourand Morrison’sMargaret Garner.

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Act - main sections of a play or opera

Aria - a solo song sung in an opera

Audience - people who watch a performance and sit in the “house” or auditorium

Ballet - dance set to music within an opera

Blocking - action on stage

Character - person who is part of the opera’s story

Chorus - music composed for a group of singers or the name of a group ofsingers in an opera

Conductor - person who rehearses and leads the orchestra

Duet - a song performed by 2 singers

Forte - a musical dynamic marking meaning to perform the music loudly

Leitmotiv - a recurring short melody used to represent a character or thing

Libretto - the words, or script, sung in an opera

Orchestra - a group of musicians who play various musical instruments together

Overture - a piece of instrumental music played at the beginning of an opera

Piano - a musical dynamic marking meaning to perform the music softly

Proscenium - the arch that separates a stage from the auditorium

Program - booklet that contains information about the opera, composer,performers, the opera company, and includes advertisements

Recitative - words that are sung in the rhythm of natural speech - a bit like the 18thcentury version of rap

Rehearsal - time when singers/actors practice with or without the orchestra; timewhen musicians practice together with the conductor

Scene - segments of action within the acts of an opera

Stage - a platform on which a performance is given for an audience

Synopsis - a brief summary of the plot of an opera, play, movie, etc.

The Language of Opera

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The Highs and Lows of the

Operatic VoiceDid you ever wonder what the difference is between asoprano and a mezzo-soprano or what voice type can singthe highest note and the lowest? Most opera singers fallinto a voice type that reflects the singer’s vocal range andits basic size and quality. Opera singers spend years learningto sing correctly without microphones. The sound an operasinger produces is done through the sheer power of thehuman voice.

So how does one become a soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor,baritone, or bass, the five most common types of voices?The length of the vocal chords determine vocal range, orthe span from the lowest note to the highest note that aparticular singer can produce. A voice’s sound quality orcolor and its ability to project over a full orchestra alsohelp determine which category a voice falls into.

Some terms that are used to describe operatic voices are:

Coloratura: typically a voice with a very high range and the ability to sing very fast music.

Dramatic: a heavy, powerful voice with a steely timbre.

Lyric: an average size voice capable of singing long beautiful phrases.

Lyric spinto: a slightly larger and steelier voice than a lyric.

Helden: a German term referring to a powerful voice capable of singing very demanding roles.

Falsetto: the upper part of the voice, often in reference to male voices.

Let’s define the voice types that audiences hear in opera:

Sopranos are the highest female voice type.In operatic drama, the soprano is almostalways the heroine because she projectsinnocence and youth. Within this category,

there are other sub-divisions such as, coloratura soprano, lyricsoprano, and dramatic soprano. Each of these voices has par-ticular lighter or darker voice qualities as well as differences inrange. For example, Mimì in La bohème is a lyric soprano.

The mezzo-soprano has a lower range thanthe soprano. Many mezzo-sopranos sing“trouser” parts, generally young male roles,or they may be the villainesses or motherly

types. This category is also sub-divided into the coloraturamezzo, who can sing complicated fast music. The dramaticmezzo is often found in Giuseppe Verdi’s operas in roles likeAmneris (Aida), or Eboli (Don Carlo). Perhaps the best-knownmezzo role is Carmen in the opera of the same name.

The contralto or alto is the lowest and darkestfemale voice. This voice type is usuallyreserved for special roles like the goddessErda in Richard Wagner’s Nordic fantasy-epic The Ring of the Nibelungen. Philadelphia native MarianAnderson was one of the world’s greatest contraltos ever.

For males, the tenor the highest natural malevoice in opera, and often the hero or the loveinterest of the story. There are many differenttypes of tenor voices, but two of the most common are thehigh voiced and bright toned lyric tenors, and the darkervoiced dramatic tenors who have ringing high notes. Rodolfoin La bohème is a famous lyric tenor role.

A countertenor is a man who sings evenhigher than a tenor. They sing the samenotes as mezzo-sopranos and contraltos bysinging in the falsetto range. These voices produce a uniqueotherworldly sound. Hans Werner Henze used a countertenorto portray the female role of Artemis in his opera Phaedra.

A baritone is the most common male voicetype whose range lies midway between thehigh tenor voice and the low bass voice.Baritones play several types of roles: comic relief, the trustedfriend, or the villain. This voice can have a dramatic qualitywith rich, dark tones. Marcello and Schaunard are two baritone roles in La bohème.

A bass is the lowest and darkest of the malevoices. Some singers in this category arebass-baritones as their can’t sing quite ashigh as a baritone or quite as low as a true bass. A bass frequently plays wise or noble characters like Sarastro in The Magic Flute, or wildly comic roles like Dr. Bartolo in TheBarber of Seville.

So, no matter what the size, quality or range, a singer’s voicehas the ability to thrill an audience with its sheer beauty andmusicality.

ACTIVE LEARNING

1. If the film The Hunger Games had been made into an opera, what voice types would you cast in the roles below and why?

Katniss EverdeenGale HawthornePeeta Mellark

Haymitch AbernathyRuePresident Coriolanus Snow

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Puccini’s father, Michele, taught music at the localconservatory and was a church musician. He died whenPuccini was six years old. His mother was left to supportsix daughters and two sons. The family was poor and hismother worried about Puccini’s future. She believed that agood education could free her children from poverty. Atage nine, Puccini joined the seminary, later becoming a chorister and organist at the Cathedral of Lucca.

In 1876 Puccini and his brother walked 18 miles tosee a performance of Verdi’s Aida in the town of Pisa. Heknew opera was his destiny. He wanted to study at theconservatory in Milan, but he couldn’t afford the tuition.Puccini’s mother wrote a letter to the Queen of Italy toget a scholarship for her son.

The letter worked, but it didn’t mean that Pucciniwas now rich. He wrote to his mother about food, requestinga little olive oil or some beans. Puccini quipped of hislifestyle, “At five I have a thrifty meal with soup, then Ilight up a cigar and I go to the Galleria.”

