Puccini - La Bohème / Bocelli, Frittoli, Mei, Gavanelli, Luperi, de Carolis, Israel PO, Mehta

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
The either-love-him-or-hate-him tenor sensation Andrea Bocelli fulfills his lifelong dream of recording Puccini's rapturous La Bohème, thereby affording fans (who may have previously shunned opera) access to this magical art form. A fragile vulnerability graces Bocelli's Rodolfo. His tenor's tearful tenderness always seems one step away from breaking, but it never does; he always delivers. Instead of opening his throat and letting the voice ride the wave of the breath, Bocelli unabashedly throws his voice towards the high notes. And it works! The sound is light, nasal, and effortlessly produced, and the money notes at his tenor's top expand as vividly as a hot-air balloon. Like a pop singer, Bocelli leans on the middle voice. What he lacks in phrasing, he makes up for through his commitment to passion. Conductor Zubin Mehta's sensitive orchestra teases, expands, frolics, and enriches, frequently upstaging the singers with his rich orchestral emotion. Barbara Frittoli is a vocal battleship, bringing an unpleasantly thick and wobbly soprano to the role of the frail Mimì and frequently submerging Bocelli under steely vocal heft. Her Mimì is not the maker of delicate flowers, but the person who stomps on them when they've accidentally fallen to the floor. Bocelli is not the greatest Rodolfo on record. But if this recording creates a new generation of Puccini lovers, it may be his greatest musical contribution. --Barbara Eisner Bayer

Puccini - La Bohème / Bocelli, Frittoli, Mei, Gavanelli, Luperi, de Carolis, Israel PO, Mehta, Music, Giacomo Puccini, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Zubin Mehta, Andrea Bocelli, Barbara Frittoli, Paolo Gavanelli, Mario Luperi, Eva Mei, Natale de Carolis, Classical, Classical Artists, Classical Music, Italian Romantic Opera, Opera, Opera / Operetta / Oratorio
Puccini - La Bohème / Bocelli, Frittoli, Mei, Gavanelli, Luperi, de Carolis, Israel PO, Mehta
Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • Loved it!
  • A Fiasco!
  • Yawn.....
  • I read it differently - just another Andrea Bocelli's album
  • The overdramatic tantrums by some continue....
 Puccini - La Bohème / Bocelli, Frittoli, Mei, Gavanelli, Luperi, de Carolis, Israel PO, Mehta
Giacomo Puccini , Israel Philharmonic Orchestra , Zubin Mehta , Andrea Bocelli , Barbara Frittoli , Paolo Gavanelli , Mario Luperi , Eva Mei , and Natale de Carolis
Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00004X16E
Release Date: 2000-11-07

Tracks:

  1. La Boheme: Act I: Questo mar Rossi mi ammollisce e assidera
  2. La Boheme: Act I: Pensier profondo!
  3. La Boheme: Act I: Abbasso, abbasso l'autor!
  4. La Boheme: Act I: Si puo?
  5. La Boheme: Act I: Lo resto per terminar l'articolo
  6. La Boheme: Act I: Non sono in vena
  7. La Boheme: Act I: Si sente meglio?
  8. La Boheme: Act I: Che gelida manina
  9. La Boheme: Act I: Si. Mi chiamano Mimi
  10. La Boheme: Act I: Ehi! Rodolfo
  11. La Boheme: Act I: O soave fanciulla
  12. La Boheme: Act II: Aranci, datteri, caldi i marroni!
  13. La Boheme: Act II: Chi guardi?
  14. La Boheme: Act II: Questa e Mimi
  15. La Boheme: Act II: Viva Parpignol
  16. La Boheme: Act II: Allegri, e un toast!
  17. La Boheme: Act II: Quando me n'vo
  18. La Boheme: Act II: Il conto?

Tracks:

