| | 6 | 12/5/2010 1:00 PM | The Opera I felt that, after going to the opera, I better understood the plot line. It was easier for me to understand what was going on between all of the characters and it was easier to keep track of the different story lines when I could see it occurring visually. Also, it seemed to me that the opera was almost like a comedy in some ways, which I didn't pick up on when we were reading it in class. Did anyone else feel this way? |
| | 8 | 12/5/2010 12:59 PM | The greatness of La Boheme! La Boheme is one of the most popular operas in the world today. My question is why? It is just another love story, but for some reason people are in love with it?
This also relates to our discussion of the Disney princess movies. We can watch the same old story line over and over again and never get sick of it. Not only do we not get sck of t, we call it a classic!
Why are love stories, like La Boheme, so influential in our lives? |
| | 4 | 11/29/2010 5:36 PM | relationships as the men are very similar in perspectives and ideals, their relationships are very difference.. i think this is because of chance in life - you never know what certainly the fate you will have, how you fall in love or what love even is, its up to chance that mimi died, and was fated for rudolfo |
| | 3 | 11/22/2010 3:58 PM | The Point? This production showed me, above any of the opera's other themes, that everything is fleeting. In the way that they sell coats and violins and earrings just to get a few days' worth of money (not even, since the money is immediately spent on a doctor), it made me sympathize more for the more minor characters who were giving up their prized possessions. Mimi died, and they're left with none of the things that may have made them happy in the long-run. I'm not trying to sound selfish here, it's just that I'm reflecting on how frivolous money really is.
I also don't understand the point of "we'll leave each other in the Spring." It must be a poetic device or something, but it looked to me like just more angst. |
| | 4 | 11/22/2010 3:54 PM | Who's love is more valid? Marcello and Musetta can easily be seen as false lovers or as two people only pretending to be in love. Musetta cheats, Marcello breaks up with her at any chance he can get, and the two of them look for any chance to light the already short fuse that's holding them together. Maybe they're just lustful and looking for the comfort of a relationship they've seen a dozen times. It's a valid point. But I think that this couple are just as committed (if not more so) as Rodolfo and Mimi. In the way that M/M fight, make-up, fight, and make-up, it's nothing short of a game between the two of them. They sort of need that roller coaster romance to keep them from feeling dependent on the other (because honestly, who wants to be drippy and foolish like Rodolfo and Mimi?). Marcello and Musetta are both very independent characters cut from the same block. In the way that they fight and bicker, it's almost a better show of love than "I've known you for five minutes and now I love you more than the sun and moon and blah blah blah." |
| | 0 | 11/21/2010 12:14 PM | love v. lust this is supposed to be commenting back to antoine dodson (hahah) but for some reason it won't let me reply? I think that with fairytales in which main characters fall in love when they first meet, the goal is to give the person watching that little bit of hope that they too can find true love and that there's always a happy ending. With La Boheme, though, i think that since it's mostly for adults, they like to have the love story, then include the passion and obstacles you need to overcome with real love. Instead of killing monsters and journeying to find love like in those movies and plays, Rudolfo and Mimi are forced to deal with real issues like disease of a loved one, losing a lover to someone else, and not being able to support a significant other. They go through all of this to be together in the end, and I think another aspect that contributes to the realness of the lay is Mimi's death, it shows that not ALL love/lust is strong enough to overcome anything. |
| | 1 | 11/21/2010 12:12 PM | A pattern? I have been thinking about archatypes and how that could relate to plot. In La Boheme, Mimi and Rudalpho fall in love the moment they meet. The same can be true for a number of stories like: Romeo and Juliet, Cinderella, Pochahontas, Barbie and Ken in Toy Story 3, Snow White, ext. All of the characters are considered beautiful, is lust the basis of love? Or were all of these stories, like La Boheme, just lust? |
| | 0 | 11/21/2010 11:55 AM | Musetta and Marcello v. Mimi and Rudolfo Musetta and Marcello initially seemed to be the two that I assumed were more in love than Mimi and Rudolfo when we talked about it in class and read the script. However, the opera facilitates how their relationships really operate, based off of lust and deciet and silly mind games that flame an infatuation so closely related to teenage relationships. Where as Mimi and Rudolfo, although they fell so quickly for one another, they had more than a physical attraction for one another because they wanted what was best for the other in their lives. Rudolfo wanted to break up with her because she was sick and there was no way for him to provide her with heat and shelter substantial enough to make her feel better. However, Mimi portrays it's not his fault that she is sick and the only thing that he should try to do to support her is be with her through this rough patch, because in the winter the only thing alive is their fire for eachother nature is dead. |