In 1882 when Puccini was 24, he submitted his firstopera, Le Villi (The Willies) into a competition. He didn’t win, but it was staged two years later. The operawas a success and one critic called Puccini "the composerItaly had waited for." The publishing company G.Ricordi & Co was impressed enough to commissionPuccini to write the opera Edgar, but it failed at its 1889premiere.

Elvira Bonturi

In 1884 Puccini was hired to teach Elvira BonturiGemignani, the wife of his friend Narciso Gemignani, tosing and play the piano. Puccini and Elvira hit it off andsoon became lovers despite that she had a son and adaughter with her husband. When Elvira discovered shewas pregnant with Puccini’s child, she moved out of thehouse with her daughter to live with the poor composer.Divorce was illegal at the time in Italy, and woman hadfew rights under Italian law. It was impossible for Pucciniand Elvira to marry.

They moved to the lakeside village of Torre delLago in the Tuscany region of Italy. Here Elvira gave birth

to Puccini’s son, Antonio and the composer threw himselfinto his work.

He worked very hard on his next opera, ManonLescaut (1893). It was an immediate triumph and gavePuccini fame and success, if not wealth. At Torre del Lagohe composed his three most popular operas: La bohème(1896), Tosca (1900), and Madama Butterfly (1904),which finally brought him wealth.

Puccini enjoyed the relaxed life he could lead bythe lake. Here he indulged in his passions: hunting, smoking cigars, technology (he frequently correspondedwith Thomas Edison), and fast cars. Puccini almostdied after he was in a near-fatal car accident in 1903.Ironically, Elvira’s husband died the day after the accident.His death enabled Puccini to marry Elvira after the legallyimposed 10 months of widowhood.

The Manfredi Incident

Perhaps that which Puccini liked the most waswomen. He had a long series of love affairs outside of hisrelationship with Elvira. He reassured her that they meantnothing to him, but as an artist, he relied on them to helphis creativity. This excuse did little to calm Elvira’s terriblejealousy.

One of the worst examples of Elvira’s jealousy surrounded her treatment of their maid, DoriaManfredi. A local peasant girl who had worked for thePuccinis since she was 16, Doria helped Puccini during thelong recovery period after the 1903 car accident. Doria wasextremely attentive to Puccini’s needs and there was anaffectionate bond between the two of them.

Elvira noticed this affection and her jealousy gotthe best of her; she assumed the two were having an affair. She threw Doria out of the house andthreatened to kill her. She vowed to ruin Doria’s reputation in the small village. Elvira publicly condemned Doria and screamed insults at Doria and herrelatives in the street. In a quest to catch her husband withthe former maid, Elvira disguised herself in one ofPuccini’s suits in the hopes of catching the two togetherone night.

The quiet and simple girl could take no more. InJanuary 23, 1909 she committed suicide by taking threepoisonous mercury chloride tablets. The poison worked

The Man Behind the Music:Giacomo Puccini

Giacomo Puccini was born on December 22,1858 in Lucca, Italy. He would become one ofthe most popular opera composers ever.

9slowly and Doria was in extruciating pain. It took threedays for the poison to do its intended effect.

A court ordered autopsy proved that Doria had dieda virgin. Doria’s family sued Elvira for defamation andslander. Elvira was found guilty and sentenced to fivemonths in prison. The case was settled out of court onappeal after Puccini offered the family 12,000 lire in compensation.

Publicly humiliated and devastated by theseevents, Puccini and Elvira temporarily separated. Doria’sdeath would haunt Puccini for the rest of his life. He wasknown to place flowers on Doria’s grave from time to time.

Doria’s impact on Puccini is evident through hisoperas, almost as if life was imitating his art. Doria is theliving embodiment of his sweet and innocent heroinesMimì, Butterfly, and Liù. Some critics say that theTurandot gave Puccini the opportunity to depict his wifeand Doria through the roles of Turandot and Liù.

Back to Work

After Doria’s suicide, Puccini returned to work. Hefinished work on the opera La fanciulla del west (TheGirl of the Golden West). The opera was based on a playby American playwright David Belasco. Puccini discoveredit while in America to supervise the supervise the NewYork premiere of his Madama Butterly, which was basedon another Belasco play. Fanciulla had a successful premiere at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City andstarred the famous tenor Enrico Caruso.

Puccini began to work on a trio of one act operasfor the Met: Il tabarro (The Cloak) about an unfaithfulwife along the banks of the Seine River in Paris; SuorAngelica (Sister Angelica) about a nun that commits sui-cide, and Gianni Schicchi (Johnny Schicchi) based onDante’s The Divine Comedy. The three operas were to beperformed on the same night under the title Il trittico(The Triptych). The operas did not achieve the success ofhis previous works.

In 1920 Puccini began work on Turandot, but hehad difficulty finishing the opera. By 1923 he complainedof a chronic sore throat which was diagnosed as throatcancer. He underwent treatment in Brussels, but died onNovember 24, 1924. Originally buried in Milan, Puccini’sremains were moved to a chapel in his Torre del Lagovilla.

Turandot was completed by Franco Alfano whoused Puccini’s sketches to finish it. It was premiered at LaScala in Milan on April 25th, 1925.

Despite Puccini’s humble beginnings, he went onto become an operatic superstar. At his death his estatewas worth $4,000,000. His operas receive hundreds of performances each year. He may have died over 80 yearsago, but he will live on through his soaring melodies andthe passion of is operas.

ACTIVE LEARNING1. What six cities are mentioned in this article?

a. In what countries are they located?b. Can you find them on a map?

