La Boheme

As part of the Brisbane Festival, Puccini’s beloved opera La Bohème graced the Lyric Theatre last night, drawing an almost full house of attentive, elegantly-attired Queensland audiences. This production, set in 1920s Paris, captures both the allure of the music and the poignancy of its love-torn tragedy incorporating a revolving stage, a symbolic glasshouse, atmospheric lighting, and gently falling snow, the staging immediately evoking a world where human relationships unfold amidst turbulence, passion, and uncertainty. The narrative may be simple, but Puccini’s score brims with emotional depth and technical brilliance, placing heavy demands on the soloists whose performances determine whether the story truly moves its audience.

Italian conductor Umberto Clerici, currently chief conductor of the QSO and a distinguished cellist, proved an inspired choice for this opera. His personal connection to Puccini’s work, coupled with his impassioned Italian style, drew out both the vibrancy and intimacy of the score. Similarly, guest artist tenor Valerio Borgioni, also Italian by birth and a student of Maestro Claudio di Segni in Rome, adds that extra Italian touch to the opera, a production no doubt well appreciated by provincial Brisbane audiences, who are becoming more sophisticated in their demands than some are led to believe, despite the over-abundance of standing ovations here.

Australian First Nation soprano Nina Korbe playing Musetta is also a welcome addition to the opera world with her colourful characterisation and majestic top notes along with popular Australian Samuel Dundas as Marcello, perfectly cast with his rich baritone voice and convincing portrayal. Additionally, soprano Elena Peroni capably handles the demands of the role of Mimi with a resonating voice strikingly in contrast with someone of such a delicate stature, though true in character capturing both strength and fragility.

Director Matt Reuban James Ward, himself a former opera singer and experienced stage performer, reimagines the story in interwar France. His choice to emphasise parallels between the bohemian pursuit of freedom and the fragility of human emotions is supported by the symbolic greenhouse set, a striking metaphor for love under pressure. Ward’s thoughtful direction, combined with Charles Davis’s elegant set and costume design and Christine Felmingham’s evocative lighting, creates an atmosphere true to the emotional core of Puccini’s opera.

Ultimately, traditional opera, being an historical art-form often in contrast to platforms of modern entertainment and at times laced with dated sentiments, is always about the music and with Puccini’s lush, unmistakable style demanding both vocal nuance and dramatic intensity from a relatively small cast the stakes are high. While this production was polished and ambitious, there were times when the vocals didn’t entirely transcend into the sublime emotional dimension that La Bohèmecan achieve. Nevertheless, it remains a privilege to experience such an iconic work performed in Brisbane, and the achievement of all associated with Opera Queensland and West Australian Opera deserve recognition. Special mention must also go to chorus master Narelle French, the dedicated répétiteurs, and of course the QSO, whose sensitive accompaniment maintained just the right balance between stage and pit.

This La Bohème is a production of warmth, intelligence, and diligent artistry - an evocative addition to Brisbane’s cultural calendar.

Brian Adamson

Photography: Steph Do Rozario