Giuseppe Giacosa

“ Every man is my prize!
And thus their hearts, their hearts I capture,
As if by magic all my own, ah! rapture!
Tis mine alone!
Now you that once your love for me betrayed,
Why should you be dismayed?
Yet though deep in your heart
Rankles the smart.
You'd ne'er confess—but rather die!
(SCHAUNARD and COLLINE rise and stand aside, watching the scene with interest, while RUDOLPH and MIMI remain seated and continue their talk. MARCEL nervously quits his seat, and is about to go, but is spell-bound by MUSETTA'S voice.) ”

“ ACT I "...Mimi was a charming girl specially apt to appeal to Rudolph, the poet and dreamer. Aged twenty-two, she was slight and graceful. Her face reminded one of some sketch of high-born beauty; its features had marvellous refinement.
"The hot, impetuous blood of youth coursed through her veins, giving a rosy hue to her clear complexion that had the white velvety bloom of the camellia.
"This frail beauty allured Rudolph. But what wholly served to enchant him were Mimi's tiny hands, that, despite her household duties, she contrived to keep whiter even than the Goddess of Ease." ”

“ Mimi, do not talk.
MIMI. I'll speak low; don't be frightened.
(SCHAUNARD and COLLINE mournfully withdraw; the former sits at the table, burying his face in his hands, the latter is a prey to sad thoughts.)
MIMI. (motioning Marcel to approach) Marcel, now believe me,
A good girl is Musetta.
MAR. (giving Musetta his hand) I know, I know.
MUS. (drawing Marcel away from Mimi, takes off her earrings and gives them to him as she whispers) Look here! sell them, And buy some tonic for her— Send for a doctor! (Mimi gradually grows drowsy; Rudolph takes a chair and sits down beside the bed.) ”

“ They all go out leaving Rudolph alone with Mimi. He holds her in his arms and recalls their love. Mimi is seized with a fit of coughing and falls back in a faint. Musetta returns with medicine. Mimi regains consciousness and turning to Rudolph tells him of her love. Musetta falls upon her knees in prayer and Mimi passes away in Rudolph's arms.
_...rain or dust, cold or heat, nothing stops these bold adventurers.
Their existence of every day is a work of genius, a daily problem which they always contrive to solve with the aid of bold mathematics. ”

“ RUD. | MIMI. | | Love alone o'er hearts has sway Heart to heart and soul to soul | Ah Love! to thee do we surrender. Love binds us in his fetters. | (_yielding to her lover's (placing his arm around MIMI embrace_) Love now shall rule our hearts | Sweet to my soul the magic voice alone, | Of love its music chanteth, Life's fairest flower is love! | Life's fairest flower is love! Life's fairest flower is love! | (RUDOLPH kisses her.)
MIMI. (disengaging herself) No, I pray you! ”

“ MAR. See, the patrol is coming!
COL. Look out that old boy
Don't catch you with his darling!
RUD. See, the patrol is coming!
MAR. and SCH. Now the crowd is tremendous:
T' escape will be so easy.
(The patrol enters, headed by a gigantic drum-major, who dexterously twists his baton, showing the way.)
STREET ARABS and WORK GIRLS. And there's the drum-major!
CITIZENS and SHOP-KEEPERS. As proud as a warrior of old!
MIMI, MUS. and RUD. Quick, or you will miss them!
MAR., SCH. and COL. Quick, or you will miss them!
STREET ARABS and HAWKERS. The drum-major, look! what a dandy! ”

“ On a wintry day, Marcel is seen leaving a tavern near the Gates of Paris. He meets Mimi; she looks pale and haggard. She asks Marcel to help her and tells him of Rudolph's love and jealousy, explaining that she must leave him. Rudolph now comes upon the scene and not seeing Mimi tells of all the miseries of their lives; how he loves her and believes her to be dying of consumption. Mimi's cough betrays her and although she says good-bye to Rudolph they find they cannot part and determine to await the spring. Meanwhile Musetta and Marcel have a violent quarrel. ”

