Puccini: La Boheme (Live from the Met) | 
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| Actors: Angela Gheorghiu, Ainhoa Arteta, Ramon Vargas, Ludovic Tezier, Quinn Kelsey
Studio: EMI Classics
Category: DVD
List Price: $24.98
Buy New: $14.17
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New (26) Used (6) from $14.17
Avg. Customer Rating:  8 reviews
Sales Rank: 3393
Format: Classical, Color, Dvd-video, Ntsc
Languages: Italian (Original Language), Italian (Unknown), Italian (Subtitled), German (Subtitled), English (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 120
Discs: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
EAN: 5099921741791
Theatrical Release Date: 2008
Release Date: September 16, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand new Item. CD, DVD, Book, VHS more than 400 000 titles to choose from. ALL days Low Price !
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Product Description
The Metropolitan Opera's acclaimed Live in High-Definition series, which projects live performances into theaters across the globe, has met with unprecedented critical and commercial success and has made opera convenient and affordable to millions of viewers worldwide. Now, EMI Classics is proud to collaborate with The Met to release 6 new DVDs made from these broadcast performances.
Puccini's immortal classic of love and loss, with Franco Zeffirelli's sumptuous, iconic production and Nicola Luisotti's expressive conducting. Angela Gheorghiu, the leading Puccini soprano of our time, reprises the role of Mim, while tenor Ramn Vargas gives a sensitive reading of Rodolfo. All these forces combine for a truly definitive performance of this beloved opera!
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| Customer Reviews: Read 3 more reviews...
 A BOHEME to treasure !! Is it Rodolfo's or Mimi's Boheme ? October 13, 2008
6 out of 8 found this review helpful
Britten - Peter Grimes (The Metropolitan Opera HD Live Series)
This DVD is a recording of the performance of La Boheme at the Met on April 5/2008 which was transmitted in HD worldwide. The first night was on 3/29th with the same cast, and the reviews in NY papers and the one here by Ivy Lin were based on the the opening night performance, not the one used on this disc. I attended the opening and agree with most of Ms. Lin's observations, i.e.: Vargas ' voice being "lyric,bright,ardent" hitting
the high C in Che Gelida Manina "delicately"; Gheorghiu's aggressiveness and sluttishness, and her being out of sync in her Act1 aria. I do not agree with her claim that Vargas was too chubby and phlegmatic to be a believable Rodolfo, but I tend to agree with her comments about the Mimi. I cannot blame Ms. Lin because I myself found Ms.Gheorghiu to be trying hard to appear too romantic and taken with her man. She practically mauled him at the Cafe Momus with her exuberance. I did not attend the April 5th performance but I listened to the PBS radio broadcast and saw the moviecast of the event,and was very happy with the positive changes and improvement over the opening night performance. The excessive touching, smooching and other distractions were toned down, and the musical matters went on smoothly.
This disc has outstanding video and audio worthy of the Met's 50-yr old classic Zeffirelli production with an ideal casting of Angela Gheorghiu and Ramon Vargas in the principal roles, supported by a fine mix of veterans and newcomers to the Met. Everyone in this line up is gifted with enormous talent, rich voice and fine musicality. The conductor is a young but highly talented Italian who certainly knows his Puccini, and one who knows how to accommodate his singers' ideas without sacrificing the integrity of the music. True, he used some rubatos and expansive tempos here and there but always to enhance rather than diminish the musical and dramatic values. He supported his singers sensitively and the orchestera responded beautifully.
For some time, I was hoping the two singers would be cast together in any opera, not just Boheme, because I always believe that their voices are a perfect match in size, coloration, expressiveness and range. Plus, they possess truly beautiful voices, musical intelligence, innate musicality and elegant singing style. All of these qualities are evident on this disc. What I was not sure about was their chemistry together. Having seen the close-up of their facial expressions and subtle dramatic expressions, the total commitment and involvement throughut the opera by both artists and even split-second reactions, I do not know of any pair that could match such chemistry. Just incredible! They seem to inspire each other. Now I can understand why Gheorghiu, in Acts1&2, tried to convince everyone including the audience, her man and herself that she was REALLY in love with him. She was going to use this bit of realism to help her go through her slow death in Acts3&4 with searing intensity and poignancy. And Vargas responded with such convincing sincerity that one cannot help but feel for the unfortunate lovers.Gheorghiu has been acclaimed for her acting, in addition to her singing, throughout her career, but it's hard to tell who the better actor is of the two here.
