![]() Never included by the cognoscenti among the ranks of truly great composers of opera and indeed dismissed by many critics and 'serious' musicians as an overrated tunesmith with an embarrassing fancy for tear-jerking melodrama, Puccini has seldom been recognized for the inventiveness of his orchestrations and unerring if slightly formulaic theatrical instincts. This contributes mightily to both the opera's and the composer's popularities, yet it does Puccini a profound, albeit profitable disservice. From the ranks of seasoned opera-goers who strive to ensure that their tears are dried before the house lights come up lest they be mistaken for sentimental Philistines to the neophytes who regard the opera as a backdrop for amorous intrigues involving Cher and Nicolas Cage, audiences rely upon La bohème for the refulgent melodies and unapologetically facile emotional catharses for which they must work harder in performances of 'heavier,' more ostentatiously intellectual scores. Virtually every singer with a shard of voice and even a half-hearted appreciation for opera has been involved in some way with a performance of Giacomo Puccini's La bohème, and the opera is as much a communal rite of passage for audiences as for aspiring Tebaldis and Pavarottis. Keefe (Customs Officer) Chorus and Orchestra of North Carolina Opera Robert Moody, conductor
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