[Met Performance] CID:302010
La Bohème {953} Metropolitan Opera House: 09/24/1990.
(Opening Night {106}
Joseph Volpe, General Manager
Debut: Richard Cowan
Review)
Metropolitan Opera House
September 24, 1990
Opening Night {106}
Joseph Volpe, General Director
LA BOHÈME {953}
Puccini-Illica/Giacosa
Mimì....................Mirella Freni
Rodolfo.................Plácido Domingo
Musetta.................Barbara Daniels
Marcello................Brian Schexnayder
Schaunard...............Richard Cowan [Debut]
Colline.................Julien Robbins
Benoit..................Renato Capecchi
Alcindoro...............Renato Capecchi
Parpignol...............Meredith Derr
Sergeant................Paul De Paola
Officer.................Herman Marcus
Conductor...............Christian Badea
Production..............Franco Zeffirelli
Stage Director..........David Kneuss
Set designer............Franco Zeffirelli
Costume designer........Peter J. Hall
Lighting designer.......Gil Wechsler
La Bohème received ten performances this season.
[The performance was dedicated to Texaco, Inc. in honor of the fiftieth anniversary of the Texaco-Metropolitan Opera radio broadcasts.]
Review of Bill Zakariasen in the Daily News
'Bohème buoyed by Babs, Badea
Opening a Metropolitan Opera season with Puccini's "La Bohème" Monday might not in itself be news, but there were nevertheless some newsworthy aspects to the evening. James Levine, for once, didn't conduct an opening night; soprano Mirella Freni and tenor Placido Domingo appeared opposite each other for the first time here; there was an important debut, and Barbara Bush was seated in the center box.
The First Lady, clad in a striking red dress, was squired by Prince Albert of Monaco, and thus the Monacan national anthem (which sounded as if it were written by Scott Joplin) was played before "The Star Spangled Banner." In our national anthem, some soprano threw in a high B Flat at the end, but whether or not it was Licia Albanese (as tradition has dictated for many years) I couldn't tell. At any rate Mrs. Bush seemed to enjoy the opera and stayed to the final curtain - something most figures of state aren't prone to do.
There was much to enjoy in the "Bohème." Christian Badea's conducting had just the right amounts of energy, lyric lilt and rubato, and he never overpowered the singers. The chemistry between Freni and Domingo belied the fact that they were unfamiliar partners. Freni remains the benchmark performer of Mini - her voice is still amazingly fresh, her interpretation totally believable. As Rodolfo, Domingo took time to warm up (his Che gelida manina" was decidedly stiff). But soon became his ardent, vocally resplendent self.
Familiar and eminently able cast members included Barbara Daniels (Musetta), Renato Capecchi (Benoit and Alcindoro), Brian Shexnayder (Marcello) and Julien Robbins (Colline still looks like Rasputin). The scene-stealer, though, was debuting baritone Richard Cowan as Schaunard. His voice is of striking potency and he turned his so often thankless roles into a positive musical and dramatic force. Cowan is scheduled to sing Don Giovanni October 27 - mark the date.