History Trivia / LaBoheme

* VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory: the novel apparently differed slightly from accounts of Murgur's real early life, and the opera radically changed the personality of Mimì (whose relationship with Henri was definitely over when it was over.) Marcello is a CompositeCharacter of two different painters.

*** 1956, conducted by Antonino Votto: Maria Callas, Anna Moffo, Giuseppe Di Stephano, Rolando Panerai, Nicola Zaccaria, Manuel Spatafora

* AllStarCast: A lot of recordings, stage productions, and films of this opera cast some big names in the leading roles:
** Films:

** Recordings:
*** 1956, conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham: Spanish soprano Victoria de los Angeles as Mimi, American soprano Lucine Amara as Musetta, Swedish tenor Jussi Bjoerling as Rodolfo, American baritone Robert Merrill as Marcello, and American bass Giorgio Tozzi as Colline. Often regarded as among the best opera recordings ever pressed.
*** Another recording from 1956, this time conducted by Antonio Votto: Greek soprano Maria Callas as Mimi, American soprano Anna Moffo as Musetta, Italian tenor Giuseppe di Stephano as Rodolfo, Italian baritone Rolando Panerai as Marcello, and Greek bass Nicola Zaccaria as Colline.
*** 1972, conducted by Herbert von Karajan: Italian soprano Mirella Freni as Mimi, English soprano Elizabeth Harwood as Musetta, Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti as Rodolfo, Rolando Panerai (again) as Marcello, and Bulgarian bass Nicolai Ghiaurov as Colline.
*** 1973, conducted by Georg Solti: Spanish soprano Montserrat Caballé as Mimi, American soprano Judith Blegen as Musetta, Spanish tenor Plácido Domingo as Rodolfo, American baritone Sherrill Milnes as Marcello, Italian bass-baritone Ruggero Raimondi as Colline, and Spanish baritone Vicente Sardinero as Schaunard.

*** 1956, conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham: Spanish soprano Victoria de los Angeles as Mimi, American soprano Lucine Amara as Musetta, Swedish tenor Jussi Bjoerling as Rodolfo, American baritone Robert Merrill as Marcello, and American bass Giorgio Tozzi as Colline.

*** 1956, conducted by Antonio Votto: Greek soprano Maria Callas as Mimi, American soprano Anna Moffo as Musetta, Italian tenor Giuseppe di Stephano as Rodolfo, Italian baritone Rolando Panerai as Marcello, and Greek bass Nicola Zaccaria as Colline.

*** 1956 with the RCA orchestra: Greek soprano Maria Callas as Mimi, American soprano Anna Moffo as Musetta, Italian tenor Giuseppe di Stephano as Rodolfo, and Greek bass Nicola Zaccaria as Colline.
*** 1973, conducted by Georg Solti: Spanish soprano Montserrat Caballé as Mimi, American soprano Judith Blegen as Musetta, Spanish tenor Plácido Domingo as Rodolfo, American baritone Sherrill Milnes as Marcello, and Italian bass-baritone Ruggero Raimondi as Colline.

*** 1973 with the London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Hungarian conductor Georg Solti: Spanish soprano Montserrat Caballé as Mimi, American soprano Judith Blegen as Musetta, Spanish tenor Plácido Domingo as Rodolfo, American baritone Sherrill Milnes as Marcello, and Italian bass-baritone Ruggero Raimondi as Colline.

*** A recording from 1956 had Greek soprano Maria Callas as Mimi, American soprano Anna Moffo as Musetta, Italian tenor Giuseppe di Stephano as Rodolfo, and Greek bass Nicola Zaccaria as Colline.

* VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory: the novel apparently differed slightly from accounts of Murgur's real early life, and the opera radically changed the personality of Mimi (whose relationship with Henri was definitely over when it was over.) Marcello is a CompositeCharacter of two different painters.
** Virtually every major character in the opera was to meet an early and depressing end- several of them died of the same disease as Mimi, including Henri Murgar. The real Musetta saved enough money to give up her profession and emigrate to start a new life in the French colony of Algeria... but died when her ship sank in the Mediterranean.

** Virtually every major character in the opera was to meet an early and depressing end- several of them died of the same disease as Mimi, including Henri Murgar. The real Musetta saved enough money to give up her profession and emigrate to start a new life in the French colony of Algeria... but died when her ship sank in the Mediterranean.

* DuelingShows: Ruggero Leoncavallo wrote an opera (premiered in 1897, but written contemporaneously with Puccini's), also entitled ''La bohème'' and based on Murger's novel. His version is rarely performed today.