La Bohème Is the Jan. 14, 2017, Metropolitan Opera Saturday Matinee Broadcast

Summary: The Jan. 14, 2017, Metropolitan Opera Saturday matinee broadcast is La Bohème, a four-act tragic opera about young love and loss by Giacomo Puccini.

Ailyn Pérez appears as Mimì in the Jan. 14, 2017, Saturday matinee radio broadcast of Puccini's La Bohème: Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Twitter Jan. 6, 2017

La Bohème, a four-act opera by Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini (Dec. 22, 1858-Nov. 29, 1924) concerning the bittersweet pathos of young love and untimely death, is the Jan. 14, 2017, Metropolitan Opera Saturday matinee broadcast.

Italian librettists and playwrights Giuseppe Giacosa (Oct. 21, 1847-Sept. 1, 1906) and Luigi Illica (May 9, 1857-Dec. 16, 1919) wrote the Italian libretto. The literary source is Scènes de la Vie de Bohème, a novelized collection of loosely related stories set in the Parisian Latin Quarter in the 1840s by French novelist and poet Louis-Henri Murger (March 27, 1822-Jan. 28, 1861).

The premiere of Puccini’s fourth opera took place Feb. 1, 1896. The venue was Teatro Regio (“Royal Theatre”), located at Piazza Castello in the historic center of Torino (Turin), Piedmont, northwestern Italy. Arturo Toscanini (March 25, 1857-Jan. 16, 1957) conducted the premiere.

The composer and his librettist retain the bohemian setting of the Quartier Latin (“Latin Quarter”) in the lively, artistic atmosphere of the 5th and 6th arrondissements of Paris (5e arrondissement et 6e arrondissement de Paris). The time period is the 1830s, which the Metropolitan Opera’s 2016-2017 season setting notes explains as “not a random setting.” The poverty-riddled, unstable lives of four friends (musician, painter, philosopher, poet) epitomize the unsettling time period “when, following the upheavals of revolution and war, French artists had lost their traditional support base of aristocracy and church.”

The Saturday matinee broadcast of La Bohème begins at 1 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (6 p.m. Coordinated Universal Time). The estimated run time for the performance is about 2 hours 58 minutes. The performance, sung in the original Italian, comprises four acts and two intermissions.

Acts I and II are timed at 61 minutes. A 33-minute intermission follows Act II.

Act III is timed at 26 minutes. A 28-minute intermission follows Act III.

Act IV is timed at 30 minutes. The Saturday matinee broadcast performance ends with Act IV’s final notes.

Carlo Rizzi conducts the September, October and January performances, including the Saturday matinee broadcast, of La Bohème. His birthplace is Milan, Lombardy, northwestern Italy. The Italian conductor reprises his 1993 Metropolitan Opera debut as conductor of La Bohème.

Carlo Rizzi shares the conductor’s podium with Marco Armiliato, who conducts all November and December performances. Born in Genoa, Liguria, northwestern Italy, Marco Armiliato reprises his 1998 Metropolitan Opera debut as conductor of La Bohème. The Genoese conductor also takes the podium this season for Aida by Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi (Oct. 10, 1813-Jan. 27, 1901) and Cyrano de Bergerac by Franco Alfano (March 8, 1875-Oct. 27, 1954), and Puccini’s Manon Lescaut.

Ailyn Pérez appears as Mimì, the sweet seamstress whose quiet death underscores the poignantly fleeting tone of life and love for bohemians, those who struggle outside of the settled parameters of mainstream society. Her birthplace is Chicago, Cook County, northeastern Illinois. The American operatic soprano debuted at the Metropolitan Opera in 2015 as Micaëla in Carmen by Georges Bizet (Oct. 25, 1838-June 3, 1875).

Ailyn Pérez appears in the September, October and January performances, including the Saturday matinee broadcast, of La Bohème. She shares the role of Mimì this season with Hei-Kyung Hong and Kristine Opolais.

Hei-Kyung Hong appears in the Dec. 8 performance. She was born in Hongcheon County, Gangwon Province, northeastern South Korea. The South Korean-American lyric soprano debuted at the Metropolitan Opera in 1984 as Servilia in La Clemenza di Tito by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Jan. 27, 1756-Dec. 5, 1791).