2. How old was Puccini when he went to see a production ofVerdi’s Aida in Pisa?

Composer Giacomo Puccini, with his trademark cigarettePhoto Courtesy Library of Congress Prints and PhotographsDivision Washington, D.C. 20540 , #LC-USZ62-65802

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The opera La bohème is based on Henri Murger’snovel, Scènes de la Vie de Bohème. The novel was set on the Left Bank of Paris. This section of Pariswas also where many students lived. It was knownfor cheap housing for the university intellectuals. As a result, this area also attracted many artists whowere seeking inexpensive housing and young girlswho had run away from their homes in the countryside. One of these young girls was our Mimì.She was Lucille Louvet, an historic person, whomade silk flowers. She died on March 6, 1848, at thevery young age of 22, from tuberculosis. Thisexplains why Mimì in her first act aria sings: “Theycall me Mimì, but my real name is Lucia. “

Why would a young girl run away from herhome? At the time of Mimì, nearly all women wereconsidered the property of their fathers until theywere married, and at that point they became theproperty of their husbands. Young ladies could notchoose who they would marry; this decision was upto their fathers. If a young girl was unhappy aboutwhom she was being forced to marry, or a victim ofabuse at home, she would often run away to Pariswhere she would end up living in the Left Bank ofParis with the other young people. This was a time ofgreat social inequality; women were usually not allowed to attend schools. The country girls who ran away to Paris were very poor. Alone and onlydomestically skilled, they made their clothes fromcheap gray cloth. This earned them the name grisette,referring to the cheap material. It became a badge or symbol of the status.

Life for women in the Left Bank was not easy.Many women were forced to share rooms in tenementhousing. Overcrowding enabled disease to spreadquickly and easily from one person to another. Jobswere few for uneducated women from the country side. To support themselves, women wouldeither try to find work as maids, or as seamstresses,and in many cases they would use their personalbeauty to entice men to support them in exchangefor sexual favors. If they chose the latter, theybecame known as courtesans. In many cases,women shifted from one path to another as theystruggled to survive.

In our opera, Mimi begins as a grisette livingalone and trying to make a living as an artificialflower maker. She meets Rodolfo, the youngBohemian artist, and the two fall in love. In truth,

the historic Mimì was not as sweet as our theatricalcharacter. The librettists altered her personality tomatch the era’s concept of the ideal woman in need –the fragile female. This created a woman in need for which the audience could express sympathy. This also reflected the inability of society to address the root causes of the suffering of women –the inherent sexism within a society that treatedwomen as property. The real Mimì was drawn toRodolfo but was very strong willed and independent.The concept of a strong woman in need would haveforced social issues that could have undercut the dramatic thrust of the two lovers struggling against ahealth crisis made worse through their poverty.

Within the opera’s plot, Rodolfo realizes Mimìis very ill with tuberculosis. The impoverished loversdecide it is best for them to part so that Mimì cantrade on her beauty and find a wealthy man who canafford to get her the medical treatment she needs.Although Mimì does not want to leave Rodolfo, sheknows that becoming a courtesan might be her onlychance to survive. At the end of the third act, theydecide to stay together until the coming of spring.

Choosing to live the life of a courtesan was verydangerous. However, as with Mimì, many of the womenof the Left Bank were already dying of diseases, so the choice to become a courtesan was most often a survival tactic. Marriage was not an option because the women who had run away from the traditionallifestyle were considered outcasts. A man who marrieda courtesan found that his social invitation was limited. Women of proper society did not accept thecourtesans but noted their freedom. Thus courtesanschallenged the social structure to its core.

ACTIVE LEARNING1. Make a list of the rights women have today that they did not have at the time of Mimì.

2. Do a research project on run-aways. List the frequent causes and danger encountered by young people who run away from home.

A Bohemian Named

Mimì

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During the 19th century, women’s rights androles in society were quickly changing. Across Europewomen were joining together in protest to obtainfairer wages, better hours and more comfortableworking conditions in major cities where womencould earn a living outside the home. In the UnitedStates women were also coming together to declaretheir rights as citizens of the country that theyworked so hard to support. Across the world, womenwere asserting their right to equal treatment, and thisstruggle would continue until the modern age.

In many parts of Europe, as well as in theUnited States, it was increasingly acceptable forwomen to work for a living. Nearly all of the jobsavailable to them, however, were those in textiles orsewing, or working in the home as a maid, nanny orcook. By the 1850’s, working within the home as adomestic servant was seen as lower status, andtherefore these positions were frequently filled byimmigrant women, or women of lower social class.This meant that nearly all women worked in someform of needlework, which was detailed and laborintensive work, yet the standard wage wasn’t alwaysenough to guarantee food and shelter. For this reason,many women became desperate and turned to sellingtheir bodies as prostitutes for extra income.

Another difficult issue facing many womenwas the limited say that they had in their financialand legal affairs if they were married. Marriedwomen and their children were often considered thelegal property of their husbands, and divorce was notan option for women in most countries until the late1850’s. If a man wanted a divorce, all he needed todo was accuse his wife of being unfaithful. By 1857in England, a woman could obtain a divorce only ifshe could prove that her husband had been unfaithful,and that he had also abused or mistreated her. After divorcing, a woman was not always entitled tokeep any of her possessions or even her children.

In the United States, the westward expansionwas constantly opening new opportunities. But withthe promise of gold and open land, many womenand children found themselves abandoned by theirprospecting husbands. Because of this, the UnitedStates not only made it easier for women to obtain adivorce, but also began offering land in the new territory of Oregon for sale to single women. Many

women took this opportunity to move west, wherethey opened boarding houses to cater to the manynew immigrants and workers seeking their fortune.

Paris (the capital of France) erupted into socialrevolution in 1848, as all workers both male andfemale demanded better treatment at their jobs infactories. During this period, women could work tosupport themselves, but they generally were paidvery little for time-consuming and challenging worksuch as sewing and embroidery. The resulting system of national workshops allowed women theright to organize, and provided them with improvedworking conditions. This first step set the stage forthe women’s suffrage movement, or the struggle forthe right to vote, as well as for the creation of a newlaw that would finally let a woman obtain a divorcefrom her husband.

Daily life for a woman during the 1850’s contained many obstacles, not all of which were aspublic as the right to vote. The average marriedwoman had six children, and few of today’s modernamenities like the washing machine or dishwasher.One woman, fed up with trying to work around thehome and in her garden in heavy hoop skirts, invented a short trouser that made this work morecomfortable. The Bloomer became very popular for a brief time with progressive women but waspublicly rejected as “unbecoming” and quickly fellout of fashion.

A Woman’s Work:

Women’s Issues in the 1850’s

Women work at embroidering in this engraving.

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Many of today’s developments in health care andmedical treatment have their origins in the 19th century:like washing our hands, using mouth wash, or being treated by a nurse before we see the doctor. These practices started in the 1850’s and helped people livelonger, healthier lives.