| | 2 | 11/21/2010 10:48 AM | La Bohemme: Opera I was nervous for how La Bohemme was going to be, but it ended up being pretty good. I found it actually quite funny and enjoyable. The talent was spectacular. Mimi could really really sing. It takes such skill to train ones voice to be operatic like that. The story made so much more sense when it was being played out. I had totally disregarded Coline and the other roommate whose name escapes me while reading the opera. Then I was like wait, I see all the men live together though it focuses on Radolpho and Marcello. Also the time elapse process was interesting how it was Christmas day for the first two acts, then it was winter and the spring when Mimi died, it is very hard to create that in a show but I thought they did a good job. |
| | 1 | 11/21/2010 10:36 AM | Lust for Life I think that La Boheme is a prime example of how lust rules the life of many people; people are so desperate to find their "soul mate" or "true love" that they mistake simple attraction or even infatuation with real love. The fact that Mimi and Rudolpho "fell in love" so quickly seems to me as though they really just mistook the attraction they had for eachother for love. This is why their relationship begins to fall apart after living with eachother for a while; you can't make a realtionship work on sheer will power and attraction. I think the relationships were actually just romanticized flings. |
| | 2 | 11/19/2010 11:17 PM | Marcel: drowning? water?? sea???? "RUDOLPH and MARCEL. RUDOLPH looks pensively out of the window. MARCEL works at his painting, "The Passage of the Red Sea," with hands nipped with cold, and warms them by blowing on them from time to time, often changing position on account of the frost.
MAR. (seated, continuing to paint)
This Red Sea passage feels as damp and chill to me
As if adown my back a stream were flowing.
(Goes a little way back from the easel to look at the picture.)
But in revenge a Pharaoh will I drown."
This is the very beginning of Act I.
Is there a relationship between the Italian word "mare" for "sea" and the character's name? When I first saw "mar" and "sea" I said "hey! that's the Spanish word for sea! and Spanish and Italian are close! so I checked and yeah...'mare'" |
| | 3 | 11/19/2010 11:10 PM | Rodolphfo and Mimi: Love? Lust? Or a combination? There is no question that Rodolfo and Mimi sparked a relationship quite quickly. Their initial attraction was based on appearance and a situation staged by Rodolfo. Does the lack of foundation and shallow desire in their initial relationship drop the gavel on the situation as lustful? Or does the affection and true care later in the relationship make up for that? Maybe you disagree with both and believe it was love at first sight. |
| | 1 | 11/19/2010 10:59 PM | Similarties between the two relationships The two relationships focused on in this opera were fairly similar but still very different.
With Marcello and Musetta were an odd couple I you ask me. Musetta was a huge flirt who was a gold digger where as Marcello was a poor jealous man. Together they caused drama and didn't benefit eachother emotional or in any way really.
Mimi and Rudolfo were also strangely paired. Rudolfo was poor and jealous and Mimi was sick and confused.
I feel like both couples were confused when it came to love they didn't know what it meant so in their relationships they didn't know how to have a healthy relationship! |
| | 3 | 11/19/2010 10:55 PM | The two men To me the two men were very simialar. But both were intwo different types of relationships. Mimi was natural and beautiful where as Musetta was caniving and a flirt. The opera focued on these two relationships and both ended poorly. I thought It kinda showed the real side if love and relationships and he heart aches and trials that will happen in any relationship it's how they handle them that determines the outcome of their relationship. |
| | 3 | 11/19/2010 10:50 PM | Which is the right decision!! Was Mimi and Rudolfo's dicision the right one?
They were together but they were confused about whether to stay together or break up because of Mimis sickness.
They didn't know which was better: being broken up and able to have time to try to get over eachother before Mimi died or to stay together and work through the pain when Mimi died.
Personally I would be torn but I feel that either way they would be being selfish. If they stayed together it would be helping Mimi get through dying while not being alone and if hey broke up Rudolfo would be able to get over her and live a happy healthy life while Mimi would be in so much pain.
So I have no idea which would be better! Or even which path would be the best or the worst one to take. |
| | 2 | 11/18/2010 8:23 PM | La Boheme This opera/play makes me think about the definition of love. But is there really a true definition of love? I'm sure there are plenty of ways to describe it and the feelings that come from it. In La Boheme I see two versions of love very much different. It seems like one is more of a materialistic, gold digging love. The only reason the relationship exists is to get the tangible gain. The only love is more emotional and caring. There seems to be more of a spiritual and mental connection between the two. As you can see love comes in all different forms, but it may not even be close to true love.
