Rating: 
Summary: Hobson using microphone???
Review: I'd like to make a few comments about the review written by Mr. William Shields, who might have heard a lot of tenors "in person" but obviously hasn't heard Hobson singing in person in opera house. By using his logic, he'd better use his "trained ear" to hear Hobson singing, in person, in opera house, sans microphone, before making any comments about his voice. It is also very rude to make judgment by saying that Hobson is lip-synching to a recording without reliable evidence. Hobson, who has sung more than twenty leading opera roles in opera house (without being "swallowed up in an opera house and buried by an orchestra"), does what everybody else is doing in the business, which is singing without amplification.
Many opera purists like to cling to voices that are familiar to their ears, which is understandable. But please be a little open-minded! To praise "great voice" of Hobson's doesn't mean to belittle others. Domingo is great, and so are many other tenors. But if tenors on the opera stage all sounded like Domingo, it'd be a very boring world, and opera wouldn't be very far from losing its appealing and vitality.Opera, as a comprehensive art of staging, singing, acting, orchestrating, isn't just about voices. That's why this production La Boheme deserves a very solid five-star.
Rating:
Summary: In defence of The Australian Opera singers
Review: Some viewers seem to feel that the voices of the artists in general - and one artist in particular - are too good to be true, so I wish to point out that the video of "La Bohème" was recorded at a standard Sydney Opera House performance on February 25th 1993, and that the only 'miking' employed was what would be required to make such a recording. The singers of The Australian Opera (or Opera Australia as it became in 1996) use no artificial assistance for their voices and wouldn't have a clue about 'lip-synching'! I might add that the acoustics in the Opera Theatre are notoriously unhelpful to singers and orchestras alike, although this problem is to be addressed when upgrading is carried out in 2005.
It was acknowledged that Hobson's voice wasn't ideal for the role, since his forté is Mozart, Rossini and Gluck, but he was Baz Luhrmann's choice for Rodolfo because of his outstanding acting ability, and his artistry as a singer carried him through to great acclaim. As well as possessing the few CDs and videos available of Hobson's work, I'm in the happy position of hearing him sing 'live' and can assure you that there is not (and never has been) anything 'tiny' about his voice - regardless of what he performs, to hear him singing in person is simply stunning and unforgettable! Mercifully, he is neither a Domingo nor a Heppner, but a comparatively rare 'haute-contre' tenor.
Rating:
Summary: In defence of The Australian Opera singers
Review: Some viewers seem to feel that the voices of the artists in general - and one artist in particular - are too good to be true, so I wish to point out that the video of "La Bohème" was recorded at a standard Sydney Opera House performance on February 25th 1993, and that the only 'miking' employed was what would be required to make such a recording, and was certainly not on the singers' persons! Unless they are performing in an outdoor situation - when they are reluctantly obliged to use microphones - the singers of The Australian Opera (or Opera Australia as it became in 1996) use no artificial assistance for their voices and wouldn't have a clue about 'lip-synching'- miming is for pop singers! I might add that the acoustics in the Opera Theatre are notoriously unhelpful to singers and orchestras alike, although this problem is to be addressed when upgrading is begun in 2005.
It was acknowledged that Hobson's voice wasn't ideal for the role - the artist himself had reservations, since his forté is the Mozart and Rossini operas - but he was chosen for Rodolfo because of his outstanding acting ability, and his artistry as a singer carried him through to great acclaim.Some months after the '93 Bohème season - and safely back in his own vocal territory - he turned in a series of superb performances as Orphée in Gluck's "Orphée et Eurydice" (happily also preserved on video), when one critic observed "There can be few operatic roles more exposed - Hobson shows himself to be a performer of extraordinary talent." Of course 'exposed' referred to the fact that this opera is a three-hander, with Orphée having the lion's share of the singing, but is somewhat appropriate here since the production required Hobson to be stripped to the waist for the greater part of the action - which would have made it a trifle difficult to conceal any form of amplification!!