Becoming seriously ill, or receiving a seriousinjury during the early 19th century was a frighteningexperience. Surgery was rarely performed. Pain was also aserious issue, until a drug called Ether was discovered inthe mid-1800s. This one discovery would lead to manymore types of anesthetics, and therefore allow much moresurgery to be performed.

The doctor’s bare, dirty hands often caused an infection in patients known as sepsis. Until the mid-1800’s, doctor’s did not understand that there weregerms on their hands and germs that caused infection. Thisidea was introduced by Louis Pasteur (1822-1895) who discovered the microorganisms that cause food to spoil.Pasteur then invented a process to keep food from spoiling, which we now call Pasteurization.

Pasteur’s work was continued and applied to themedical world through the work of Joseph Lister (1827-1912). Lister understood that germs could cause infectionin people. He invented anti-septic which revolutionizednot only medical care but much of our understanding ofhygiene today. Lister’s anti-septic could be sprayed on surfaces and tools throughout the hospital, thus greatlyreducing the number of germs that would come intopatient contact. This scientist’s name lives on today as theanti-septic mouthwash “Listerine”.

Health care and the hospital system as it existstoday are very new concepts. In the early 1800s, verylittle was understood about illness and many peoplewere afraid to be near patients. Hospital jobs weretaken by people of very low status, such as criminalsand servants. During the Crimean War (March 28,1853 – April 1, 1856), Florence Nightingale (1820-1910), a British aristocrat, was troubled by the treatment of injured soldiers.

Nightingale was educated and understood thenew germ theory. She helped spread new hygienicpractices throughout the army and in army hospitals.Most importantly, as a woman of high social status,she brought nursing into a respectable light, andhelped make it a promising and rewarding career.

The Red Cross was also a product of the 19thCentury wars. Founded in 1859 by Henry Dunant,a rich Swiss businessman who was horrified to learnof the fate of many wounded soldiers. Many wounded soldiers were left on the battlefield to die.Dunant created the Red Cross to help these soldiersand those affected by the war, without risking beingattacked. The Red Cross’s staff would clearly wearthe giant Red Cross and be free from harm.

The discovery of germs dramatically changedlife in the late 1800s. Knowing that germs couldcause illness led people to change many aspects oftheir lives, including what they wore. Women hadworn layered petticoats under their dresses, but theywere rarely cleaned and often dirty. As germs werebetter understood, women replaced their petticoatswith more breathable undergarments. For menshaved off their fashionable beards to have a morehygenic clean-shaven face. Even toilet paper was created during this time.

Common DiseasesMalaria: (was called “the ague” or “intermittent fever”),

responsible for many deaths in Europe between 15th and 19th

century. Spread due to poor sanitation. In the early 1800s, cases

eased as swamp lands were drained and hygiene improved.

Treatments and PracticesSanitariums were created primarily to treat respiratory

problems, especially tuberculosis which was rampant in the mid-

1800s. The principle behind sanitariums was that fresh air and

exercise could cure nearly everything, including tuberculosis.

DiscoveriesGregor Mendel (1822-1884) pioneered the science of

genetics (1870) which has led to many major advances in science.Also discovered during this period was the structure of the cell,helped in large part by use of the microscope.

ACTIVE LEARNING

1. How are hospital patients and the sick treated differentlynow as compared to the 1850’s?

2. In what ways does the Red Cross affect our lives today?Can you think of any recent events in which the Red Crossprovided support?

The 1850’s:

Health Care Issues

Louis Pasteur1822-1895

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When Mimì fell ill in our opera, tuberculosis (TB)was known as consumption. This ancient disease hauntedhumanity for thousands of years. The first scientists whoworked at understanding it were from France. GaspardLaurent Bayle (1774-1816) and René Laënnec (1781-1826) studied and documented the progressive stages ofthe illness until it killed both of them. Robert Koch(1843-1910), a German microbiologist who founded modern medical bacteriology, isolated the bacteria thatcauses the disease. In 1882, Koch presented his findings showing that the tubercle bacillus was the cause of theillness. In time, researchers from around the world confirmed his findings. This discovery enabled doctors toimprove their diagnosis of the disease.

It was discovered that the bacteria that caused TBwas often in the saliva of the person infected. As the disease led the person to cough, the bacteriabecame airborne in small droplets of saliva and then it was carried on dust particles. When another person breathed the bacteria into their lungs, they becameinfected with the disease. Only about one in ten becomeseriously ill with the infection because most people havestrong immune systems. However, when people did noteat enough because they were poor, or they did not getenough sleep because they were working many hours justto survive, their immune systems began to fail and thebacteria would then grow stronger. In time, they couldbecome deathly sick.

At the turn of the last century, many people incities were dying of the disease. Fortunately, in 1944,American microbiologist Selman Abraham Waksmandiscovered streptomycin. The use of antibiotics enabledmany infected people to recover from the disease. For atime, it was thought that antibiotics would enable us towipe TB from the earth. If we could cure people sufferingfrom TB, maybe the day would come when no one wouldbe suffering from it.

Unfortunately, to cure a person infected called forthem to take an antibiotic for up to six months and sometimes for over a year. This was necessary if they were to totally kill off the bacteria that caused theillness. For many years, people followed their doctor’sorders and took their medication. As a result, the numberof people dying from TB decreased every year until themid 1980’s.

However, as more and more poor people in ourcities became ill, it was soon not easy to keep track ofthem to see if they had taken their pills. Since nature hasways of adapting to the environmental changes that threaten one of its species, the people who failed to takeall of their medication began to develop new kinds ofmutated TB. These new strains of the disease now resistantibiotics. The World Health Organization reportsthat over fifty million people have a form of TB that resistsantibiotics at present. They also state that one third of thehuman population now have the bacteria that causes TB intheir lungs, but most never develop the disease. In 2006alone, 9 million people are living with TB, of which 2 million will die.

The incurable form of TB now kills over 50% of thepeople it infects. This fact helps us to realize that all of usmust take all of the medication prescribed by our doctors.There is now hope that our leading scientists will developa vaccine for TB in the near future.

