Legendary opera singer Luciano Pavarotti is having his signature role of Rodolfo in Puccini’s La Bohème preserved in a brand new edition. Originally released in 1973 and featuring Mirella Freni as Mimì and Herbert von Karajan conducting, this new set of the opera will be released officially on November 22, commemorating 100 years since Puccini’s death.
The new edition comes in two versions: one with two vinyl LPs, and one with two CDs. Both versions include a DECCA booklet of comments from tenor and longtime DECCA artist Freddie de Tommaso and an essay exploring the opera and the cast and conducting of this particular staging from writer Roger Pines. Clad in linen, the box set is also produced from the original master tapes and transferred in high-definition.
In the words of Decca Classic Label Director Dominic Fyfe, “the Karajan DECCA Bohème has been a reference recording ever since its first release more than 50 years ago. It remains one of the jewels of the DECCA catalogue and is now presented more lavishly than ever before. The latest remastering utilizes a new set of HD transfers of the original master tape and has the recording sounding better than ever.” While Pavarotti’s performance has become a gold standard on its own, Freni’s take on Mimì is equally stunning. The soprano performed the role for more than 40 years, taking the role around the world in various acclaimed productions.
Recorded at the Deutsche Oper Berlin with the Berlin Philharmonic, the recording was immediately received warmly, going on to win the Grammy in 1974 for Best Opera Recording. “Here in Bohème, working with his own magnificent orchestra, on many counts the greatest in Europe, Karajan adds another to the list of Italian operas which have inspired from him recordings of supreme insight,” wrote critic Edward Greenfield at the time in Gramophone. “Every word [in Pavarotti’s performance] is bright-eyed and full of meaning. Here is a complete character, genuinely concerned for Mimi, actually in love, and the range of expression is enchanting.”
