Shopping For Giacomo Puccini - La Bohème / Barker, Hobson, Luhrmann (Australian Opera) Discounts - Bargain Giacomo Puccini - La Bohème / Barker, Hobson, Luhrmann (Australian Opera)

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Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: DVD
EAN: 0032031408890
Format: Classical, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Subtitled, NTSC
Label: Kultur Video
Languages: EnglishSubtitledItalianOriginal LanguageEnglishOriginal Language
Manufacturer: Kultur Video
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Kultur Video
Region Code: 1
Release Date: July 25, 2006
Running Time: 120 minutes
Studio: Kultur Video
Theatrical Release Date: June 08, 1994

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Music > Styles > Classical > General
Music > Styles > Classical > Opera & Vocal > General
VHS > DVD > Genres > Musicals & Performing Arts > Classical > By Historical Period > Romantic (c.1820-1910)
VHS > DVD > Genres > Musicals & Performing Arts > Classical > General AAS
VHS > DVD > Genres > Musicals & Performing Arts > General AAS

Editorial Review:

Amazon.com:
It might be possible to know this La Bohème and not love it, but I have never met anyone who felt that way. "Oh yes," said a friend, "that's the good one where everybody is the right age." The youth and freshness of the singers are, in fact, major assets in this production. Youthful high spirits and vulnerability are delicately portrayed, with sharp contrasts between the Parisian bohemians' abject poverty and their carefree lifestyle. On DVD, La Bohème is the work where the competition is strongest. Solid arguments can be made for the staging of the Metropolitan Opera production or the vocal quality of the San Francisco production, but the Australian Opera offers the closest identification of performers with the characters they represent. The effect is usually touching, sometimes downright electrifying.

For this production, the story is moved up to Paris in the 1950s. A veneer of existentialism, a sense of the absurd, can be detected in the young men's lifestyle, but the implicit message is that, even with electricity (e.g., a massive neon sign celebrating "L'Amour"), bohemian life in the 1950s was essentially unchanged from the 1830s. There are good performances throughout, particularly by David Hobson (Rodolfo) and Cheryl Barker (Mimi), and the direction of Baz Luhrmann (Strictly Ballroom, Moulin Rouge) is outstanding. --Joe McLellan

Description:
Puccini's heart-rending love story tells of high-spirited young bohemians who are strapped for cash but draw strength from each other, and the poet Rodolfo's deep love for the young seamstress, Mimì.

"This is surely one of the most engagingly inventive, thoughtfully witty and vital productions ever to enliven the Australian operatic stage." Sun Herald
"Tenor David Hobson and Soprano Cheryl Barker bring the lead roles thrillingly to life, playing on audience's heartstrings with their sweet duets and convincing acting." Telegraph Mirror

Featuring: Cheryl Barker Mimì; David Hobson Rodolfo; Roger Lemke Marcello; Christine Douglas Musetta; Gary Rowley Collin; David Lemke Schaunard. Conductor Julian Smith, Director Baz Luhrman ,Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra. Recorded live at the Sydney Opera House, February 25, 1993.

Customer Reviews

Average Rating: out of 5 stars

Rating:

- La Boheme (David Hobson)
I have been a fan of this opera since I purchased my first album of it as a pre-teen in the late 1960's. Since then I think I have gotten or have listened to almost every version.

When I saw the David Hobson version from 1993, I fell to my knees!! I had never heard or seen a more stunning interpretation of Puccini's greatest!! I realized I had never seen "La Boheme" the way it was intended until then! David Hobson's heart felt and heart-wrenching performance brings me to tears each ... Read More

Rating:

- A good Bohème, but not for native speakers of Italian
There are many novelties in this performance, but the staging is eccentric. Soprano Cheryl Barker stands out for her sympathetic singing, but her Italian pronunciation is marred by a strong English accent. Some singers have tattoos and smoke cigarettes on stage. Perhaps this is a heavy-handed reference to the fact that Puccini, a chain smoker, died of a heart attack after an operation for throat cancer. I was particularly disappointed by the final scene with the death of Mimi where Rodolfo, after discovering ... Read More

Rating:

- Overall, the best La Boheme I have seen
Like many others, my favorite opera is Puccini's La Boheme. I have seen several performances and heard even more recordings and excerpts. By far my favorite performance and by far the one I have played the most is the 1993 Australian Opera performance with Cheryl Barker and David Hobson.

Are Barker, Hobson, and the rest of the Australians as good musically as the likes of Freni, Pavarotti, and Von Karajan? No. If I want to hear the most wonderful singing and orchestral work, the 1972 studio ... Read More

Rating:

- Good, but I am a little disappointed
This opera is well sung and the music is well played, but I don't care much for Baz Luhrmans staging. In particular I was really disappointed with the overall look of the third act. Traditionaly, this act is an opportunity for the stage people to show off their skills and create a breathtaking outdoor winter scene. This third act looked like it took place in a concentration camp.
Another thing I didn't like about this production, is the half-dead Australian audience, who apparently feel that applause ... Read More

Rating:

- Baz Luhrman spectacular
This production with David Hobson and Cheryl is simply superb. Set in Parisian fifties, David Hobson's lyrical voice and gorgeous looks lend great empathy to the role. Cheryl Barker sings and acts beautifully and the whole production leaves not a dry eye in the house. Wonderful!

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