Members of The Royal Opera perform the Act IV Finale of Puccini's La bohème. www.roh.org.uk/news/musical-highlight-the-act-iv-finale-of-la-boheme Starring Dmytro Popov as Rodolfo and Maija Kovalevska as Mimì; with Stefania Dovhan as Musetta, Audun Iversen as Marcello, Nahuel di Pierro as Colline and David Bižić as Schaunard. www.roh.org.uk/productions/la-boheme-by-john-copley La bohème had a lukewarm reception at its premiere in 1896, but its fortunes almost immediately changed. Giacomo Puccini's romantic depiction of bohemian Paris, with memorable music and a love story drawn from everyday life, has captivated audiences round the world, making La bohème one of the best-loved of all operas. It was first performed in Covent Garden in 1897 and has had more than 500 performances here since. John Copley's production re-creates Paris in the 1830s, from the lively Latin Quarter, where hawkers and traders ply their wares, to a drafty attic where impoverished artists live hand-to-mouth. Rodolfo and Mimì's love story is given moving expression through Puccini's score, from their first meeting in Act I (a scene which contains some of the composer's most exquisite arias and duets) to their poignant reunion in Act IV. These moments of emotional intensity are contrasted with the colourful spectacle of the Café Momus and surrounding streets in Act II, where Puccini presents a cross-section of Parisian society in all its noise and vibrancy.

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