ACTIVE LEARNING1. Research the life of Dr. Koch and find out what other major disease he researched.

2. Research the term “sanatorium” and write a position paper on your feelings. Would this concept help in the fight against TB?

An Ancient Killer Returns:

Tuberculosis

What is Impressionism?

According to dictionary.com, an impression isdefined as “a notion, remembrance, belief, etc., oftenof a vague or indistinct nature.” The artists of theImpressionist movement sought to create art thathad a “remembrance” feel to it in that one had asense of what the object was but the details wereunclear or fuzzy.

That dream-like quality is actually one of thedefining features of Impressionism. Artists woulduse short brush strokes to create this effect.

Development of the Impressionist Style

In the early 1800s and before, French artistspainted their subjects as realistically as possible.Portraits, historical scenes or religious themes werefavored as were darker, more serious colors.

But by the mid-1800s, France was changing.The country, under the leadership of EmperorNapoleon III, was still rebuilding after the Revolutionand the economy thrived with the Industrial Age.The French people were also redefining who theywere in this post-Enlightenment era.

Changes affected the art world, too. Youngartists were pushing the boundaries of what wassuitable to paint while trying out new painting techniques. These new paintings were rejected bythe art experts because they did not obey traditionalmethods and subjects. Special salon showings wereorganized for the public to see the rejected art andindependent gallery showings followed, organizedby artists who were also cast off by the experts.

14

With the move of The Barnes Foundation fromMerion, Pennsylvania to the Benjamin FranklinParkway, Philadelphia’s reputation as a must-seedestination for art lovers has increased dramatically.

To help spread the word about art in the city,the Greater Philadelphia Tourism and MarketingCorporation created an ad campaign called “With Art,Philadelphia.” It’s an invitation for all to celebrate theworld-class art museums and galleries that are in thecity. You may have seen the “With Art, Philadelphia”ads on buses, billboards, or on TV.

There is a lot of art to see, too. There is morepublic art in Philadelphia than any other city in theworld. The Philadelphia Museum of Art alone has300,000 pieces in its collection! Plus, there are piecesof art in Philadelphia that span all of recorded history, from a 3,000 year-old ancient Greek vase, toa sculpture created this year by the artists at thePennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.

With the opening of The Barnes Foundation inApril 2012, art lovers have greater access to see thelargest collection of Impressionist, Post-Impressionistand early Modern paintings in the world.

The Impressionist movement was at theheight of its popularity at the same time in whichGiacomo Puccini’s opera La bohème is set. The OperaCompany of Philadelphia’s production of the opera willuse digital images of Impressionist paintings from TheBarnes Foundation and the Philadelphia Museum ofArt which will come to life through animation andprojected onto the stage. Puccini’s bohemians will beliving within the art of their time.

This production of La bohème celebrates some of thegreatest art in the world - art that happens to be on

display in Philadelphia at The Barnes Foundation andthe Philadelphia Museum of Art.

With Art,

Philadelphia

The characteristics of Impressionist paintings include:• Small visible brush strokes• Light that is accurate and visible• A sense of a passage of time as that light

reflects on the object• Unique perspectives• A sense of movement• Composition that is open and flowing• Subject matter that is common, ordinary, every day

Dr. Alfred C. Barnes1872-1951

Library of Congress,Prints and PhotographsDivision, Van VechtenCollection

15

These new artists were called “impressionists”because of a negative newspaper review of ClaudeMonet’s “Impression, Sunrise” saying that “wallpa-per in its developing state is more finished.” Theterm “impressionist” stuck.

Impressionist art was scandalous in its timeand even for decades later. When Philadelphia nativeand art enthusiast Dr. Albert C. Barnes first displayedhis collection of Impressionist and Modern art inPhiladelphia at the Pennsylvania Academy of theFine Arts in April 1923, it was condemned as vile,degenerate, immoral and more.

Today, Impressionist paintings sell for millionsof dollars at auction and art museum exhibitions ofthe Impressionist masters are frequently sold out. Artfans from around the world have flocked toPhiladelphia to get a first glimpse of the famed collections at The Barnes and the PhiladelphiaMuseum of Art. In this production of Puccini’s Labohème, legendary Impressionist masterworks will beon display, providing a unique look at the artists ofthe time, a better understanding of the characters inthe opera, and a great opportunity to see whyPhiladelphia is one of the greatest art cities in theworld.

ACTIVE LEARNING

Philadelphia is a city filled with art - both in museums and oncity walls! Below is a brief list of some of the art museums inthe area where you can see art from the last 3,000 years andmore. You may want to consider visiting one of the museumslisted below with your parents or on a field trip. Maybe you’llbe inspired to explore the arts, too. For more information onthese and other art museums in the area, visit withart.visitphilly.com.

● Abington Art Center● The African-American Museum in Philadelphia● Arthur Ross Gallery● Balch Institute for Ethnic Studies● The Barnes Foundation● Brandywine River Museum● The Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts● The Fabric Workshop & Museum● The Fleisher Art Memorial ● Free Library of Philadelphia● Glencairn Museum● Independence Seaport Museum● Institute of Contemporary Art● The James A. Michener Art Museum● The Patricia D. Pfundt Sculpture Garden and Terrace ● Mummers Museum● Mural Arts Program ● Mütter Museum● National Museum of American Jewish History● The Noyes Museum of Art● Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts● Philadelphia City Hall● Philadelphia Museum of Art● Rodin Museum● Rosenbach Museum and Library● Schuylkill Academy of Fine Art● University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archeology and

Anthropology● Philadelphia Wood Turning Center

Top of page: Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec ● At the Moulin Rouge: The Dance ● 1890 Oil on canvas

Middle of Page: Vincent van Gogh ● Sunflowers ● 1888 or 1889 ● Oil on canvas

Images courtesy Philadelphia Museum of Art

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CollineJeremy Milner, bass

Simone, Gianni Schicchi, 2009Roderigo, Otello, 2010

Lodovico, La traviata, 2011Monotau, Phaedra, 2012

Zuniga, Carmen, 2011

To conductor Corrado Rovaris, being a musician ismore than just a job. As Music Director of the OperaCompany of Philadelphia, he believes that his biggestresponsibility is explaining the composer’s style and soundto the orchestra and chorus. It is also important to keepeveryone energized and working as a team to stay focusedduring the rigorous rehearsal process. Maestro Rovaris’favorite opera is always the one that he is currently workingon because he believes that to convince other people to lovethe opera, he has to love it himself. Emotions are veryimportant when conducting, more important than havingperfect technique. Without emotion, an opera is not trulyentertaining, even if the technique and playing are flawless.Maestro Rovaris gets very emotionally involved whenconducting and by the end of a performance he is pumpedup with adrenaline. He finds it easier to conduct concerts,but he loves conducting operas because all the parts of theopera come together and create one product.

