COMPOSERS: Puccini
LABELS: Koch Schwann
WORKS: La bohème
PERFORMER: Francisco Araiza, Katia Ricciarelli, Stefano Antonucci, Alberto Noli; Lauren Broglia; Verona Arena Chorus & Orchestra/Anton Guadagno
CATALOGUE NO: 3-1592-2 DDD
An unexceptional Bohème. Araiza is a pliant but often strained Rodolfo who sinks into Puccini’s pools of vocalised emotion. Ricciarelli presents a highly strung, vulnerable Mimì but there are jarring moments when she suddenly alters her vocal colouring from light to dark within a few bars and this disturbs many of Puccini’s exquisite, elongated phrases. Puccini deserves much better than this. Elise McDougall
Puccini: La bohème
An unexceptional Bohème. Araiza is a pliant but often strained Rodolfo who sinks into Puccini’s pools of vocalised emotion. Ricciarelli presents a highly strung, vulnerable Mimì but there are jarring moments when she suddenly alters her vocal colouring from light to dark within a few bars and this disturbs many of Puccini’s exquisite, elongated phrases. Puccini deserves much better than this. Elise McDougall
