We saw similar sloppiness throughout Act two, including the opening ensemble (which resulted in a lack of clarity from some soloists), the ensemble following “Quando m’en vo,” and the final marching band, which was started completely off beat from the orchestra. A lot of confusion crept in during the Andante Calmo section that starts with “Mi piaccon quelle cose,” where the orchestra syncopations were way off from what soloist Anita Hartig was doing. Things got more difficult during Mimì’s “Mi chiamano Mimì” where hesitancy and disconnect crept into the orchestral playing. For one, the orchestra’s thick texture, which had been noticeable to that point, became overly prominent, essentially shutting down tenor Charles Castronovo’s ability to make much of his famed “Che gelida manina.” From the orchestra seats, it was hard to hear the tenor and when you did, it sounded like he was fighting against the larger ensemble. But things start to come apart the moment Rodolfo and Mimì’s big Act one scene started.

Things got off to a solid start during the evening with the first few ensembles tight, focused, and moving along swiftly. Unfortunately, her work in this performance of Puccini’s most iconic and beloved work left a lot to be desired. This run of performances represent her Met debut, which is one of many similar maiden appearances at opera houses around the world. In the pit was conductor Eun Sun Kim, who has taken the opera world by storm after becoming the Music Director of the San Francisco Opera. With this energy in store, one hoped that the overall execution of this famed work would meet it. The audience enthusiasm added to this, with the customary applause for Act two’s opening moments more effusive than ever. There was something quite uplifting about seeing the curtain rise on this expansive set, brimming with life and energy, especially after the time period we all lived through. 17, 2021, the Metropolitan Opera presented the third performance of its 2021-22 run of Puccini’s seminal “La Bohème.”įranco Zeffirelli’s production is celebrating its 40th anniversary and is arguably the company’s most iconic.

La boheme met opera schedule