One of the greatest assets in this production of Puccini’s La Bohème at Astra Opera House in Gozo was the very fine cast assembled for it. Late last month there were two performances, the first of which is under review here. Everybody loves and knows La Bohème and I do too, with a special regard for it as it was the very first opera I saw too many decades ago.

What helped immensely were the voices, ever so important, but not only that – all members of the cast acted out their parts very well too. Without exception... beginning with soprano Miriam Cauchi as a very loveable Mimì, gathering momentum in vocal prowess. She has indeed come a very long way from her debut at the Astra as Oscar in Verdi’s Un Ballo in Maschera (2002).

Ideal for the role, the young comely tenor Leonardo Caimi as Rodolfo was a good match with Cauchi, on good vocal form as was the big, bearish but heart-of-gold Marcello well etched by baritone Devid Cecconi. Very good too was the all-round interpretation of soprano Oana Andra as the outwardly capricious Musetta.

This goes too to the other two of the Bohemian quartet: bass Gabriele Sagona as Colline and baritone Louis Andrew Cassar as an excellent Schaunard. It is a pity that in an earlier draft Puccini deleted a solo number for the latter character. Perhaps it is time to give this baritone a bigger role in future.

Smaller roles were taken by Miguel Rosales doubling as Alcindoro and Benoît and Mario Portelli as Parpignol/Sergente.

A word of praise must go to Maria Frendo and Renzo Renzi for the excellent (no other word suffices) way they coached the chorus as did Mariella Spiteri Cefai with the children’s chorus in Act II. The chorus part in this act is devilishly difficult yet not a single cue was lost even when at first at the beginning of Act II they were a little overcrowded and made movement difficult.

There were certain baffling things in Enrico Stinchelli’s artistic direction

There were certain baffling things in Enrico Stinchelli’s artistic direction. It was at least a good idea to have one interval with a pretty quick change of scene between Acts I and II and III and IV even though the former verged on the dangerously long with too much overcrowding.

When the sheer screen was removed the crowd scene was well-handled but many questions were raised. If one is to update a production and have the Eiffel Tower as a backdrop, then update the costumes too. The men wore 1830s/1840s attire and in Act I Mimì came out wearing a short skirt.

Those go-go girls cavorting behind large glass windows looked more Amsterdam than Paris and there was really no place for a troupe of can-can dancers with only very brief seconds to do their bit (twice).

Act II ends with a military band marching and sounding a jolly “retreat” but it was lost on children carrying toy drums and toy brass instruments without at least a nod as to miming the use thereof.

Puzzling too was the far too long presence of the screen, useful when ”it snows “ at the beginning and end of Act III. However, to keep it there throughout with the singers’ faces almost always in the dark deprived one of the pleasure of matching the undoubtedly highly expressive singing with facial expressions. I am certain they were there but remained unseen most of the time.

Just as puzzling was the beginning of the lovely Act IV duet with Rodolfo wielding the paintbrush and Marcello the pen. For a moment I thought I was seeing Leoncavallo’s setting of his Bohème, in which the roles are the reverse of Puccini’s. What was meant by this is unclear.

Joseph Cauchi’s sets were fine and best in their barest as in the outer acts. Manuel Grima and George Farrugia’s costumes were good too and one appreciated the great teamwork behind the scenes which goes into these productions.

That other great asset, the music, was in the usual very able hands of Joseph Vella directing the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra. Balanced, flexible, yet well-controlled, the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra was in usual good form.

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