“ Of all our hearts the conqueror!
(MUSETTA being without her shoe, cannot walk, so MARCEL and COLLINE carry her through the crowd, as they endeavor to follow the patrol. The mob, seeing her borne along in this triumphal fashion, give her a regular ovation. MARCEL and COLLINE with MUSETTA follow the patrol; RUDOLPH and MIMI follow arm in arm; SCHAUNARD goes next, blowing his horn; while the students, work-girls, street-lads, women and towns-folk merrily bring up the rear.) ”

“ He comes bringing fuel and provisions. They all prepare their meal, when the landlord enters and demands the payment of his rent. The friends offer him a glass of wine and turn him out amidst joking and laughter. After their gay repast they separate and Rudolph remains alone writing.
A knock is heard at the door and Mimi, a little seamstress, who lives on the same floor, appears and asks Rudolph to give her a match to light her candle. As she is about to go out, she falls in a faint. Rudolph gives her wine and restores her to consciousness. She tells him that she suffers from consumption. ”

“ In front of a brazier are seated, in a group, snoring custom-house officers. From the tavern at intervals one may hear laughter, shouts, and the clink of glasses. A custom-house official comes out of the tavern with wine. The toll-gate is closed. ”

“ ACT II Rudolph's friends have repaired to their favorite Café. It is Christmas Eve and everyone is in festive spirits. All the shops are bright and displaying their goods. Hawkers offer their goods for sale in the streets. Rudolph and Mimi are seen entering a milliner's where Rudolph is to buy her a new hat. Colline, Schaunard and Marcel take their seats in front of the Café, where a table has been prepared for them. Rudolph introduces Mimi to his friends. Musetta, Marcel's flame, with whom he has quarrelled, now enters with Alcindoro. Marcel is deeply moved when he sees her. ”

“ They are seemingly working, but their thoughts wander towards the women they love. Schaunard and Colline enter with rolls and a herring for their meal. They have a wild time and are dancing and singing when Musetta enters and tells them that Mimi is outside so weak and ill that she can go no further. They make up a bed on the couch for her and bring her in. She clings to Rudolph and implores him not to leave her. Mimi reconciles Marcel and Musetta. Musetta tells her old friends that Mimi is dying and gives them her earrings to sell, asking them to get a doctor for Mimi. ”

“ TIME ABOUT 1830—IN PARIS SYNOPSIS The opera is founded on Henri Murger's book "La Vie de Bohème."
ACT I Rudolph and Marcel are sitting in the latter's attic-studio in the Quartier Latin, in Paris. Marcel is absorbed in his painting. The day is cold. They have no money to buy coal. Marcel takes a chair to burn it, when Rudolph remembers that he has a manuscript which has been rejected by the publishers and lights a fire with that instead. Colline enters, looking abject and miserable. He had gone out to pawn his books, but nobody wanted them. Their friend, Schaunard, however, had better luck. ”

“ Aloof from the crowd, RUDOLPH and MIMI; COLLINE is near a rag-shop, SCHAUNARD stands outside a tinker's, buying a pipe and a horn, MARCEL is being hustled hither and thither.
A vast, motley crowd; soldiers, serving maids, boys, girls, children, students, work girls, gendarmes, etc. It is evening. The shops are decked with tiny lamps; a huge lantern lights up the entrance to the Café Momus. The café is so crowded that some of the customers are obliged to seat themselves outside.
HAWKERS. (outside their shops)
Come, buy my oranges! ”

“ One of us shall now be gutted! (Rudolph and
Marcel stop dancing and burst out laughing.)
SCH. Now get a stretcher ready.
COL. And get a grave-yard, too.
(SCHAUNARD and COLLINE fight.)
RUD. and MAR. (gaily) While they beat each other's brains out, Our fandango we will finish. (They dance round the combatants, whose blows fall faster. The door opens and Musetta enters in a state of great agitation.)
MAR. (amazed) Musetta! (All anxiously cluster round Musetta)
MUS. (hoarsely) 'Tis Mimi—'tis Mimi who is with me—And is ailing!
RUD. Mimi!
MUS. She has not strength to climb the staircase. ”

“ I meant the waiter!
ALC. Manners! Manners! (Takes the bill from the waiter and orders the supper.)
MUS. (more irritated)
Such a bore!
Just let me have my own way.
If you please; I won't be ruled by you!
MIMI. (looking curiously at RUDOLPH) Do you know who she is?
MAR. You had better ask me.
Well, her name is Musetta
Her surname is Temptation.
As to her vocation:
Like a rose in the breezes,
So she changes lover for lover without number.
And like the spiteful screech owl,
A bird that's most rapacious,
The food that most she favors is the heart!
Her food the heart is ”