  1. La Boheme: Act Three: Ohe, la, le guardie! Aprite! (Spazzaturai)
  2. La Boheme: Act Three: Sa Dirmi, scusi, qual'e l'osteria (Mimi)
  3. La Boheme: Act Three: Mimi! - Speravo di trovarvi qui (Marcello, Mimi)
  4. La Boheme: Act Three: Marcello. Finalmente! (Rodolfo)
  5. La Boheme: Act Three: Mimi e una civetta (Rodolfo)
  6. La Boheme: Act Three: Nini e tanto malata (Rodolfo)
  7. La Boheme: Act Three: Mimi di serra e fiore (Rodolfo)
  8. La Boheme: Act Three: Donde lieta usci al tuo grido d'amore (Mimi)
  9. La Boheme: Act Three: Dunque e proprio finita! (Rodolfo)
  10. La Boheme: Act Four: In un coupe? - Con pariglia e livree (Marcello, Rodolfo)
  11. La Boheme: Act Four: O Mimi, tu piu non torni (Rodolfo)
  12. La Boheme: Act Four: Che ora sia? (Rodolfo)
  13. La Boheme: Act Four: Gavotta! - Minuetto! - Pavanella! - Fandango! (Colline, Marcello, Rodolfo, Schaunard)
  14. La Boheme: Act Four: C'e Mimi! (Musetta)
  15. La Boheme: Act Four: Vecchia zimarra, senti (Colline)
  16. La Boheme: Act Four: Sono andati? Fingevo di dormire (Mimi)
  17. La Boheme: Act Four: Oh Dio! Mimi (Rodolfo)
  18. La Boheme: Act Four: Che ha detto il medico? (Rodolfo)

Amazon.com

The either-love-him-or-hate-him tenor sensation Andrea Bocelli fulfills his lifelong dream of recording Puccini's rapturous La Bohème, thereby affording fans (who may have previously shunned opera) access to this magical art form. A fragile vulnerability graces Bocelli's Rodolfo. His tenor's tearful tenderness always seems one step away from breaking, but it never does; he always delivers. Instead of opening his throat and letting the voice ride the wave of the breath, Bocelli unabashedly throws his voice towards the high notes. And it works! The sound is light, nasal, and effortlessly produced, and the money notes at his tenor's top expand as vividly as a hot-air balloon. Like a pop singer, Bocelli leans on the middle voice. What he lacks in phrasing, he makes up for through his commitment to passion. Conductor Zubin Mehta's sensitive orchestra teases, expands, frolics, and enriches, frequently upstaging the singers with his rich orchestral emotion. Barbara Frittoli is a vocal battleship, bringing an unpleasantly thick and wobbly soprano to the role of the frail Mimì and frequently submerging Bocelli under steely vocal heft. Her Mimì is not the maker of delicate flowers, but the person who stomps on them when they've accidentally fallen to the floor. Bocelli is not the greatest Rodolfo on record. But if this recording creates a new generation of Puccini lovers, it may be his greatest musical contribution. --Barbara Eisner Bayer

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Loved it!.......2005-03-18

Andrea Bocelli's legion of fans get their hearts' desire along with with the gifted tenor in this splendid performance of Puccini's classic. La Boheme, perhaps the most popular opera, is enjoyable anyway but Bocelli's spellbinding voice makes it sound as if even the most ardent fan is hearing it for the first time. In the words of Frederick Pohl, "Nothing is so wonderful that somebody, somewhere, won't hate it" and that certainly seems to be the case with some reviews of this album, but I found it thrilling and highly recommend it.

1 out of 5 stars A Fiasco!.......2004-05-16

Please, leave opera to the professionals! I like Andrea Bocelli, but his voice does not sound good doing opera. The control, emotion and strength needed just are not there. The final scene is a perfect example of how unconvincing Bocelli is when he realizes Mimi has died, he sounds as if he just lost his pet cat not the love of his life. It's surprising because Botecelli himself talks about how important and emotional this opera is and that it has been a dream for him to perform, but he just does not deliver. Barbara Frittoli gives an OK performance of Mimi and Eva Mei a good Musetta and Mario Luperi a good Colline. Paolo Gavanelli as Marcello has an uneven vibrato. His voice sounds tired and his pitch goes flat at the end of phases. There is even a blatant wrong note from the brass section in the first act which the editors should have caught. The recording favors the singers and the orchestra sounds like background music instead of an integral part of the work except during forte passages.

Overall, it's a fiasco! I just could not warm up to any of these characters and FEEL this opera the way it should be felt, with great emotion. If you want to hear this opera the way it should be done get Bjorling and Beechem (EMI #67753 ASIN: B000063UM0 ) or the Domingo and Solti recording (RCA #39496 ASIN: B000009NIW ).