As well as possessing the few CDs and videos available of Hobson's work, I'm in the happy position of hearing him sing 'live' and can assure you that there is not (and never has been) anything 'tiny' about his voice - regardless of what he performs, to hear him singing in person is simply stunning and unforgettable! For the record, he is neither a Domingo nor a Heppner, but a comparatively rare 'haute-contre' tenor, whose tessitura seems limitless.
Let the artist himself have the last word on the subject of his voice: During a press interview given in 2000, he freely admitted that he doesn't exactly sound like your average opera singer, and went on "I think I'm one of those performers who divides opinion. When I first started performing opera, you could hear me up the back of the theatre, even if I was singing with heavier voices. Back then I used to think 'Oh well, maybe I'm not really an opera singer' but people could always hear me and I wasn't having to try too hard."
Rating: 
Summary: Miking/Synching
Review: An affecting performance to be sure, and great fun to watch. But those who remark on Hobson's "great voice" should be aware that the singers were either heavily miked or lip-synching to a recording. To the trained ear, Hobson has a tiny, light "tenorino" voice that without amplification would be swallowed up in an opera house and buried by an orchestra. No voice can be judged until it is heard in person, sans microphones. Any good tenor can sound as powerful as Domingo or Heppner with plenty of amplification. But the real power of the voice is another matter.
Rating:
Summary: Another 5-star!
Review: Watching this La Bohème is bliss. So many times I have watched this that I literally start to sing along in "Italian" (although I don't know any Italian). The 2000 release, with Dolby 5.1 sound and a nice touch to the video, makes the already excellent (original 1994 edition) even better. For all its brilliancies, I am writing my second review for this and I'd like to give it another 5-star. Baz Luhrmann has a unique eye to this great Puccini work. His is the approach that probably Puccini himself wouldn't have imagined, and yet, his is the story told in the bohemians' way. No illusions here for the characters' beauty and youth when you hear the enchanting voices, before your eyes unfolded are characters portrayed with senses of reality and truthfulness. It worked extremely well on video where camera can choose close ups and focus on delicate emotions of actors and actresses who actually match the characters.
There is no doubt that David Hobson brings appealing authenticity to Rodolfo with his voice, his acting, his looks, and his figure - tall and lean - perfect for a romantic and starving poet. His voice is lighter than traditional Italian tenor, but it sails over the orchestra easily, and he is outstanding in expressiveness and lyrical singing. His acting is top notch, no holding back, flowing almost spontaneously. The way he naturally blends singing and acting, with nuances and subtitles, is something that many opera singers seem unable to do upon finding themselves on stage. Having just watched the video of another brilliant production of Australia Opera, "Orphée et Eurydice", in which Hobson plays Orphée and to which all I can say is "Wow, wow, and wow!", I hope we can see more great works from Australia Opera, as well as from the extremely talented David Hobson.
Cheryl Barker, looking young at the beginning and fragile as the play towards the end, is a most vivid Mimi. Barker has a pure soprano, her well-defined performance delivers every detail, and she has Mimi's hands - white, petite, and beautiful hands. Barker and Hobson match just as Mimi and Rodolfo would. On stage they are not overshadowing each other, rather, they bond with each other. Many great moments of their emotional conveying have been captured, with maybe "Sono andati? Fingevo di dormire" most transcendent, just watch Hobson's face expression as Barker sings the heartbreaking words, you'll know the depth they have reached. Puccini let Rodolfo speak, instead of sing, at the moment of Mimi's death being revealed to him. An almost frozen moment with only Hobson's speaking voice in the air, it also is the most compelling moment. As the play ends, many were in tears, on stage or off stage. Would Puccini himself be touched if he were there? I think he would.
Rating: 
Summary: What is all the fuss about?
