Rodolfo and Mimi have pledged to stay together throughout the winter and part in spring, when the flowers return. Another clever use of colour, and a particularly macabre moment, comes in the final bars of Act 3. Played by tenor Christopher Lemmings, the role of the toy seller Parpignol is incorporated into his character, and the red balloons he hands out to the members of the children’s chorus are a stark contrast to the mostly monochrome design, and a haunting reminder that death will, eventually, come to us all. Visser has added a character into the mix, the black-clad Death, visible only to Mimi, who silently stalks her throughout the piece. ( Pictured above:: the Bohemians in Act 2). Props are minimal, with a higgledy-piggledy pile of metal chairs pretty much the only piece of furniture that appears on the stage.
As the characters traverse the incline, it gives the impression of them melting in and out of the darkness at the back of the stage. The sparse set contains a single backdrop throughout, an image of a cobbled street that goes over a small hill. He’s a director who’s known for his minimal style, and this Bohème is no exception. A more pertinent question, however, may be “how does one find something new to say about La bohème after all this time”? Dutch director Floris Visser achieves just that, yet remains entirely faithful to the work in this brand-new Glyndebourne production, set in Paris around the time of the 1930s/40s.
Or perhaps it’s the nostalgic pining for youth that seems to echo throughout the piece ( Puccini was nearly 40 by the time he finished composing the work). Perhaps it’s that the characters – a group of young Parisians in the mid 19th century – are so relatable to so many, regardless of age, class or nationality.
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