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| | 2 | 11/18/2010 8:19 PM | What do we get out of this? Today we discussed how this shows seems pointless if Mimi just does in the end and blah blah blah, so why have we continued watching it for like a million years? Heres my idea, which is slightly less pessimistic than those we disucssed in class.
Puccini wrote this show to communicate to us that we need to embrace the love we have and recieve when it is given to us, because you never know what can happen the next day. It's basically a live in the moment type of message. As cheesy as it is, it's also an example of how love is all powerful. This relates directly to Johnathon Larson's message as well, which was "No Day but Today." Which was a literal representation of Larson's life and his sudden death. |
| | 2 | 11/17/2010 1:43 PM | La Boheme La Boheme makes me think of titanic or of west side story in the concept but not in depth. In both Titanic and WWS as well as in La boheme, the characters fall in love the second they meet. The men in the plot line express their feelings for the female and in result, the leading lady is swept away. however in titanic and WWS where there is conflict in the plot line and their love has to urvive great struggles, the love in La Boheme is shallow and quick, lasting only for the want of love, not for the person. |
| | 3 | 11/17/2010 1:33 PM | LA BOHEME meaning To clear up some confusion: La Boheme refers to the gypsies lifestyle because it is said that the gypsies believed they came fom Bohemia. We associate gypsies living a free life, away from society and what it tells us we should become.
Yes. The musical Rent is very much related to this, because it s based off of it. A modern twist on an old classic. Both opera and musical will go down in history as two of the greatest interpretations of how to lead a life of happiness when the world is aganst you.
VIVA LA VIE BOHEME!!!! |
| | 6 | 11/16/2010 8:48 PM | Burning of the manuscript I feel like the burning of the manuscript and how he asks for silence his play was starting with funny because he is actually okay with burning his play and he think it will praise the gods. Idk about him but I would be upset about having to burn my hard worked play and I would have burned the chair! But I feel like he thought the burning of his manuscript would make it more loved and appreciated because he was a struggling artist and he wasn't doing very well obviousely.. He was living a junky apartment with another struggling painter who also was not very well off. |
| | 1 | 11/16/2010 4:24 PM | Typed Play vs. Live Interpretation I'm planning on going to the opera tomorrow night and a thought occurred to me as I was posting. Many of our debates centralize around Rodolfo and Mimi, but will our opinions be challenged by the live opera? Could the actors have their own ideas and act in favor of one side of an unanswered argument? (not directly answered through text) Will our opinions change based on how the roles are interpreted? |
| | 4 | 11/15/2010 10:17 PM | Musetta Did anyone else find it weird that Musetta was dating this older guy but then talked about how she truly loves Marcello? Is Musetta just mean or does her boyfriend just not care? The impression I have gotten so far from Musetta is that she doesnt really have rules about dating and whats acceptable or not. |
| | 5 | 11/15/2010 9:37 PM | Paper vs. Screen This reading assignment differs from others in that we do not have hard copies of the text. We are expected to read it on the computer. I for one, dislike staring at a screen and reading. The act of holding a book in my hand, the smell of the pages, and accomplishment of finishing a thick novel are reasons I enjoy reading. When you read of a screen that is lost. Also instead of just picking up a book and beginning to read I have to go online, and I admit I don't always end up reading LaBoheme as i intended. The future of reading seems to be headed in this direction(Kindle), and I feel that in doing so, switching from paper to screen, something is lost. |
| | 2 | 11/14/2010 6:05 PM | Before I think it would be interesting to see what everyone is anticipating about the play and how they feel about it being in Italian before we go see it.
