Event date: November 3, 2025
Event Time: 01:00 PM – 02:15 PM
Description:
Jeffrey Engel will detail the history of Puccini’s fourth opera, “La Boheme,” and play recorded excerpts from it.
The 1896 world premiere of “La Boheme” in Turin, Italy, was not a critical success. In fact, only one critic wrote a favorable review. Another article predicted “that ‘Boheme’ would have a small influence on the history of opera and might be dismissed by its composer as a momentary mistake.” The public, however, was more receptive.
“Boheme” had its La Scala premiere in 1897, was revived in 1900, and then not performed there until 1916. Similarly, Bologna first heard it in 1896 and then not again until twenty years later.
Outside of Italy, “Boheme” took even longer to establish itself in the repertories of major opera houses in Austria, England, France, and Germany. And yet, by 2023, the Metropolitan Opera had produced it nearly 1400 times! If only those early critics and theater general managers were alive today to see how misguided they had been.
