Opera favourite La Boheme never fails as a showstopper

Opera favourite stands the test of time and the courtesan steals the show.

Julie Lea Goodwin as Musetta in Opera Australia's 2019 production of La Bohème. Picture: Prudence Upton

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Of all opera’s heroines, Musetta stands out. She’s tempestuous, fiercely independent and not above manipulating men to get her own way.

The role gives sopranos some of Puccini’s most appealing music and the chance to play the vamp with a sharp tongue and a soft heart.

So when we look at the talented Julie Lea Goodwin strutting her stuff on stage, singing her heart out and wiggling her hips lasciviously, all in perfect character as Musetta, you can’t help wondering: is she purely a character of fiction, or is she a shade from Puccini’s past?

The obvious candidate for the real-life role is his lover, Elvira Gemignani. They ran away together, scandalising society because she was a married woman. A son, Antonio, was born in 1886 but the couple squabbled constantly, mainly because of the composer’s many infidelities.

They married in 1904 after Elvira’s husband died but her relationship with Puccini became increasingly toxic.

We’ll probably never know if the wayward composer based Musetta on his jealous lover but similarities certainly exist.

In this revival, Julie Lea plays a vibrant courtesan, confident in her own sexuality, her warm soprano, self-assured vocal expression and easy stage manner combining to dominate almost every scene in which she appeared.

It’s hardly surprising she has made this part her own: she has performed the role almost every year since 2016.

Karah Son as Mimi and Ivan Ayon Rivas as Rodolfo In Opera Australia's 2023 La Boheme. Picture: Rhiannon Hopley

In total contrast, Korean-born Karah Son was a picture of restraint, not that her voice was lacking; she used her silvery, delicate soprano to great effect, with an assured delicacy when required.

Peruvian tenor Ivan Ayon Rivas played Rodolfo with a mixture of sensitivity and boyish charm. He seemed to strain with the higher notes but the softer passages suited him well.

As Marcello, Chinese performer Haotian Qi excelled, his rich baritone complementing Julie Lea’s voice beautifully.

This version resets the scene from Paris in the 1840s to the Weimar Republic in the 1930s, although some parts of the libretto jar in the process. The bohemians of the title, originally set in the Latin Quarter of Paris, are improbably transported holus bolus to Germany.

Cafe Momus, the real one, that is, was a fixture of 19th-century Paris. It survived at least until 1982 apparently in Rue de Pretres, St Germain-l’Auxerrois, but not under the same name. It’s hard to imagine such a French institution being uprooted to, say, Berlin.

Of the lesser players, Alexander Sefton as Schaunard and Richard Anderson as Colline provided solid support.

Above all, the lyrical quality of Puccini’s work continued to provide the most convincing background to the performance, with solid support from the orchestra under conductor Michelangelo Mazza.

DETAILS

• OPERA La Boheme

• STARS Karah Son, Ivan Ayon Rivas, Julie Lea Goodwin, Haotian Qi

• WHERE Sydney Opera House

• WHEN Until March 11

• BOOKINGS 9250 7777, www.sydneyoperahouse.com