When putting his own interpretation on a score,Maestro Rovaris believes that respect for the composer’swishes must be taken into account, as well as backgroundknowledge of the piece, the composer, the time period inwhich the piece was written, and the style of music thepiece was written in. Then, knowing all of that, he canbegin to build his interpretation of the score.

When conducting, the Maestro uses his right hand toindicate tempo and his left hand to indicate phrasing andexpression. He also uses his eyes and face to convey thefeeling in the music. The singers and the orchestramusicians have to watch the conductor at all times. Toblend the singers and the orchestra together successfully,the Maestro needs to know how everything sounds to theaudience. The only way to learn that is through experiencein the theater where he conducts, especially as each theaterhas its own acoustic or unique sound.

Many things contribute to how the sound travels intothe house, one of which is the set. An open stage is verydifficult to sing on because there are no walls on the stagefor the sound to bounce off. Without walls the sound isn’tfocused when it flows into the theater, and some of thesound stays trapped behind the proscenium.

Experience in the performing arts is very important,and we are lucky that in Philadelphia there are manyperforming arts colleges around, including the Academy ofVocal Arts and The Curtis Institute of Music. The studentsthat become performers here receive a lot of performanceexperience while attending those schools.

Corrado Rovaris was born in the town of Bergamo,Italy into a very musical family. His father knew a lot aboutoperas and took him to see his first opera, Donizetti’s Luciadi Lammermoor, when he was very young. At the time hethought it was boring, and slept through it! He studied theharpsichord, organ, piano, and other keyboard instruments.The Maestro found that learning to play the organ hashelped him as a conductor because it taught him how toread multiple lines of music at the same time. He didn’t liketo practice, but his first girlfriend came along and changedthat. She was very strict and always made sure he madetime for his homework and practice. Once he began topractice consistently, Maestro Rovaris learned musicchronologically from the early masters onward. Heconducted for the first time as a substitute at La Scaladuring a concert of 18th century music.

Corrado Rovaris and his wife Anna have a daughternamed Marta. Becoming a father has changed how he feelsabout life, and being a father is very important to him. In hisfree time he likes to watch soccer and read. His favorite foodis sushi.

Meet the Maestro:

Corrado Rovaris

Maestro CorradoRovaris sits

down to talk toOCP intern

Josephine Patane.

17

CollineJeremy Milner, bass

Simone, Gianni Schicchi, 2009Roderigo, Otello, 2010

Lodovico, La traviata, 2011Monotau, Phaedra, 2012

Zuniga, Carmen, 2011

MimìNorah Amsellem, soprano

Desdemona, Otello, 20010

RodolfoBryan Hymel, tenor

OCP Debut

MusettaLeah Partridge, soprano

Violetta, La traviata, 2010

CONDUCTORCorrado Rovaris

Madama Butterfly, 2009La traviata, 2010

Orphée et Eurydice, 2010Otello, 2010

The Cunning Little Vixen , 2011Tosca, 2011

Phaedra, 2011(partial listing)

MarcelloTroy Cook, baritone

Marcello, La bohème, 2006Sharpless, Madama Butterfly, 2009

Lescaut, Manon Lescaut, 2012

La bohème

Meet the Artists

SchaunardCraig Verm, baritone

OCP Debut

For more information on our artists, check out their bios withinthe libretto in the student guide or visit our web site atwww.operaphila.org

Act IOn Christmas Eve, in an attic in the Latin Quarter

of Paris, Rodolfo, a poet, and Marcello, a painter, arekept from working by cold and hunger. As Rodolfofires up the stove with the manuscript of his five-acttragedy, Colline, a philosophy student, returns froma futile attempt to pawn his books. The three youngmen crowd around the stove for warmth, but thepaper blaze soon dwindles into ashes.

The musician Schaunard triumphantly appearswith firewood, food and money. As he explains hisunusual wealth (earned by playing the piano for aneccentric Englishman), the others fall greedily uponthe provisions. But Schaunard suggests that they celebrate by going out to dinner in the Latin Quarter.

Their departure is delayed by a surprise visitfrom the landlord Benoit, who presents them with abill for overdue rent. Puzzled by their flattery (andseveral glasses of wine), the old fellow begins toboast of his exploits as a ladies man, but when he letsit slip that he is married, the others, in a fine displayof moral outrage, show him forcibly to the door.

Rodolfo’s friends leave for Café Momus, whilehe stays to finish a newspaper article he has beenwriting, but he is soon interrupted by a knock at thedoor; it is a pretty girl from a neighboring apartment,come to ask him to relight her candle, which has

gone out on the steps. In fragile health and exhaustedby climbing the stairs, she faints in his arms. Revivedby a sip of wine, Rodolfo relights her candle. She isabout to go when she realizes that her door key hasfallen somewhere in the room. A draft puts out bothcandles. As they hunt in the darkness for the key,their fingers touch.

Gently taking her hand, Rodolfo marvels athow cold and delicate it is. Warming it in his own,he assures her that the rising moon will soon helpthem in their search. Meanwhile he offers to entertainher with an account of his life as an aspiring artist –poor in worldly things, but rich in poetic inspiration.Her beauty has now added the precious gift of hopeto his riches.

At his urging, she shyly tells him something of herself. Her name is Mimì, and her life, though solitary, is a happy one. She lives in the attic whereshe makes artificial flowers. It is work and pleasurefor her, but her greatest joy comes when the springtime sun makes the real flowers bloom.

