Bohemia

Giacomo Puccini

LA BOHÈME

Opera in 4 acts

Performed in Italian

(with synchronized Kazakh and Russian supertitles)

The plot of La bohème was borrowed from the popular French novel Scènes de la vie de bohème by Henri Murger. Puccini composed the music of La bohème in eight months. The world premiere of La bohème took place in Turin on 1 February 1896, conducted by twenty-eight-year-old Arturo Toscanini. Soon La bohème won stages worldwide.

La bohème is perhaps the most French in style and spirit Italian opera, characterized by surprising subtlety of emotions. The opera is set in the Latin Quarter of Paris on Christmas Eve. All the characters of the opera are young. These are beggar intellectuals: poet Rodolfo, painter Marcello, musician Schaunard and philosopher Colline. Need is a constant companion of their lives, but they do not lose heart and have fun even when they have nothing to pay to the landlord or to heat the fireplace. In the young people’s everyday life, there is a place for joy, poetry, friendship and love.

A casual encounter of Rodolfo and Mimi, a seamstress girl, living in the same house, awakens love in his heart. Mimi returns his love. However, happiness does not last long. Rodolfo and Mimi break up: she is consumed by tuberculosis and Rodolfo’s housing is damp and cold. The spring passes, and Mimi returns to Rodolfo, but her days are numbered. The world is arranged in such a way, that the most pure, gentle and defenseless is doomed to destruction.

Director Andrea Bernard will present a new stage version of Giacomo Puccini's opera La bohème. The spectacular two-level sets, a train entering the stage and other findings of the celebrated set designer Ezio Frigerio, as well as the Holiday Scene featuring professional circus artists, will make a familiar life story of young creators unrecognizable.

ROLES AND PERFORMERS:

Mimi –                          Madina ISLAMOVA /

                                      Bibigul ZHANUZAK, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan

Rodolfo –                      Medet CHOTABAYEV, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan /

                                      Ramzat BALAKISHIYEV

Musetta –                      Saltanat AKHMETOVA, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan /

                                      Yelena GANZHA

Marcello –                    Jurica Jurasić KAPUN (Debut) / Dinmukhamed KOSHKINBAYEV

Colline –                       Bolat YESSIMKHANOV / Shyngys RASYLKHAN

Schaunard –                  Yerzhan SAIPOV /

                                      Altynbek ABILDA, Laureate of the State Youth Prize “Daryn”

Alcindoro –                         Valeriy SELIVANOV

Benoît –                        Talgat GALEYEV / Nematillo ZKRULLAEV (Debut)

Parpignol –                   Talgat ALLABIRINOV / Merei KADYRKHANOV (Debut)

Customs Sergeant –      Nurlybek KOSPARMAKOV

OPERA SOLOISTS, ORCHESTRA, CHORUS, EXTRAS AND CHILDREN’S CHOIR OF THE ASTANA OPERA HOUSE

PRODUCTION GROUP:

Director: Andrea Bernard

Conductor: Giuseppe Acquaviva

Scenographer: Ezio Frigerio

Costume Designer: Franca Squarciapino

Chief Chorus Master: Yerzhan Dautov, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan

Projection Designer: Sergio Metalli

Lighting Designer: Vincenzo Raponi

Assistant Directors: Yerenbak Toikenov, Tecla Gucci

Assistant Scenographer: Riccardo Massironi

Assistant Costume Designers: Danièle Boutard, Anna Verde

Choirmasters of the Children's Studio: Altynganym Akhmetova, Aigerim Makibayeva

Stage Managers: Altynganym Akhmetova, Ainur Khalelova