#SEATTLE OPERA LA BOHEME 2021 FULL#

More advice from conductor Joseph Colaneri on Kang’s phrasing and the use of rubato would have helped elevate Kang’s performance and bring out the nuances of Italian style that permeate the score. It was less effective at straddling and tapering the swells of lyricism that are at the heart of Puccini’s score and the key to evoking the soul of this conflicting poet.

#SEATTLE OPERA LA BOHEME 2021 FULL#

His brilliant tenor had a laser beam upper register – his several cries of “Mimi, Mimi!” were full of penetrating emotion. This poet was quick to his emotions, but not a deep and complex man. In his home debut, Yosep Kang gave us a brash and slightly awkward Rodolfo. The boys’ bohemian clubĪll of the main singers sang well and as a team they had a young and original chemistry. In addition, more effort should be made with details defined to create a stronger sense of life existing outside of the landscape: for example, when the tavern door opened in act three, there was no There was only virgin scenic muslin – no walls, no furniture, no people, no life. Jung.īut the artists’ attic in the first and last act was disappointing – illogically over the top for hungry performers and one-dimensional with just a painted backdrop suggesting a false staircase and balcony. The scenes in Act 2 in front of Cafe Momus in the Latin Quarter of Paris and the snow-capped tollhouse and tavern in Act 3 were visually stunning with spatial depth and a sense of atmosphere, evocatively lit by Chad R. The sets were originally designed by Ercole Sormani in 1965 (they were probably newer recreations or significantly restored as they looked quite fresh). The staging was conventional with traditional period costumes and sets, and tended towards the predictable I don’t remember a moment when the scenic activity delighted me by shedding light on a new facet of the plot or the relationships between the characters. Darker themes relevant to 2021 were there – artists struggling with poverty, a tragic death from infectious lung disease – but there was no attempt to specifically highlight them in this presentation. The choice of “La BohÃ¨me” for the reopening was logical: it is a darling of the public with a young and playful cast, music full of energy and romanticism, and sets that transport us to another time and another. The theater’s main curtain, a scarlet red velvet with a handful of red sequins sprinkled over its panels to subtly catch the light as it gently swaying, has never been more magical. The halls of Seattle’s Opera House, the beautifully appointed McCaw Hall, were bustling with masked (and fully vaccinated) members of the audience greeting each other after a long separation and anticipating the thrill of seeing the live opera take them away. The company deftly produced its full 2020-21 subscription season to stream online during the pandemic, so it’s clear everyone was excited to be back in the theater in person. Immense goodwill was palpable throughout the theater on the opening night of the Seattle Opera’s first fully staged live production in 18 months, Puccini’s “La BohÃ¨me”.

Seattle opera la boheme 2021