audiobooks
Cover of Bohème

Bohème

Giuseppe Giacosa, Luigi Illica

Length
1 h 33 min
Chapters
4
Language
English
Genre
Tragedy
First published
1898

In 1830s Paris, four struggling Bohemian artists: the poet Rodolfo, the painter Marcello, the musician Schaunard, and the philosopher Colline, live poorly, but happily. On Christmas Eve, to celebrate, the four split the month's rent and decide to go out drinking in the Latin Quarter. Rodolfo stays behind to finish a poem, when their frail neighbor, Mimi, knocks on the door. An equally poor seamstress, she begs him to light her candle. In an instant, his candle goes out as well, and Mimi drops her key in the dark. As they search for it, they fall in love. And thus, a tragic love begins, as tuberculosis threatens to tear Mimi away from person and people she has come to love. Originally written in Italian, but translated into English, this libretto is the base for one of Giacomo Puccini's most beloved and often performed operas. It is also the inspiration of the famous 1994 rock musical and 2005 movie Rent by Jonathan Larson. This recording is a dramatic reading. Summary by Mary Kay.

Cast List:

Narrator: Kalynda

Rudolph: Tomas Peter

Schaunard: alanmapstone

Benoit: Donald Gilmore

Mimi: Lydia and Linda Olsen Fitak

Marcel: ToddHW

Colline & Sargant: Nemo

Musetta: Eva Davis

Parpignol: Joseph Tabler

Alcindoro de Mitonneaux: Jason in Panama

Customs House Official: Algy Pug

Chorus Members: Donald Gilmore, Leanne Yau, Grace Keller Scotch, Algy Pug, MaryAnn, Kieren Metts and Nemo

Editors: Linny, Devorah Allen and Eva Davis

Prooflisteners: afutterer and NemoR

Chapters

From LibriVox, read by volunteers and in the public domain. LibriVox page (opens librivox.org), the text (opens gutenberg.org), all files on the Internet Archive (opens archive.org).