“ MUS. Now, don't be Blue Beard, pray!
(_A waiter approaches briskly, to prepare the table and begins to serve. SCHAUNARD and COLLINE furtively watch MUSETTA. MARCEL feigns the greatest indifference. RUDOLPH devotes all his attention to MIMI._)
SCH. (at the sight of the old gentleman with his decorations)
He's had a pretty good dose, I reckon.
COL. (_scrutinizing _ALCINDORO) The naughty, naughty elder!
MAR. (contemptuously) With his good young Susanna.
MIMI. (_to _RUDOLPH) And her clothes are smart, too!
RUD. The angels can't afford them. ”

“ When want presses them, abstemious as anchorites—but, if a little fortune falls into their hands, see them ride forth on the most ruinous fancies, loving the fairest and youngest, drinking the oldest and best wines, and not finding enough windows whence to throw their money; then—the last crown dead and buried—they begin again to dine at the table d'hôte of chance, where their cover is always laid; smugglers of all the industries which spring from art ”

“ Schaunard, our methods possibly may differ,
But yet two kindly acts we'll do: (pointing to the coat)
Mine's this one, and yours—leave them alone in there.
SCH. (overcome by emotion) Philosopher, you're right! 'Tis true; I'll go! (He looks about him: then, to justify his exit, he takes up the water bottle and goes out after Colline, gently closing the door. Mimi opens her eyes, and seeing that all have gone, holds out her hand to Rudolph, who affectionately kisses it.)
MIMI. Have they left us? ”

“ MAR. He's gone to buy a bonnet.
(MARCEL, SCHAUNARD and COLLINE try to find an empty table outside the café, but there is only one, which is occupied by townsfolk. At these latter the three friends glare furiously, and then enter the café. The crowd disperses among the adjacent streets. The shops are crowded and the square becomes densely thronged with buyers who come and go. In the café there is much animation. RUDOLPH and MIMI come out of the shop.) ”

“ COL. I'll grant only an accessit!
(RUDOLPH makes MIMI sit down. All being seated, the waiter returns with the menu.)
COL. (with an air of great importance) Some sausage!
PAR. (faintly in the distance) Who'll buy some pretty toys from
Parpignol?
(Boys and girls running out from the shops and adjoining streets.)
BOYS and GIRLS. Parpignol! Parpignol!
(Enter PARPIGNOL from the Rue Dauphin, pushing a barrow festooned with foliage, flowers and paper lanterns.)
PAR. (crying) Who'll buy some pretty toys from Parpignol?
CHILDREN, (crowding and jumping round the barrow)
Parpignol! Parpignol! ”

“ OTHERS. At twelve o'clock.
(They go off in various directions, and the officials remove the bench and brazier.)
(_Enter MIMI from the Rue d'Enfer; she looks about her as if anxious to make sure of her whereabouts. On reaching the first plane-tree she is seized by a violent fit of coughing. Then recovering herself, she sees the sergeant, whom she approaches._)
MIMI. Oh! Please, sir, tell me the name of that tavern
Where now a painter's working?
SERGEANT. (pointing to the tavern) There it is.
MIMI. Thank you.
(_A serving woman comes out of the tavern; MIMI goes to her._)
Oh! ”

“ LIBRETTO: LA BOHÈME An Opera in Four Acts
Libretto by
G. GIACOSA and L. ILLICA
English Version by
W. GRIST and P. PINKERTON
Music by
GIACOMO PUCCINI
CHARACTERS RUDOLPH (a poet) Tenor
SCHAUNARD (a musician) Baritone
BENOIT (a landlord) Bass
MIMI Soprano
PARPIGNOL Tenor
MARCEL (a painter) Baritone
COLLINE (a philosopher) Bass
ALCINDORO (a councilor of state) Bass
MUSETTA Soprano
CUSTOM-HOUSE SERGEANT Bass
Students, Work Girls, Citizens, Shopkeepers, Street Vendors, Soldiers,
Restaurant Waiters, Boys, Girls, etc. ”