Post by tmesis on Feb 24, 2019 20:41:13 GMT
I wasn't going to bother posting about this since the run has now finished but I enjoyed it so much on Friday night I can't resist. Although there had previously been a much panned 2015 production the management decided (hooray) to revive the excellent Jonathan Miller production that preceded it and was first shown in 2009. I thought this a really excellent production then but it was let down by the distinctly average tenor, and am-dram acting of Alfie Boe. Yes, around ten years ago Boe was still treading the boards in a pukka opera. I'm quite pleased he's now become a quasi pop singer and can leave this sort of repertoire to more talented performers.
The cast was really good, particularly Natalia Romaniw as Mimi. It's high praise indeed that she reminded me of Mirella Freni - my all time favourite in the part. Musetta had great charisma, sung by Nadine Benjamin who much impressed in the recent Porgy and Bess. The quartet of students where all excellent and characterful, and for once, actually looked like young students. To begin with I thought in the early Act 1 ensemble scenes Jonathan Tetelman was a little under-powered as Rodolfo but by the end of the act, and subsequently, his lovely, youthful, voice completely won me over - Oh, and he's an extremely good looking chap too.
The production is even better than I remembered it. The current ROH production is fine but this ENO one really reminds me of the good old days of the John Copley production at The Garden. That had fabulously detailed sets by Julia Trevelyan Oman and these are nearly as good. Miller has slightly updated the period and, if anything, the student garret looks even more convincing in this production. The Cafe Momus scenes are terrifically detailed and Act 3 is very atmospheric.
The cast was really good, particularly Natalia Romaniw as Mimi. It's high praise indeed that she reminded me of Mirella Freni - my all time favourite in the part. Musetta had great charisma, sung by Nadine Benjamin who much impressed in the recent Porgy and Bess. The quartet of students where all excellent and characterful, and for once, actually looked like young students. To begin with I thought in the early Act 1 ensemble scenes Jonathan Tetelman was a little under-powered as Rodolfo but by the end of the act, and subsequently, his lovely, youthful, voice completely won me over - Oh, and he's an extremely good looking chap too.
The production is even better than I remembered it. The current ROH production is fine but this ENO one really reminds me of the good old days of the John Copley production at The Garden. That had fabulously detailed sets by Julia Trevelyan Oman and these are nearly as good. Miller has slightly updated the period and, if anything, the student garret looks even more convincing in this production. The Cafe Momus scenes are terrifically detailed and Act 3 is very atmospheric.
