There’s no dearth of Bohèmes on the market, but this one has a place alongside the best. Freni and Pavarotti recorded the opera commercially in 1972 under the baton of Herbert von Karajan, who treated the opera as a symphony with voices. It’s a gorgeous hot-house of a performance, and it’s easy to get bogged down in it while appreciating it at the same time. Here, however, the lamented Thomas Schippers leads the same pair of singers three years earlier, at an even fresher period of their careers; Freni’s Mimi remained moving year-after-year, while Pavarotti’s Rodolfo became more labored and finally disappeared as he became more icon than opera singer. At this live concert performance he’s vocally animated and simply stellar; to this day a tenor hasn’t gotten around “Che gelida manina” with such ease, scrupulousness to the score, and charm–not to mention a high-C that is as beautiful as it is secure. And Freni is just about perfect too.
Sesto Bruscantini is a Marcello to remember and appreciate–he was 50 when this was taped, but he continued singing for another 20 years. Nicolai Ghiuselev’s Colline, while not a star-turn, is very good. The lesser-known Gianni Maffeo is a good Schaunard, full of life and vocal bite. Rita Talarico’s Musetta is not world-class by any means, but she’s nicely in character. Schippers gets the sadness as well as the hijinks in this work just right, and his Rome forces play as if they knew they were among stars. The recording, with the voices a bit close-miked, is very fine stereo. The set offers full libretto and translation, good notes, and low price. If you have no Bohème recording, this one would be just right; it also makes a fine second one if the same two leads aren’t in the first. [5/19/2004]