Kristine Opolais appears in the November and Dec. 3 performances. She was born in Riga, Latvia. The Latvian operatic soprano debuted at the Metropolitan Opera in 2013 as Magda in Puccini’s La Rondine. This season Kristine Opolais also appears in the title roles of Puccini’s Manon Lescaut and of Rusalka by Czech composer Antonín Leopold Dvořák (Sept. 8, 1841-May 1, 1904).

Michael Fabiano appears as Rodolfo, the poor poet whose deep love for Mimì is symbolized by his treasuring, during their separation, the pink bonnet that he bought for her on the day they met. He was born in Montclair, Essex County, northern New Jersey. The American operatic tenor debuted at the Metropolitan Opera in 2010 as Raffaele in Verdi’s Stiffelio. Michael Fabiano also appears this season as Alfredo Germont in Verdi’s La Traviata.

Michael Fabiano appears in the January performances, including the Saturday matinee broadcast, of La Bohème. He shares the role of Rodolfo this season with Piotr Beczala and Dmytro Popov.

Piotr Beczala appears in the November and December performances. His birthplace is Czechowice-Dziedzice, Silesia Province, southwestern Poland. The Polish operatic tenor debuted at the Metropolitan Opera in 2006 as the Duke in Verdi’s Rigoletto.

Dmytro Popov appears in the September and October performances. The Ukrainian tenor’s appearance as Rodolfo marks his Metropolitan Opera debut.

Susanna Phillips appears as Musetta, who rescues Mimì from homelessness to reunite the seriously ill seamstress with Rodolfo, the love of her all-too-brief life. She was born in Huntsville, Madison County, northeastern Alabama. The American lyric soprano reprises her 2008 Metropolitan Opera debut role as Musetta. This season Susanna Phillips also appears as Clémence in L’Amour de Loin by Finnish composer Kaija Saariahho.

Susanna Phillips appears in September, October and January performances, including the Saturday matinee broadcast, of La Bohème. She shares the role of Musetta with Brigitta Kele, who appears in the November and December performances. The Romanian soprano’s role as Musetta marks her Metropolitan Opera debut.

Alessio Arduini appears as Rodolfo’s painter friend, Marcello, who loves Musetta. He was born in Desenzano del Gardia, Lombardy, northwestern Italy. The Italian baritone debuted at the Metropolitan Opera in 2014 as Schaunard in Puccini’s La Bohème.

Alessio Arduini appears in the opera’s January performances, including the Saturday matinee broadcast. He shares the role of Marcello this season with David Bizic and Massimo Cavalletti.

David Bizic appears in the opera’s September and October performances. His birthplace is Belgrade, Serbia. The Serbian operatic baritone debuted at the Metropolitan Opera in 2014 as Albert in Werther by Jules Émile Frédéric Massenet (May 12, 1842-Aug. 13, 1912). David Bizic also reprises his debut role this season.

Massimo Cavalletti appears in the opera’s November and December performances. He was born in Lucca, Tuscany, north central Italy. The Italian baritone debuted at the Metropolitan Opera in 2010 as Schaunard in La Bohème.

Alexey Lavrov appears as Schaunard, the musician in the tight-knit bohemian group. His birthplace is Pechora, Komi Republic, northwestern Russia. The Russian baritone debuted at the Metropolitan Opera in 2013 as the Flemish Deputy in Verdi’s Don Carlo.

Alexey Lavrov appears in the January performances, including the Saturday matinee broadcast. He shares the role of Schaunard with Patrick Carfizzi and Rodion Pogossov.

Patrick Carfizzi appears in the November and December performances. He was born in Newburgh, Orange County, southern New York. The American bass-baritone debuted at the Metropolitan Opera in 1999 as Ceprano in Verdi’s Rigoletto.

Rodion Pogossov appears in the September and October performances. His birthplace is Moscow, northwestern Russia. The Russian baritone debuted at the Metropolitan Opera in 2002 as Fiorello in Il Barbiere di Siviglia by Gioachino Antonio Rossini (Feb. 29, 1792-Nov. 13, 1868).