How about the singing ? Stunning, mesmerizing, magical, heartbreaking, ethereal. Stunning was Vargas when he discarded his lyric, bright-toned Che Gelida Manina on opening night and used his burnished, dark-hued spinto of late while preserving his customary warmth and sweetness. Mesmerizing was Gheorghiu in her Act1 aria with the movement of a graceful ballerina. Magical was the expansive Soave Fanciulla with Vargas visibly stunned at the sight of the radiant, beautiful Mimi bathed in moonlight and ushering in the sweeping splendor of this music with his magnificent sound. Heartbreaking was Mimi's farewell to the love of her life. Ethereal was Vargas' "alla stagion dei fior ", ethereal as the snow flakes falling on the lovers at the end of Act3.
So, whose BOHEME is this ? Is it Mimi's or Rodolfo's ? Buy this DVD and find out. Enjoy the quest for the answer.
It doesn't get any better than this! September 28, 2008
15 out of 22 found this review helpful
I believe I own a copy of every commercial CD recording of "La Boheme," as well as several DVDs of live performances and this DVD is BY FAR my favorite. I even saw the Zeffirelli production at the Met live with Gheorghiu and Alagna the afternoon after they got married, but even that did not move me as this did. A performance that, after all this time and exposure to the opera, can leave me in tears is a rarity, and I was sobbing at the end of this video.
Every one of the six principals is magnificent, singing and acting gloriously. At first, I was concerned that the extremely expansive tempi Maestro Luisotti employs would enervate the production. But, while the tempo for "Mi chiamano Mimi," combined with the close-ups in HD of Angela Gheorghiu performing in the gigantic Metropolitan Opera House, does elicit some silent movie actress-like facial expressions and gestures from her, on the whole, these tempi allow each of the singers to bring a greater variety of coloration to their tones than one usually hears, which in turn only enhances the dramatic impact. For example, I usually find "O Mimi tu piu non torni" to be a pretty, but somewhat annoying, diversion before the drama of the final act commences. BUt under Maestro Luisotti and with the beautiful and sensitive singing of Ramon Vargas and Ludovic Tezier, it becomes one of the most moving moments of the opera. In fact, I was in tears throughout the final act. Every characters emotions were heartfelt and never schmaltzy or overheated.
Also with respect to coloration, Ms. Gheorghiu produced some of the darkest tones I have ever heard in "Donde lieta usci." While others have made this a pretty and nostalgic aria, Ms. Gheorghiu with subtlety rips out your heart just as Mimi's has been torn from her.
As I said, I saw this production with Ms. Gheorghiu and her brand new husband in the lead roles, but I didn't feel the love between Mimi and Rodolfo as I felt it between her and Mr Vargas. His performance matched hers in its unique combination of subtlety and intensity. And to top it all off, they both sang with some of the most beautiful lines and tones ever brought to this music.
For newcomers and aficionados alike, this DVD is an ESSENTIAL component of any opera lovers collection.
Beautiful in HD... October 14, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
I saw this at the local cineplex in HD. These are wonderful events for those of us far from New York. We were thrilled by the performance. This is the same production (different singers) as the Pioneer DVD which has been available for a long time.
When THIS "event" is available in Blu-Ray...I'll buy it.
PS: And I already have the earlier DVD of the Zeffirelli production.
An excellent La Boheme October 16, 2008
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
This is another filming of Zeffirelli's well-known La Boheme production, but it still looks fabulous. I loved what conductor Luisotti is doing with the orchestra, and it is good to have a recording of Gheorghiu singing Mimi, while her voice is still in good shape. Ramon Vargas is a good Rodolfo and baritone Ludovic Tezier is excellent as Marcello.
Highly recommended!
Good addition to any Boheme collection. October 8, 2008
2 out of 6 found this review helpful
This is a lavish productuion worthy of The Met. Both Angela Georghiu and Ramon Vargas perform extremely well. The cafe scene especially was highly entertaining. Musetta gave of her best. The friends sang amusingly and playfully. Do not hesitate - you will enjoy.
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