La Boheme Libretto Synopsis PDF

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La Boheme Libretto Synopsis as part of Opera Review Assignment...

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Music Hum – Professor McCoy Laurice Wong (lw2646) La Boheme Libretto Synopsis Act I The opera begins with a conversation between Rodolfo and Marcello, two impoverished artists sharing a flat in Paris. Both are freezing from the lack of firewood, and as they lament about their languishing artistic careers, Rodolfo decides to burn the manuscript of his play to warm themselves. Then, their roommates join them one by one. First, we get to know Colline, a philosopher, and Schaunard, a musician. Schaunard had encountered a strange nobleman, who paid him a sizeable sum for him to play music to a parrot previously. He brings food, wine and firewood, and the party is delighted by the fortunate turn of circumstances. While they are celebrating, Benoit the landlord comes to collect the rent the quartet had owed since last quarter. To avoid paying the rent, the four gets Benoit drunk, slowly inducing him to brag of his flirtations with women, and ridicule him for his infidelities to his wife. Benoit escapes out of embarrassment, and Colline, Marcello, and Schaunard head out to Café Momus to have a good night out. Meanwhile Rodolfo remains to finish out some writing, and Mimì, his neighbor, knocks at the door to ask for help in relighting her candle. Rodolfo is instantly infatuated by her beauty, but notes with concern that she looks quite sick and gives her a sip of wine. After Rodolfo relights her candle, Mimì leaves, but then realizes she left her room key at Rodolfo’s. She returns, yet this time, both her and Rodolfo’s candles go out. As both of them look for a way to reignite the candles, Rodolfo slips Mimi’s keys into his pocket, and searches for her hand in the dark. He managed to hold Mimì’s hands in the moonlight, and sings “Che gelida manina”, introducing himself as a poet formally, tells Mimì’s of his dreams, and expresses his appreciation of Mimì’s beauty. Mimì sings “Sì, Mi chiamano Mimì” in reply, and tells of her own occupation as an embroiderer, and her solitary, melancholy life, and her delight in the coming of spring. The two flirt in the subtext, but are too shy to confess their attraction to each other. Suddenly, Rodolfo’s friends call to him from below, telling him to join them in the revelry. He responds that he is with someone and will be along shortly. He tries to convince Mimì’s to stay in the apartment and continue their conversation, but Mimì is adamant to go out and have fun. With the newfound sweetness of a young couple, both head down to join the group. Act II We encounter a raucous and delightful street scene, where street urchins and vendors are vending their wares to passerby’s, such as fruit, wine and candy. The crowd, exuberant, mills and pushes around. Colline

manages to purchase a coat and some rare books, Schaunard a pipe and horn, and Marcello is busy eyeing young pretty women on the street. Mimi and Rodolfo, still enamoured, enters a milliner shop, where Mimi was interested in a pink bonnet. Rodolfo buys the pink bonnet for Mimi as a gift, and the group congregates at the table outside Café Momus to have dinner. Notably, Rodolfo is already showing signs of jealousy and suspicion when Mimi is looking away from him. The toymaker Parpinol arrives at the scene and drives the school children and their mothers into a frenzy. Musetta, Marcello’s ex-girlfriend, arrives on the scene with her current elderly lover Alcindoro. She grows annoyed at Marcello’s seeming nonchalance at her presence, and begins to praise her own beauty in song, describing how men would often admire her beauty and lust to be with her when she passes by on the street. Her provocative proclamations draw the ire of Alcindoro, but Musetta pays no attention and continues to deliver seductive overtures to Marcello. Marcello is greatly affected by her flirtations and shows signs of vulnerability at this point. Musetta feigns a pain in her foot and blames it on her shoe, and discharges Alcindoro to fix it for her at a cobbler’s. Finally, Musetta and Marcello are alone and they embrace with great passion. The group leaves Café Momus, leaving Alcindoro to pay for their bill. The “Tattoo” arrives with a group of soldiers, and disperses the great crowd at the scene. Act III The scene opens with the dawn at the Barrière d’Enfer. Customs officials are admitting farmers into Paris. Mimì arrives and searches for the place where Marcello and Musetta now live. Marcello has been painting while Mimi teachers singing to those who stay at the tavern/inn. Mimì tells Marcello that Rodolfo has become increasingly jealous and distrustful of her and constantly gets angry at her, telling her that she should just find another lover. He told Mimì the previous day that they should break up and then left. As Rodolfo wakes and comes out to talk to Marcello, Mimi hides and eavesdrop on their conversation. Rodolfo tells Marcello that he wants to break up with Mimì and accuses her of flirtatiousness and promiscuity. Marcello doubts that it is the true reason and asks for the true reason of his torment. Rodolfo breaks down with great grief and passion, and tells Marcello of Mimì’s deteriorating health, saying that he fears for her death if she continues to live in the poverty that they both share. Rodolfo blames himself for his inability to protect her. Overcome with passion, Mimì bursts out from her hiding place and clings to Rodolfo. Meanwhile, Musetta’s laugh is heard from within the tavern and Marcello runs back in, fearing that she is flirting again. While Mimì and Rodolfo recount the happiness they experienced during their relationship, Mimì argues it is best that they part. However, both cannot bear the idea of being alone in the deathly winter, and are plunged into sadness. Marcello returns with Musetta in tow and accuses her of flirting with a customer. Musetta has had enough and decides she wants to be free and single again - they insult each other and leave. However, Mimì

and Rodolfo decide to remain together until spring, as they believe they wouldn’t be able to bear being along during the winter. Act IV The scene opens with Rodolfo and Marcello in the apartment once again. They are both separated from Mimi and Musetta respectively, and though they pretend to be unaffected by their respective break-ups, they are unable to focus on their work. Marcello kisses the ribbon that Musetta left while Rodolfo is busy daydreaming about Mimì, pulling out her pink bonnet to reminiscence on the good times they shared. Colline and Schaunard enter the scene with food, and seeing their wretched states, forces them to role-play as nobles, and they begin to dance. Just as they were having the most fun, Musetta rushes in and tells the group that Mimì has come to visit, but she is so ill and weak that she was unable to climb the stairs. Rodolfo runs to help her in Musetta tells the group about how she found Mimì collapsed in the streets due to her sickness. Mimì had begged Musetta to bring her to Rodolfo so that she could die by his side. The group puts her on a bed and tries to make her comfortable, and Rodolfo sits at her bed side to take care of her. Mimì becomes happy again, seeing her friends and Rodolfo. Meanwhile, Musetta asks Marcello to sell her earrings and use the funds to call for a doctor. Colline leaves to pawn his overcoat and get more money for medicine and supplies. Mimì and Rodolfo relish the memories of their first encounter in the flat, and the romantic days they spent together. As Mimì’s coughing fits worsen, Musetta returns to give Mimì the muff she wanted so bad to warm her hands. Mimì slowly becomes unconsciousness. Musetta prays for Mimì, but it is too late and she dies. Schaunard notices her death and tries to hide it from Rodolfo, but Rodolfo soon realizes that she has indeed passed away, and collapses in utter despair. The opera ends....