1 out of 5 stars Yawn............2004-03-18

Wow! I simply am taken away by this full-blasted poppy Boheme! This certainly tops the classical charts, with its light, airy solos and duets and madly tenderized orchestrations! Bocelli sweeps the stage away as he swallows the mike and sings Rodolfo's arias, and Fritolli must have been the zombie walking around the recording studio singing Mimi. Zuben Mehta must have had a stroke after producing the best Turandot ever and lost the ability to swing the baton to add strength and beauty to this his country's orchestra. Overall, the weakest Boheme I've ever heard after listening to the most desperate aria renditions by Michael Bolton. (Fleming was wonderful, but Bolton simply was not) If they wanted a light pop version of Boheme, they should have called Filippa Giordano to do Mimi. She could have saved the glorious "popera". However, producers who are hopping into A.B's bandwagon must have thought that they could get away with the popularity of an inexperienced tenor at a learned audience's expense. Critics have lambasted this. An avid opera audience has deemed it weak and undeserving of praise. However, fans who were taken away by Sarah Brightman and Bocelli's gorgeous duet blindly declare the supremity of this recording over a whole lot of other versions. And they call themselves music lovers. If they really think this is a recording of excellent quality, they have not possibly loved music enough to explore other versions of the beloved opera.

What else can I say? I'm unimpressed. I like Bocelli. I enjoy his music, but this doesn't count as a good recording. The man can sing, but opera shouldn't be included in his repertoire. His voice simply is too light for any lead role. It doesn't even cross the depth of a light tenor role such as that of Goro or Pang from Madama Butterfly and Turandot. I really don't care if he had the great yet lisped Franco Corelli as his mentor. What really counts is the end product, not the artisan who supported it through the manufacturing process. He pronounces words well, but what really counts is the voice. I'd buy Baz Luhrmann's version of the opera over this, even if I abhorrently detest that recording as well.

As for those critics who ask us why we would so cruelly scrutinize Bocelli's recording, its because we felt disappointed after spending more than $37 on Bocelli opera. We could have spent in on a cheaper version of Pavarotti's Boheme, but no, we wasted it on a version which WE, not you, do not like.

4 out of 5 stars I read it differently - just another Andrea Bocelli's album.......2003-10-27

Come on! Let's be fair to Andrea Bocelli. It is terrible to give him just 1-2 star(s) and I am sure he deserves more! Certainly I recognize that this is NOT the first choice for "La Boheme" and if you are looking for a good performance and opera recording, you should always refer to either the version conducted by Beecham or the one by Karajan. However, give him the credit, taking into consideration that he is blind, it is extremely difficult for him to understand and interpret this piece of work due to his disability. Mind you, he cannot even read the score! Can you imagine how he worked it out (in term of communication) with the rest of the singers and the orchestra? Put aside whether he is suitable for the role, but his effort cannot be denied. Treat this as an Andrea Bocelli's album instead of Puccini's "La Boheme" and don't compare him with Jussi Bjorling (EMI, Beecham) or Pavarotti (Decca, Karajan). I really wonder how many of them (refer to those reviewers who gave very negative remarks) have actually heard this recording?!
Everyone of us know that he is not a born opera tenor, and if you choose to take this recording, the only reason is probably he is Andrea Bocelli. If you know his limitation, then why do you listen and purchase this recording? If you did not, on what ground you made all these lousy feedback?

By the way, I owned the Beecham's version and this (of course!). I read both performances differently.

4 out of 5 stars The overdramatic tantrums by some continue...........2003-10-09

It never ceases to amaze me how the serious opera buffs feel they have cornered the market on what "great singing" is.

Granted, in no way is this the "best" Boheme from a traditional standpoint, and of course Bocelli is not the greatest tenor. This is nice information to have, but ultimately useless. The fact remains Bocelli's sound and style keeps the majority of listeners hooked, and what MUST be understood is the majority of people are just don't take to serious, high-level opera singing too well (otherwise, opera would outsell all other kinds of music). So to claim that listening to past great tenors and other Bohemes will make most people suddenly see some light and dislike Bocelli is nothing but a myth. Bocelli may not have the power, impressive range, impressive dramatic power and complete control over different types of tones as the legendary names do, but he has something else: a relatable, pleasing tone and a high note that's singularly pleasant. In other words, Bocelli has what most of the public likes about opera singing, and not what they dislike (and unlike what the serious opera buffs would lead one to believe, there is a LOT about the top tenors to dislike).

And another big myth is that this Boheme was "universally trashed"... it most certainly was not, for it received some positive reviews from a few serious music publications. Of course they never claimed it was the best Boheme in history but that's not the same as trashing.

I fully enjoyed this Boheme from beginning to end as did many, many other people. I did hear room for improvements but as it stands I heard some arias here I MUCH prefer that the other "serious" tenors... I've heard Alagna's Boheme and overall Bocelli's made a better impression. It's amazing that after all these claims about Bocelli not being a serious tenor some of his versions of arias are more pleasureable and more relatable. Out of all the "Che gelida manina"s I've heard (many over the years), I can really only think of 2 versions I loved and enjoyed more than Bocelli's here... not bad for a "non-serious" tenor.

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