La bohème

STORY

Act I

The poet Rodolfo and the painter Marcello are working in their cold garret in Paris on Christmas Eve. They have no money and no fuel for the stove so they burn the manuscript of Rodolfo’s play to keep warm. Their flatmate Colline, a philosopher, arrives home penniless but Schaunard, a musician, has made some money. He invites them all to dinner but then their landlord arrives asking for the overdue rent. Marcello accuses him of having a mistress and the others, with feigned outrage, drive the landlord away.

Rodolfo stays behind to finish an article while the others leave for Café Momus. Mimì, a seamstress who lives in the same building, knocks on the door and asks Rodolfo to light her candle. She is overcome with a fit of coughing and faints. Recovered, she realises that she has lost her key. In the dark, Rodolfo finds it but hides it and instead ‘finds’ her hands. They introduce themselves to each other, fall in love and leave together for Café Momus.

Act II

In the Latin Quarter, children and vendors fill the street. At Café Momus, Rodolfo introduces Mimì to his friends. Marcello sees his old sweetheart, Musetta, accompanied by Alcindoro, a pompous Councillor of State. Mimì admires Musetta’s dress while Marcello tries to ignore her. Musetta sends Alcindoro away to buy her some shoes and, in his absence, she flirts with Marcello. They confess their love for each other, then when waiter brings the bill Musetta charges it all to the Councillor.

Act III

About eight weeks later, Rodolfo, Marcello and Musetta are in a tavern by a city tollgate. Mimì arrives, ill and exhausted, and tells Marcello that Rodolfo left her in a violent, jealous rage. Mimì hides as Rodolfo complains to his flatmate that Mimì is a flirt, but then confesses that the real reason he left her was because she is ill with consumption. Mimì’s coughing betrays her presence and she comes out from her hiding. She and Rodolfo agree that they should separate but only once winter has past and the warmth of spring has come to make their parting easier to bear.

Act IV

Back in the garret some time later, Rodolfo and Marcello are trying but failing to work. They instead complain that their lovers have left them for wealthy men. Schaunard and Colline arrive with a single herring and the men prepare a mock feast including courtly dances and a duel. Suddenly, Musetta enters with the news that Mimì is following behind her, but is very ill. She explains that Mimì left her new aristocratic lover to die near Rodolfo. Marcello, Musetta and Colline leave to pawn their possessions so as to pay for medicine, a doctor and a muff. Mimì and Rodolfo remember how they first met and fell in love, and the friends return with the items. Rodolfo tells his friends that Mimì is sleeping peacefully, but Schaunard discovers that she has in fact died.