La Bohème

Anyone looking for a very nontraditional production of Puccini's popular opera about the doomed romance of Rodolfo and Mimi will want to check out this 2012 production from the Norwegian National Opera. The original, of course, is set in Paris's Latin Quarter around 1830, and the couple's ardent love ends—spoiler alert!—in Mimi's death from consumption and Rodolfo sobbing over her corpse. Stefan Herheim's staging, however, opens in a modern ICU where the heroine—bald from chemotherapy—expires, and the rest of the story is told in flashback. Although the hospital setting is maintained, bits and pieces of period costuming and décor are periodically inserted, sometimes to rather jarring effect. Still, Heike Scheele's set design nicely serves Herheim's concept, and Diego Torre stands out as Rodolfo, while Marita S?lberg's Mimi is solid (although Jennifer Rowley's Musetta isn't much more than adequate). Offering able support throughout is the company orchestra and chorus, led by Eivind Gullberg Jensen. Presented in DTS 5.1 (DTS-HD 5.1 on the Blu-ray version) and LPCM stereo, extras include brief backstage interviews, and a cast gallery. While a less radical version—such as the recent Opera Australia mounting (VL-9/12)—would be a safer choice, this should still be considered a strong optional purchase. (F. Swietek)