Marking the 100th anniversary of Puccini’s death, the celebrations have continued to flow in numerous productions of his operas. Melbourne Opera’s staging of La Bohème would have to rank among the most colourful.
It is not often that a major focus of interest would be on the portrayal of Musetta, the feisty counterfoil to the gentle, tubercular Mimi. Word had spread that Helena Dix would bring something exceptional to the role, and she did not disappoint. Gowned in voluptuous shades of red, from bright pink to deep crimson, she illuminated the stage as she mined the role for all its comic potential both vocally and dramatically. Many of us have witnessed her playful sense of fun when giving a masterclass or even at moments in her title role of Lucrezia Borgia. The were times when Gary Abraham’s direction verged on the unnecessarily crude in its emphasis on Marcello’s bosom fixation, but Dix was just the person to carry this off if anyone could. Vocally, Dix is mistress of a spinning pianissimo phrase and attacking staccato notes with pinpoint accuracy; both were on display on Wednesday night. In contrast to the bravura of Act 2 in the Café Momus scene and her terrific Act 3 viper attack on Marcello in Act 3, Dix brought a poignant tenderness to Act 4 as Mimi lay dying.
When someone appears in front of the curtain before a show it is always a tense moment as we prepare ourselves for the Bad News. Will we miss out on seeing Helena Dix after all? No, we wouldn’t, but missing out on hearing Elena Xanthoudakis as Mimi was disappointing. After these two outstanding sopranos had shared the stage in Maria Stuarda to considerable acclaim, this combination promised to be another great success. And yet, when Melbourne Opera Producer Suzanne Chaundy announced that Emily Szabo would replace an ailing Elena Xanthoudakis, those who had just heard this young understudy perform Mimi’s Act 1 music in concert form knew that we would be far from disappointed in the end. In fact, Szabo made as credible a Mimi as you could wish for. Her lyric soprano voice was fresh, clear and resonant, and had appealing warmth. Along with the vocal beauty, her acting was confident and focused. And she looked the part.
As her poet Rodolfo, Boyd Owen sang with passion, becoming more vocally comfortable at the top of his range during the course of the evening. His extensive experience in major tenor roles made him an assured and reliable partner for a soprano who had been summoned at a moment’s notice. Owen’s ardent singing and acting matched the expressive qualities of Szabo’s performance. It was hard to fathom why Abrahams had him sitting on the ground in the street during Act 3 – even though he was presented as being a little tipsy – but his singing and his general portrayal of despair regarding Mimi’s drastic condition was emotionally powerful. Baritone Christopher Tonkin also made an effective contribution to the pathos of the scene as the painter Marcello. He was a lively presence throughout the opera, his upper notes ringing and powerful.
In addition to some excellent singing, baritone Stephen Smith as the musician Schaunard, and bass Darcy Carroll as the philosopher Colline provided colour to all the scenes in which they appeared. Smith in particular brought enormous vitality to Act 1 as the quartet enjoyed an upturn in fortune and had fun teasing and seeing off their landlord, Benoit, without paying the rent. John-Bolton Wood was terrific as Benoit and, later, as the put-upon Alcindoro, his stage presence and strong voice giving these roles more substance than is customary.
The Melbourne Opera Chorus was also in fine form in Act 2, filling the relatively small stage with a swirl of activity and colour. Harriet Oxley’s costume designs were wonderfully vivid. Helena Dix’s costume might have been the most extravagant, but Asher Reichman’s Parpignol costume wasn’t far behind, nor was the many-layered costume for Schaunard.
Colour was also a feature of the set, designed by Jacob Battista and Sophie Woodward. A two-tiered structure was an effective use of the space and provided extra visual interest. Although the bohemians’ attic was more Spartan than the sets for the middle Acts, the Paris background, furniture and lighting enlivened the scene. I doubt that Act 3 has ever been presented more colourfully. It is usual to see a sombre, snowy scene of black toll gates against a white background; in this production we had a central background painting of Marcello’s Red Sea, placed next to a large wooden inn with golden lights, which also served as the toll gate entrance.
Puccini, of course, provided the luscious musical colour, and the Melbourne Opera Orchestra rendered it with some persuasive playing under the baton of Raymond Lawrence. Coordination within the orchestra and between orchestra and singers worked well, particularly when Dix had fun with the music and needed an attentive conductor.
Melbourne Opera has given us a Bohème to remember. Even the curtain call with a very cheeky Musetta was a reminder that within hardship and tragedy a lust for life and a spirit of joy asserts itself.
Photo courtesy Bohemian Rhapsody Weekly Magazine
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Heather Leviston reviewed Melbourne Opera’s production of Puccini’s “La Bohème”, presented at the Athenaeum Theatre on Wednesday, September 18, 2024.
