La bohème
La bohème (/ˌlɑː boʊˈɛm/ LAH boh-EM, Italian: [la boˈɛm]) is an opera in four acts, composed by Giacomo Puccini between 1893 and 1895 to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa, based on Scènes de la vie de bohème (1851) by Henri Murger. The story is set in Paris around 1830 and shows the Bohemian lifestyle (known in French as "la bohème") of a poor seamstress and her artist friends.
| La bohème | |
|---|---|
| Opera by Giacomo Puccini | |
Original 1896 poster by Adolfo Hohenstein | |
| Librettist |
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| Language | Italian |
| Based on | Henri Murger's Scènes de la vie de bohème |
| Premiere | 1 February 1896 Teatro Regio, Turin |
The world premiere of La bohème was in Turin on 1 February 1896 at the Teatro Regio, conducted by the 28-year-old Arturo Toscanini. Since then, La bohème has become part of the standard Italian opera repertory and is one of the most frequently performed operas worldwide.
In 1946, 50 years after the opera's premiere, Toscanini conducted a commemorative performance of it on radio with the NBC Symphony Orchestra. A recording of the performance was later released by RCA Victor on vinyl record, tape and compact disc. It is the only recording ever made of a Puccini opera by its original conductor.
La bohème is also known for being the loose inspiration for the Broadway musical Rent by Jonathan Larson.