From the courtyard below, Rodolfo’s friendscall for him impatiently, but he tells them that he anda companion will join them soon at Momus.

As the moonlight floods through the attic window, Rodolfo and Mimì go off together, arm inarm, expressing their newfound rapture.

Act IIThe streets of the Latin Quarter are filled with

a holiday throng of passersby and vendors. Amid the shouts of vendors selling their wares, Rodolfobuys Mimì a bonnet at a gift shop. The toy vendor,Parpignol, passes by, besieged by a group of eagerchildren. Marcello and his friends seize a table at thecrowded Café Momus where they are soon joined byRodolfo and Mimì. The poet presents her as his new-found muse, and she proudly displays the bonnet.

As they settle down to a festive meal, Musetta,a beautiful woman who was once Marcello’s sweetheart, arrives with her latest admirer in tow,the rich and elderly Alcindoro. Distracted by herflighty behavior, the old man is unaware thatMusetta, while elaborately snubbing her formerflame, is doing her best to win him back. She sings awaltz about how popular she is wherever she goes.

La bohème: Synopsis18

The bohemianshang out in theirgarrett onChristmas Eve.

Photo: TimWilkersonAtlanta Opera

19

Although he feigns indifference to the seductivewaltz she sings, Marcello gradually succumbs. Sureof her victory, Musetta pretends that one of her newshoes is painfully tight and sends the gullibleAlcindoro to have it fixed. Free at last, she falls intothe painter's open arms, and as the crowd cheers thepassing of a regimental band, the young people maketheir escape, telling the waiter that Alcindoro willpay the bill. A detachment of soldiers march by thecafé and the Bohemians fall behind just as Alcindororushes back with Musetta’s new shoes and finds the bill.

Act IIIAs a snowy February morning dawns on the

outskirts of Paris, street sweepers and farm girls passthrough the toll gates of the city on their way towork. Inside the tavern of a nearby inn (whereMarcello and Musetta have been earning their roomand board), a group of all-night revelers join in adrinking song.

Distraught and gravely ill, Mimì calls Marcellooutside and begs for his help. She and Rodolfo are onthe verge of separation, for although they love eachother deeply, his jealous nature is a constant tormentto both of them. Aware that Rodolfo has come to seeMarcello, Mimì agrees to leave the two friends aloneto talk, but when her lover emerges from the inn, shehides nearby and listens to their conversation.

Rodolfo complains bitterly that Mimì’s flirtatiousways have made him doubt her fidelity, but underMarcello’s prodding, he finally confesses the truereason for his anguish. He is desperately afraid thatMimì’s health will soon be broken by the wretched lifethey share, and although he loves her more than ever,he would rather part from her than cause her death.

Stricken by his words and sobbing helplessly,Mimì gives herself away, just as Marcello, suspiciousat the sound of Musetta’s laughter, runs back intothe inn. Struggling with her emotions, Mimì tellsRodolfo that she must leave him, and although shewill send someone to get her few belongings fromthe attic, she offers him the bonnet that he boughther as a keepsake.

As the two of them recall the happiness theyshared, Marcello and Musetta emerge from the innquarreling violently. Realizing that they cannot bearthe pain of separation, Rodolfo and Mimì decide tostay together – at least till springtime comes – and astheir friends exchange a final round of insults, thereconciled lovers slowly head for home.

Act IVIt is spring. Parted from their sweethearts,

Rodolfo and Marcello have taken up their old life inthe garret, seemingly unconcerned that the girls haveleft them for wealthier admirers. But although theytry to work, Rodolfo’s thoughts keep turning toMimì, and Marcello finds himself obsessively tracingand retracing Musetta's features.

Schaunard and Colline arrive with provisionsfor a meager meal. Making the best of it, the four young men pretend they are guests at an aristocraticsupper, and when Schaunard threatens them with aperformance of his latest composition, they quicklyelect to “go dancing” instead. Their fun is disruptedwhen Colline, challenging Schaunard to a duel, touchesoff a noisy free-for-all.

As the battle rages, Musetta suddenly appears.Mimì is with her. She is downstairs, deathly ill andlonging only to be reunited with Rodolfo. Rodolforuns downstairs to assist her. Well aware that she isdying, the others rally in support: Marcello andMusetta go out to find medicine and a doctor;Colline, bidding farewell to his treasured overcoat,leaves for the pawnshop; and when Schaunard tactfully withdraws, the lovers are finally alone.

They exchange assurances of their devotion,and when Rodolfo shows Mimì that he has kept andcherished the bonnet she left behind, they tenderlyrecall the cold and moonlit Christmas Eve when theymet and fell in love. As Mimì is afflicted by a violentfit of coughing, the others return.

Musetta has brought Mimì a muff, generouslypretending that it is a gift from Rodolfo. Warming herhands inside it, Mimì happily drifts off to sleep. Asthe others tip-toe about the room, Musetta heatssome medicine and prays for Mimì’s recovery. But ina frightened whisper, Schaunard tells Marcello thatMimì has died already. Moments later, Rodolfo, too,realizes what has happened and throws himselfdespairingly onto her body, calling her name.

20

Puccini’s opera, “The Bohemians,” was

admirably sung (for the first time in this city and the

East) by the Baggetto Italian Opera Company at the

Broad last evening, and evoked stormy applause at

intervals from a large audience.

Philadelphia music-lovers were treated to a

double novelty at the Broad last evening, in the first

local production of Puccini’s “La bohème,” a lyric

drama founded on Murger’s “Scenes of Bohemian

Life;” and in the debut of the Baggetto Italian Opera

Company, whose principal singers hail from Milan.

