The scene is a contemporary artists studio with the biggest stove you will ever see — too big for the four poor starving artists who frequent it to keep fuelled. Add two woman, a bit of cafè life and that basically is the plot supplied by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. Not much you may think, but add to that the music of Giacomo Puccini and you have something out of the ordinary.

Opera North’s touring production of this well tried and tested favourite directed by Kate Saxon has all the ingredients required to make a night at the opera very enjoyable indeed. Above all it has a singer of exceptional quality in Peter Auty who plays Rodolfo, an artist who falls in love with Mimi sung by soprano Barbara Haveman. Add the voices of Yvonne Patrick, Mark Stone, Daniel Broad, Andrew Foster-Williams, Eric Roberts and Peter Field and you have a very fine mix that produce a magnificent whole. When Auty sings his main song “Che gelida manina”, commonly known as “Your tiny hand is frozen”, the hair prickles on your neck. It is an exceptional tenor voice and one we shall hear a lot of in the future so note the name. So what of the show itself. The scenery is just right and the moving cafe scene is great fun which works to great effect. The chorus is one of the best you will see and at times seem to more than fill the stage with convincing bodies, even the children play their parts well. The weak spot is the conducting of Martin Pickard who seems unable to balance the noise he gets from his very fine orchestra with the voices of the singers and at times drowns them out. It takes some effort to drown out five male singers at full blast. A pity for with a little thought the blend would have been stunning all the time.

Before the paint was dry on the canvas this opera was over — the time had flown by with memorable music and singing. Try to see La Bohème if it comes your way and enjoy the sensations that go with it. © BA

“La Bohème” is in Hull from the 21st and 23rd of March, 2002.