Review: This production of Boheme has prompted a great deal of ink to be spilled, much of it focused on how unique it is. To me it is very good, but hardly unique. It resembles a good production by one of the regional companies in the U.S. It has young singers who sing their roles most satisfactorily. The staging (scenery and action) is OK, but its primary distinction is that is does not distract from the music. Ditto the orchestra. I think that anyone who views this Boheme will enjoy and even love it, but to claim that it represents a breakthrough is overreaching. Much has been said about how this production uses young, photogenic players who more closely resemble what the protagonists are than the "typical" opera singer. This is a red herring. Yes, Cheryl Barker is a beautiful and sexy Mimi, but is she more compelling in the role than Teresa Stratas or Mirella Freni? Not likely. The same argument can be applied role-by-role to this DVD versus the others on the market. This fantasy of the typical opera as being peopled by old and fat singers who can't move on stage is simply not today's reality. Yes, this opera has compelling actors-singers; but guess what -- they all do! I've seen Boheme at the Met, at Covent Garden, at several U.S. regional opera houses, and on three DVDs. This one can stand unashamedly among the best. But it is not a new revelation, as some of its supporters seem to insist.
Rating:
Summary: MY VERY FIRST OPERA
Review: I've always been a huge fan of musical theatre. Living in Jersey, about 25 minutes away from NY Times Square, I've seen so may different broadway productions. I never liked opera...until I saw this Australian production of "La Boheme" on DVD. As a huge collector of live theatre DVDs, I always find myself surfing AMAZON.com for customer reviews.
I can honestly say that seeing this production had made me a NEW fan of opera for I have never imagined myself sitting through an one from beginning to end. Having a very attractive looking cast, who sings and acts exceptionally, matched with great stage design and excellent camera work, "La Boheme"'s beauty was successfully captured on DVD. It moved me so much, that I cried (literally) several times while watching for the first time.
I don't usually like writing reviews, but after seeing this show, I felt ... letting others know about this "great find" is the least I can do.
I'd also like to mention that David Hobson's performance, whom I never heard of before, is reason enough of any theatre(musical or opera) lovers to own this DVD.
Get it now and you won't regret it!
Rating:
Summary: I'm not a Puccini fan, but...
Review: The Geoffrey Nottage video of 'Baz's Boheme' (as it's known to distinguish it from a couple of other versions in the Opera Australia repertoire) is beautifully filmed and is more like a musical drama than an opera, which is not surprising considering Nottage was a television drama director. Dispensing with the applause during the Acts allowed the action to flow uninterrupted and greatly enhanced the dramatic effect, but I'd love to know how it was managed because even if the audience was instructed to sit on their hands during the performance, there would always be those who forgot, and there was certainly much to applaud during this performance!
It's been said that one of the reasons the cast worked so well together was because they were all friends (off-stage) and it showed, in fact the Lemke brothers - Roger and David - and David Hobson (Rodolfo) come from the provincial city of Ballarat (in Victoria) and Cheryl Barker (Mimi) from Geelong, not too far away, while everyone in the cast had sung with the Victorian State Opera at some stage. Hobson and Barker had done a VSO country tour of "La Boheme" some years earlier so were old hands in the roles of Rodolfo and Mimi by the time they first sang them in Sydney in 1990. This would explain the so-called 'chemistry' between the two and probably why, during the video, when Rodolfo and Mimi were carrying on romantically at the side of the group during Musetta's Waltz Song in Act II, Hobson pulled a very unromantic face at Barker, before turning with a look of total innocence to join in the next part of the ensemble! And how many Mimis would urge their Rodolfo forward for a solo curtain-call, with the words "Go on, mate"! A very Australian remark reserved for friends. (Come to think of it, how many Rodolfos would have to be urged to take a bow!)
Of the rest of the cast, also chosen as much for their acting skills as their vocal ability, David Lemke as Schaunard is a real scene-stealer for me, and I find myself watching to see what he's up to when I should be watching the main characters, but it's worth it. This tall young man, with his hair blonded - presumably to have him look less like his brother Roger (Marcello) - has a fine smooth baritone which is a joy to hear and I personally find it more pleasing than his brother's darker voice.
