Review: LA BOHÈME, Glyndebourne

As the nights draw in, it seems highly appropriate to return to Glyndebourne for the start of its Autumn Season and the chilly streets of Puccini’s La bohème. Floris Visser’s profoundly poignant production, beautifully revived by Rachael Hewer, is inspired by Brassaï’s dramatic black-and-white photographs of Paris and sounds as stunning as it looks.

The emotional resonance of the opera is given incredible heft by having the spectre of death ever-present. In this case, quite literally, as a pale man dressed in black silently stalks Mimì throughout, making her fate even more inevitable and visceral than usual.

Death is played by Christopher Lemmings who exhibits ghostly stillness and unblinking focus on his prey. The choice to have the same person sing the playful role of toyseller Parpignol makes the contrast haunting and very discomforting.

Aida Pascu’s Mimì is suitably fragile, with gorgeous top notes and excellent acting as she is horribly aware of Death’s presence even before she declines. Her rosy cheeks become pale, her glossy hair become greasy and she physically folds into herself. Her “Si, mi chiamano Mimì” is delicate and sweetly sung.

Pascu has nice chemistry with Andrés Agudelo’s Rodolfo, who shows both growing passion and personal conflict. Their luscious duet “O soave fanciulla” is just gorgeous and Agudelo’s “Che gelida manina” is touching and tender.

Aksel Daveyan has great stage presence as Marcello, full-throated, with fiery interaction with Camilla Harris’s Musetta. Harris herself is confident and nicely petulant as the wilful character. Her “Quando m'en vo” is assured and shows off her more piercing soprano.

Markus Suihkonen and Darwin Prakash provide excellent vocal support and bonhomie as Colline and Schaunard respectively.

Dieuweke van Reij’s monochrome set gives the whole production a feeling of foreboding noir. High concrete walls flank a cobbled street leading to blackness beyond, which Death slowly leads Mimì down at the end of the production, to devastating effect. It’s minimal, but very impactful, although the garret scenes look a little out of place played out on the cobblestones.

Costumes by Jon Morrell stick to shades of grey, black and white, punctuated only by a few colour flashes, such as Mimì’s pink beret and impactful red balloons distributed by Parpignol to the excitable children. Alex Brok’s lighting design is thoughtful and adds huge atmosphere, particularly as the road fades into nothingness and as open doors throw out warm light into the cold street.

Conductor Adam Hickox, son of the late, great conductor Richard Hickox, brings life to all Puccini’s beautiful musical storytelling. The shimmering strings and melancholy flutes are particular effective. The Glyndebourne Chorus is on its usual top form, bringing interest and liveliness to the crowd scenes.

Evocative, moving and memorable. Every good version of La bohème should move its audience, but this production will surely break your heart.

La bohème runs at Glyndebourne until 2 November