Personally I'm very excited that it's in Italian as I think it's a very beautiful language. I don't speak Italian so obviously it will be a challenge to understand the play but I guess that the 'super-titles' will help. I'm also excited to read the play in class and try to understand it but will this take away from watching the play if we already know what happens or will we appreciate it more? I feel more cultured~ already! |
| | 2 | 11/14/2010 5:36 PM | love
Mimi and Rodolfo seem to fall in love much to quickly a love at first sight type of thing and whether people belive in that or not its what has seem to happen. However, it seems to be more lust than love but that’s how these type of things seem to go. The two people are attracted to each other and they themselves believe they are in a very deep love and in any type of a story like this there always seems to be some bumps or drama that comes with it. |
| | 1 | 11/14/2010 5:00 PM | detail its interesting how short LaBoheme is, there is not alot of context in the writing, just a jist of whats going on and few sentences to interpret with controversial meanings |
| | 0 | 11/14/2010 12:12 PM | foreshadowing
There already seems to be foreshadowing of drama between Mimi and Rodolfo. When Mimi watches a group of students pass by and Rodolfo asks what she is looking at. Then she asks if he’s jealous and he basically says no I am happy as long as your happy. It seems to tell of over emotional reactions to come later in the story a Romeo and Juliet type of thing. Its this like young love thing were decisions can be very easily clouded by emotion. |
| | 2 | 11/14/2010 12:05 PM | The thing we talked about in class on Friday...(can't remember what it was called) I thought it was really interesting in class when we took roles from Harry Potter and put them into opera roles (and not only because it was Harry Potter) but because it really helped me to understand how the voice of the character may change the role of the character. I know absolutely NOTHING about opera and found this extremely helpful, even though i am not going to the opera, i think the whole class benefitted from it. The only thing i didnt understand was when we actually listened to a piece from the opera, was anyone able to actually follow WHO was talking (or singing) and when? |
| | 1 | 11/14/2010 12:01 PM | Re: Mimi and Rodolfo...real love? I agree with Connor that Mimi and Rodolfo's Bohemian lifestyle has an influence on the quickness of the progression of their relationship. They want to be in love so badly that they will convince themselves that they are experiencing true love when they actually are probably unable to sustain a long term relationship with one another. Mimi's illness also may cause her to lust after a romantic relationship because she is afraid she will not be able to have such an experience before she dies. I am not entirely closed to the idea that Mimi and Rodolfo are experiencing true love, but there are definetly factors present in the setting and plot of this opera which cause them to be willing to progress so quickly with their relationship. |
| | 3 | 11/14/2010 11:24 AM | the shallowness i find mimi to appear to be a golddigger, and falls into the arms of anyone who has even a penny in their pocket. rodolfo buys her a bonnet, and she teases others to buy her food and whatnot. she seems to be the weakness of the artists |
| | 0 | 11/14/2010 10:33 AM | Re: Kikix I would comment on your post to assure you that you are not alone regarding your inability to comment on others' posts on this discussion board, yet my inability to comment on others' posts on this this discussion board leaves me unable to comment on the post you made on this discussion board which invites those who cannot comment on others' posts on this discussion board to leave comments. Understand? |
| | 7 | 11/14/2010 8:43 AM | Mimi and Rodolfo... Real love? I thought the beginning of act II was very cheesy in that Rodolfo and Mimi had this seemly fake love act going on. They were both giddy. Rodolfo was so excited for her to meet his friends. Mimi's behavior was interesting because it seemed like she was just going along with things - didn't seem as enthusiastic as Rodolfo |
| | 0 | 11/14/2010 5:38 AM | Helping out those non-rent lovers...(did that make sense?) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czJHTEeEJmU
this is a video of La Vie Boheme from Rent (the movie version!), just in case there are people in class that are sitting there wondering why we are talking about rent constantly, here you go! It's kind of cool to figure out who's based off who in relation to la boheme! |
| | 0 | 11/14/2010 12:20 AM | Connection between Ras and the vet at Golden Day Way back when we read the chapter about the Golden Day, one of the vets said the time has come, and shortly after there was the incident with Norton that changed the course of IM's life. As IM is walking past Ras, he hears Ras say "Time has come!" (485). When both of these statements have been made, events occur and effect IM. What does Ras mean when he says the time has come? Is that change and to fight against the Brotherhood? |
| | 0 | 11/13/2010 11:56 PM | Musetta in Act 3 Basically our suspicions in class about Musetta were somewhat accurate! In Act 3 Musetta tells Marcello that she is allowed to flirt and be with whoever she wants for as long as she desires. During this time, women were courted. Women who dated or flirted too much or with too many men were looked at by society as unlady like (in nice terms). Presently, it has become socially acceptable for women to date, as long as they are not dating multiple guys at once. It just goes to show that over time, society's views change, which makes me wonder what will be acceptable in the next 50 years. |
