La Boheme

Welsh National Opera

Wales Millennium Centre

Annabel Arden’s 2012 production of La Boheme, now revived by Welsh National Opera for the second offering of its 2022 autumn season, gives its audience a largely straightforward telling of the doomed love affair of Mimi and Rodolfo.

The setting of the opera is transposed to the early 20th century perhaps predicting the war that will sweep away young lives and idealism.

Revived by Caroline Chaney, the production makes use of video projections from Nina Dunn whether that be flying birds, fireworks, snow flurries for Stephen Brimson Lewis’ designs that are conventional enough if rather cramped for the (over fussy) Café Momus scene.

Anush Hovhannisyan is a beautifully sung Mimi who is immediately seen as no innocent, here she blows out her candle (twice) to create the situation for her fumble in the darkness with Rodolfo, and is not backward in coming forward. Similarly, Luis Gomes’ ardent lyrical Rodolfo has also grasped the opportunity presented by the apparently lost key, to make love to the young beauty.

The stifling relationship between Mimi and Rodolfo is contrasted with the “easy” if fiery relationship between an elegantly acted and sung Marcello from Rodion Pogossov and Musetta from Haegee Lee.

Musetta has to sparkle in the Café Momus scene, and indeed she does, yet it is the Act III duet with Marcello that really matters in establishing the character. Here the two pairs of singers work together splendidly.

Our fellow garret-dwelling Bohemians Schaunard and Colline were richly sung by Benson Wilson and David Shipley bringing a delicious, soothing warmth to the chill of the icy garret.

Conductor Pietro Rizzo shows a sympathy with the harshness of the gut-wrenching dark, dark work with a brightness of playing of Puccini’s score that is so full of vibrancy and life and keeping the drama unfolding at a pace.

Until October 6.

wno.org.uk

Mike Smith