Christian Van Horn appears as the tight-knit, bohemian group’s fourth member, Colline, who is a philosopher. Christian Van Horn appears in the opera’s January performances, including the Saturday matinee broadcast. He was born in Rockville Centre, Nassau County, Long Island, New York. The American operatic bass-baritone debuted at the Metropolitan Opera in 2013 as Pistola in Verdi’s Falstaff.

Christian Van Horn shares the role of Colline this season with Ryan Speedo Green, who appears in the September, November and December performances. Ryan Speedo Green’s birthplace is Tampa, Hillsborough County, west central Florida. The American bass-baritone debuted at the Metropolitan Opera in 2012 as a Mandarin in Puccini’s Turandot.

Paul Plishka appears in two roles, as the friends’ landlord, Benoît, and as Musetta’s wealthy patron, Alcindoro. He appears in the November, December and January performances, including the Saturday matinee broadcast. He was born in Old Forge, Lackawanna County, northeastern Pennsylvania. The American bass debuted at the Metropolitan Opera in 1967 as Monk in La Gioconda by Amilcare Ponchielli (Aug. 31, 1834-Jan. 16, 1886).

Paul Plishka shares the two roles of Alcindoro and Benoît this season with Philip Cokorinos, who appears in the opera’s September and October performances. His hometown is New York, New York. The American operatic bass debuted at the Metropolitan Opera in 1988 as the Doctor in Verdi’s Macbeth. Philip Cokorinos also appears this season as the Innkeeper in Puccini’s Manon Lescaut and as Johann in Massenet’s Werther.

Operabase, an online database, places Giacomo Puccini in third place in a ranking of 1,281 most popular composers for the five seasons from 2011/2012 to 2015/16. La Bohème claims fourth place in the list of 2,658 most popular operas.

The Metropolitan Opera’s 2016 Repertory Report gives performance statistics through Oct. 31. La Bohème claims first place, with 1,295 performances, for the period from first Met performance, Nov. 9, 1900, to last performance, Oct. 14, 2016. Only the October 2016 performances of the Metropolitan Opera’s 2016-2017 season production of La Bohème fall within the report’s parameters.

The takeaway for La Bohème as the Jan. 14, 2017, Metropolitan Opera Saturday matinee broadcast is the four friends’ camaraderie despite their depressing finances and Mimì’s sweetness, which lingers in hearts and minds long after the shock of her quiet death.

Puccini's La Bohème airs as the Jan. 14, 2017, Saturday matinee broadcast during the 2016-2017 Met Opera season: Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Facebook Feb. 17, 2016

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Ailyn Pérez appears as Mimì in the Jan. 14, 2017, Saturday matinee radio broadcast of Puccini's La Bohème: Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Twitter Jan. 6, 2017, @ https://twitter.com/MetOpera/status/817435063386251265

Puccini's La Bohème airs as the Jan. 14, 2017, Saturday matinee broadcast during the 2016-2017 Met Opera season: Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Facebook Feb. 17, 2016, @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/a.10156647457545533.1073741891.20807115532/10156647457710533/

For further information:

"Composers: Composers Ranked by the Number of Performances of Their Operas Over the Five Seasons 2011/2012 to 2015/16." Operabase > Opera Statistics.
Available @ http://operabase.com/top.cgi?lang=en

Metropolitan Opera. “La Bohème: Set Change Timelapse.” YouTube. Dec. 15, 2016.
Available @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmybiI-M-IE

Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. “Back on stage tonight for 3 perfs only! Puccini's La Bohème starring @AilynPerez1 and Fabiano!” Twitter. Jan. 6, 2017.
Available @ https://twitter.com/MetOpera/status/817435063386251265

Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. "The Met presents its spectacular Zeffirelli production, with three excellent casts: SONYA YONCHEVA, Kristine Opolais, and Ailyn Pérez are paired with Dmytro Popov, Piotr Beczała, and Michael Fabiano, respectively, as the young Parisian lovers at the center of the story. . . ." Facebook. Feb. 17, 2016.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/a.10156647457545533.1073741891.20807115532/10156647457710533/

“Performances Statistics Through October 31, 2016.” MetOpera Database > The Metropolitan Opera Archives > Repertory Report.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/Database%20Opera%20Statistics.xml