La Bohème - SOH - 4 January 2008

Contemporary, but comfortable and suitably tragic by Sarah Noble

Puccini: La bohème Opera Australia Sydney Opera House 4 January 2008

Updating operas isn't necessarily a risky business; there are ways of playing it safe. Simon Phillips' production of Puccini's La bohème, which opened Opera Australia's 2008 season, does just this. The sets and costumes are recognisably, and at times even surprisingly, modern-day - Rodolfo writes his poem on a laptop, the crowd around Café Momus includes a breakdancer in gold lurex, and the reunion of Mimi and Rodolfo takes place amid dumpsters and wheelie bins. Within his contemporary frame, though, Phillips does little to court controversy. Having recontextualised the action, he more or less lets it be, and the core theme of the opera - the blossoming of love and friendship in conditions of extreme poverty - is left unmeddled with. Other than their clothes and lodgings, there's little about Rodolfo's and Mimi's behaviour and interaction that reflects the modern setting, though Marcello's and Musetta's tempestuous relationship is slightly more twenty-first century. The poet Rodolfo is sung with silky legato and bright, compact tone by tenor Aldo Di Toro. His is an appealingly understated performance, responding well to the lyrical expansiveness of the score but resisting melodramatic vocal gestures. This occasionally means he's swallowed up in the orchestra, but when his own musical climaxes arrive, such as at Mimi's death, the contrast is all the more powerful. Hye Seoung Kwon brings a pretty, girlish (if at times too vibrato-laden) sound and sweet stage presence to Mimi, but both voice and characterisation lack depth; this will no doubt come as Kwon, whose career is still in relative infancy, has time to settle into the role and put her own stamp upon it. There was stagey affection but little palpable chemistry between the couple, though this may simply have been down to opening night jitters.

Chemistry aplenty, however, came from the opera's other couple, the fiery, on-again off-again pairing of Marcello and Musetta. José Carbo is in towering form as the former, his rich, expressive baritone dominating his every scene and easily filling the house. Amelia Farrugia brings wit, humanity and sparkling tone to Musetta. Jud Arthur is a sonorous yet playful Colline, touching in his brief aria, a farewell to his treasured overcoat. Warwick Fyfe's Schaunard suffered initially from rather muddy diction and breathy delivery but shortly blossomed into a winning and humorous performance. John Bolton Wood brings every ounce of his buffo basso expertise to bear in his two brilliant cameos, as the grouchy landlord Benoit and then as Musetta's baffled sugar-daddy, Alcindoro. The Opera Australia chorus is in typically excellent form, adding real energy and fun to the Act II crowd scene. Maestro Giovanni Reggioli leads the AOBO through a sprightly and atmospheric rendering of Puccini's score. Rodolfo and Mimi might be an iconic couple, but La bohème is in its essence an ensemble piece. Opera Australia has put together an cast who work well together, a combination of old hands and relative debutantes. Set against the backdrop of Simon Phillips' affectionate modernisation, this La bohème while not madly passionate, is nevertheless heartwarming and quietly tragic. This is a contemporary but comfortable La bohème; and whether that's a blessing or a bit of a disappointment depends entirely on your point of view.

Text © Sarah Noble Photos © Branco Gaica