It was
impossible to weave a connected story from Murger's famous novel.
Puccini's librettists attempted nothing of the kind. They took four
scenes each complete in itself and put them before the audience without
any pretence of a connecting thread of interest. In the first act we see
the joyous quartet of Bohemians in their Paris attic--Rodolphe the poet,
Marcel the painter, Colline the philosopher, and Schaunard the musician.
Rodolphe sacrifices the manuscript of his tragedy to keep the fire
going, and Marcel keeps the landlord at bay, until the arrival of
Schaunard with an unexpected windfall of provisions raises the spirits
of the company to the zenith of rapture. Three of the Bohemians go out
to keep Christmas Eve at their favourite cafe, leaving Rodolphe to
finish an article. To him enters Mimi, an embroiderer, who lodges on the
same floor, under pretence of asking for a light. A delicious love-duet
follows, and the lovers go off to join their friends. The next scene is
at the Cafe Momus, where Musette appears with a wealthy banker. She
speedily contrives to get the banker out of the way and rushes into the
arms of her old lover, Marcel. This scene, which is very short, is a
carnival of bustle and gaiety, and is a brilliant example of Puccini's
happy knack of handling concerted music. The next scene is a series of
quarrels and reconciliations between the two pairs of lovers, while in
the last act Mimi, who has deserted Rodolphe, comes back to see him once
more before she dies, and breathes her last on the little bed in the
attic.
Pages:
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316