| | 0 | 11/13/2010 11:50 PM | Confusion about Mimi and Rodolfo Act 3 In Act 3, Mimi and Rodolfo talk about breaking up, but then they seem to stay together. Mimi tells Rodolfo, "We'll part when it's the season for flowers again" and Rodolfo agrees. Then Mimi says, "I wish winter could be everlasting" in which Rodolfo also agrees to. So, are they just together for the winter so they are not lonely? If Mimi wishes winter was everlasting so she could still be with Rodolfo, why don't they just stay together? It doesn't seem like they want to be together for the long term, but why would they hold off the inevitable, unless they are just together to have company. |
| | 0 | 11/13/2010 11:44 PM | Two Conversations While reading through the acts, I noticed how there were different conversations that were mixed in and most of the time they related to each other. In Act 3, Musetta and Marcello have a conversation while Mimi and Rodolfo talk. The two separate conversations seem to go with each other, especially when Musetta tells Marcello, "I dislike those lovers that carry on like husbands" while Mimi tells Rodolfo "The chattering of the fountains in the gentle breezes." This shows that the chit-chat between Musetta and Marcello are like the noises of a fountain, ect. As soon as Marcello and Musetta discuss one topic, the other couple seems to discuss a relating or same topic. |
| | 0 | 11/13/2010 11:38 PM | Dream of Love In class we talked about Mimi and Rodolfo's love for each other and how it could be just the thought of love that they are in love with. In Act 3, Rodolfo says to Mimi "Farewell, to our dreams of love!" which shows how they were dreaming of love, and not actually in love. Adoration and compassion for each other would be two better words than saying they were in love. |
| | 0 | 11/13/2010 11:18 PM | Fire Connection to Musetta When they were burning the parts of the novel in Act 1, one of the men mentioned that the fire burns out quickly, just like how passion does. In Act 2, I noticed how Musetta keeps calling her companion as a bore and then has him pay for everything. Rodolfo tells Mimi that Musetta dates many men, which connects to the quote that passion dies out quickly. If passion dies out quickly and can never be rekindled, then why is Musetta still attracted to Marcello? I have a feeling Musetta doesn't have feelings for Marcello, or any other guy she is after. |
| | 0 | 11/13/2010 10:11 PM | connectivity LaBoheme seems to be very unconnected between the characters and their work even, how easy it was for him to burn his writing and how shallow the relationships seem to be. rudolfo and mimi's relationship is very empty in meaning, which seems to be a central idea |
| | 0 | 11/13/2010 10:09 PM | rent its interesting that rent has the same characteristics based of LaBoheme, although different side notes it is the same central theme which reminded me of the discussion in class of fairytales and how all can fit under a core. |
| | 0 | 11/13/2010 10:08 PM | The fire its interesting that their life is intertwined so much with the work they love to do - but they have to sacrifice their writings to keep warm and live, and what htey love to do doesnt correspond with society and what they think makes something successful. |
| | 0 | 11/13/2010 10:06 PM | technological troubles im having troubles replying to peoples topics, there is not reply button only a new button to make posts, so by all means im just going to do that. please comment on this to reassure me that its just me not the site! |
| | 0 | 11/13/2010 10:00 AM | Mimi vs. Mussetta In class we were talking about the differences between tenor, baritone, bass, and soprano and the types of characters who play/sing these parts. A soprano has innocence because the pitch of the voice is considered pure. But reading La Boheme I started to think that Mussetta didn't have a certain innocence that Mimi had. So why did Puccini put Mussetta as a soprano like Mimi? Was it because whatever type of innocence that she has is going to be revealed to us in the laters acts? |
| | 0 | 11/13/2010 9:35 AM | Mimi So in my hour we talked a little bit about the fact that in the time period that this takes place, it is odd or uncommon to see a women living alone and working. Mr. B hinted towards the fact that she might not be able to make a living off of just being a semstress and might be a prostiute. Did this theory ever crossed your mind? Because I know for sure it didn't until I was in class. If it turns out to be true it might explain why Mimi seemed less enthusiastic anout being in love with Rodolfo. |
| | 3 | 11/11/2010 9:46 PM | !? So, I have done no research on this play, and know absolutely nothing about it! But I need to know, does it have any relations with the musical "Rent's" song la vie boheme?! |
| | 0 | 11/10/2010 5:28 PM | Confused alittle?! Ok idk if I'm just not understanding or were they just poor and now they are freaking out not having a table clothe to eat their wonder feast on ?! |
| | 1 | 11/10/2010 5:14 PM | Imagess So there is alot of imagery in this piece. Probably my favorite so far is the woman are the spark and the men are the kindling and also how one is burnt instantly. To me I thought that the woman are the spark because they give birth and create life and the men are kindling because they are what has to keep the fire burnin until the fire is in full ablaze. |
| | 0 | 10/31/2010 11:56 AM | Connection to Rent
The article states that the idea for Rent was conceived when Billy Aronson told his friend, Rent playwright Jonathan Larson, about an idea he had for creating a contemporary American version of La Boheme. This idea appealed to Larson because he saw striking similarities in the lifestyles of the bohemians in 1830's Paris that are the subject of La Boheme and those of the young urban artists which included himself. Over the next seven years, this idea would evolve into the Tony-award winnning and commercially successful Broadway play that is Rent. |
| | 0 | 10/31/2010 9:23 AM | Huh... Premier performance - 1896. It's the second most performed Opera in the US. Based on Henri Murger's novel, Scènes de la vie de bohème. I fail to understand what this has to do with anything in class... |