The curtain has risen once again on La Bohème at London’s Royal Opera House, as Richard Jones’s 2017 production of Puccini’s masterpiece returns to the Covent Garden stage. But those expecting a traditional take on the beloved opera may be surprised by the quirky energy and comedic touches in this revival, which seems to prioritize animated action over emotional depth.
From the opening scene, it’s clear that this Bohème will be anything but staid. The bohemian garret where Rodolfo and his friends reside has been reimagined as a makeshift rooftop shelter, with snow flurries visible throughout. The young cast, led by Samoan tenor Pene Pati as Rodolfo and Ukrainian soprano Olga Kulchynska as Mimì, play up the opera’s lighter moments, even as their characters’ romance begins to bloom.
A Kaleidoscopic Cafe Momus
It’s in Act II’s Cafe Momus scene where Jones’s high-spirited approach reaches its apex. Designer Stewart Laing’s riotously colorful set, described by one source as “surely too bourgeois for the Latin Quarter in those Balzacian days,” acts as a lively playground for the large ensemble. Amina Edris, as the coquettish Musetta, is a particular standout here, capturing both the character’s allure and her underlying decency.
The accumulating chaos of the Cafe Momus scene, which even Stravinsky is said to have admired, is gloriously anarchic.
– According to a knowledgeable source
While some may find that the production’s relentless activity detracts from the score’s innate pathos, conductor Speranza Scappucci’s brisk tempos and dynamic contrasts keep the music from languishing. The Italian maestro, recently named as Covent Garden’s principal guest conductor designate, clearly relishes Puccini’s theatricality, even if she occasionally engages in overt expressive gestures that the music itself makes unnecessary.
A Youthful, Energetic Ensemble
As Rodolfo and Mimì, Pene Pati and Olga Kulchynska make an attractive pairing, their lyrical voices intertwining affectingly in Act III’s reconciliation duet. Ukrainian baritone Andrei Kymach, in his house debut as Marcello, offers a robust counterpart to Pati’s poetic Rodolfo. The other bohemians, Colline (Aleksei Kulagin) and Schaunard (Josef Jeongmeen Ahn in a last-minute substitution), contribute with dignity and athleticism respectively.
Though some will undoubtedly miss the aching emotionality that defines many Bohème productions, there is something to be said for the unabashed theatricality of Jones’s vision. At a time when the opera world can feel somewhat self-serious, there’s an undeniable appeal to a staging that is unafraid of provoking smiles, even laughter. As Puccini himself knew, laughter and tears are never far apart in La Bohème – or in life.