Both the opera and the troupe scored an unmistakable

triumph, although there were some peculiarly unique

features to both. The company has a decidedly

Italian aspect, especially the chorus. Such a motley

and unromantic assemblage of female choristers

has seldom, if ever, been witnessed on a local stage,

and together with the distinctively Italian types rep-

resented by the principals, the French boulevard

scene looked for all the world like a Milan plaza, and

one began irresistibly to scent the perfume of garlic

and the cheese-sprinkled spaghetti washed down

with chianti… Rodolphe’s first love duet with Mimì

in his garret is exquisitely beautiful, and at almost

the outstart revealed the exceptional sweetness and

power of Signor Giuseppe Agostina’s tenor… There

was no other singer of equal vocal caliber in last

night’s cast, although the cast in its entirety achieved

such all-round operatic work as is only too seldom

enjoyed by opera-goers. Signora Linda Montanari,

the Mimì,…possesses real vocal talent and carried

through her curiously difficult role of the Camille-like

sweetheart of Rodolphe with a steadily increasing

dramatic realism in her lyricism as in her acting. Her

method was in marked contrast to that of Signora

Cleopatra Vicini, a dashing soprano, made the most

of her episode in the comical second-act sextet,

wherein she dispatches her added beau for a less

pinching shoe. This sextet won an encore, just as the

duet of Rodolphe and Mimì earned a double curtain

call. Each of these incidents may be said to have

been the carefully worked-up climaxes of their

respective acts. So the third act was almost entirely a

leading up to a skillfully written contrapuntal quartet

between the two couples of lovers, the reconciled

Rodolphe and Mimì warbling a new hymn of reunion

against the quarreling of Marcel and Musette.

But as each of these three acts consisted mainly

of its culminating climax, so these acts in their series

proves really to be a mere preparation generally for

the fourth and concluding act in the Latin Quarter

garret, to which Mimì, after her last separation

from Rodolphe, returns, haggard and love-distressed,

to die. In this act, the librettists Glacosa and Illica

and the composer all seem to have secured a

true dramatic grasp upon their theme…Murger’s

Bohemia suddenly emerges with impressive effect.

We see the Four Musketeers of the Latin Quarter

and Café Momus – Rodolphe, the impecunious and

shabbily frocked poet; Marcel, the painter of the

great Red Sea picture; Schaunard, the composer of

the symphony on “The Influence of Blue in Art,” and

Colline, the book-hunting philosopher – enjoying

themselves in true Mugerian fashion fantastically

cheerful in the midst of poverty, with song, dance,

eloquence and jest. And in sad contrast arrives Mimì,

fainting on the doorstep. Over the jollity hovers

unexpectedly the abrupt shadow of death. There is a

pitiful tragic-comedy, in which the four Bohemians

make shift to provide warmth, tranquility, and medicine

for the dying littler butterfly of a grisette.

Mimi’s music has steadily developed from the

start, where her entrance is announced by a simple

and naïve leit-motif befitting the poor little grisette.

Her musical expression grows gradually in tenderness

and pathos, with little outbursts of sudden splendor

(thoughts of love and spring). In the last act…there

is…a lifelike little vocal flitting from memory to

memory of her life – now the bitter now the sweet,

and when her death comes her lover’s anguish wells

forth in a superb orchestral crescendo of splendor.

1898 Newspaper Review of La bohème

Philadelphia RecordTuesday morning, May 3, 1898

Puccini’s Opera, “Bohemia,” Sco

red a Fine Success

Written and produced by:Opera Company of PhiladelphiaCommunity Programs Department©20121420 Locust Street, Suite 210Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A. 19102Tel: (215) 893-5927Fax: (215) 893-7801www.operaphila.org/learn

Michael BoltonVice President of Community Programsbolton@operaphila.org

Dr. Dan DariganCurriculum Consultant

Donna BridyOpera Company Volunteer

Special thanks to:

Dr. Dennis W. CreedonCreator, Sounds of Learning™Curriculum Consultant

Dr. Dan DariganWest Chester UniversityDepartment of Literacy

Laura Jacoby

Tullo Migliorini

EMI Records

Maureen LynchOperations ManagerAcademy of Music

Cornell WoodHead UsherAcademy of Music

Academy of Music Ushers

Debra Malinics AdvertisingDesign Concept

Kalnin GraphicsPrinting

Center City Film and Video

The School District of PhiladelphiaSchool Reform CommissionPedro A Ramos, Chairman

Lorene Cary, member

Joseph A. Dworetzky, member

Feather Houstoun, member

Wendell E Pritchett, member

Thomas E. KnudsenActing Superintendent and Chief Recovery Officer

Dennis W. Creedon, Ed.D.Office of Comprehensive Arts EducationDirector/Principal

Opera Company of Philadelphia

David B. DevanGeneral Director and President

Corrado RovarisMusic Director

Michael BoltonVice President of Community Programs

The Opera Company of Philadelphia is supportedby major grants from The William PennFoundation, The Pew Charitable Trusts, and TheLenfest Foundation.

Additional support is provided by theIndependence Foundation and the Horace W.Goldsmith Foundation.

The Opera Company of Philadelphia receives statearts funding support througha grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts,a state agency funded by the Commonwealthof Pennsylvania.

General operating support provided, in part, by thePhiladelphia Cultural Fund.

Sounds of Learning™ was established by a

generous grant from The AnnenbergFoundation.

Dedicated funding for the Sounds ofLearning™ program has been provided by:

$20,000 to $49,999Hamilton Family Foundation

Presser Foundation

Universal Health Services

Wells Fargo Foundation

Anonymous

$10,000 to $19,999The ARAMARK Charitable Fund at the Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program

Eugene Garfield Foundation

The Hirsig Family Fund of the Philadelphia Foundation

Lincoln Financial Foundation

Morgan Stanley Foundation

$5,000 to $9,999Alpin J. & Alpin W. Cameron Memorial Trust

Bank of America Charitable Foundation

GlaxoSmithKline

The McLean Contributionship

$1,000 to $4,999Citizens Bank

Louis N. Cassett Foundation

Melon Bank, N.A.

Mutual Fire Foundation

20122013Opera Company of Philadelphia

La bohème

September 28, 30m, October 3, 5 & 7m2012

Silent Night

February 8, 10m, 13, 15 & 17m2013

Owen Wingrave

March 13, 15 & 17m, 20122013

The Magic Flute

April 19, 21m, 24, 26 & 28m2013

Powder Her Face

June 7, 9m, 12, 14 &16m2013

* The Kimmel Center Presents Curtis Opera Theatre’s production in association with Opera Company of Philadelphia

OPERA at the Academy

OPERA at the PerelmanAURORA SERIES Chamber Opera at the Perelman