Any scene involving the four young men in their lighter moments is delightful, but I particularly enjoy Act II, even though things got a tiny bit out of hand towards the end during the final ensemble (I think someone had accidently knocked over a bottle or glass) and, judging by the facial expressions, there seemed to be some sort of private joke going on between Roger Lemke and Hobson (again!). On the other hand, the sky-larking in Act IV is, for me, affected by the knowledge that everything is about to plunge into stark tragedy!
Much has been written about the outstanding performance of David Hobson as Rodolfo, but what's probably not known overseas is, that despite his being a fine actor (it's been said he lives and breathes his roles) as a high tenor best suited to the Mozart and Rossini repertoire, it was courting vocal disaster to have him singing Puccini! That he managed to do it so well is a tribute to his artistry, although I still find it hard to listen to his big arias, knowing what they must have been doing to his beautiful voice. However he seemed to escape any lasting vocal harm because just six months after the 1993 "Boheme" season - and with an Offenbach role between - he sang his finest (and apparently personal favourite) role of Orphée in Gluck's "Orphée et Eurydice", a tenor tour de force but still kinder to the voice than Puccini! Just what a strain it was singing Rodolfo, was demonstrated night after night when the young poet's tears for his dead Mimi became, after the end of the opera, the uncontrollable sobbing of a young singer at the end of his emotional and physical tether! Hobson has said that after a performance he was 'wrecked', "because you can't just sing the words!" Before I first saw the video, I'd listened to the CD of highlights from the live performance and was stunned by this highly dramatic conclusion of sobbing with the - all too audible - English words "I can't....help me!", before the audience recovered sufficiently to commence their (by then permissable) applause. I'm afraid it took me more than a few minutes to recover! Ironically, now that Hobson is in his early forties his voice has acquired a new strength and he could probably manage Rodolfo without much trouble, but it's highly unlikely he'll ever sing the role again, although he has recorded "Che gelida manina" and sometimes sings it in concert. However the 'pin-up' celebrity status thrust on him by the popular press at the time, which totally ignored his artistic ability and his fellow cast members, both embarrassed and appalled the unassuming artist and proved a burden which lingered on for many years until his later achievements in the dual careers of musical composition and singing (in opera and on CD) pushed it into history. All the same, I would think it's probably best not to mention the words "good-looking, young Rodolfo" within earshot of him, even today!!
Rating:
Summary: Bravo! Bravo! Bravo!
Review: The story has been set to 1950s Paris; the characters are portrayed with young faces; the songs are sung by fresh and splendid voices, this contemporary version of La Bohème completely blow me away. In this production, whether or not the singings are perfect takes second place in the face of vitality, passion, and intensity brought out by the brilliant young cast. Bravo, David Hobson for giving such a wonderful wonderful Rodolfo. This is the Rodolfo you'll be dreaming of. He is handsome, he is tall, and his tenor rings out with beauty, clarity, and youthfulness. To make things even better, he acts brilliantly. He gave life to every note he sang. When he belts out high Cs, it's not a matter of showing off his tenor, but a real emotional outpouring. Seldom did I see vocalist acting with such depth, delicacy, and sincerity. He had put himself so deep into the character that at the curtain calls - the show ended on Mimi's death - he was still in tears. Bravo, Cheryl Barker for conveying a tender and lovely Mimi. At some point Cheryl Barker's voice is not her best part in portraying Mimi, but her acting makes up the weakness, and at the end, she has become real Mimi. Her highlight is Mimi's death scene. Of all the times I have watched this part, not a single time was I not in tears. She and David Hobson make a very good match, between them the chemistry is convincing, which makes their parting all the more heartbreaking. Bravo, Baz Luhrmann for the creative mind and courage of blazing new trails for classical opera, and for the raw artistic design. Instead of making a cliché of yet another production of classical opera, he has turned it into a great piece of modern theater, in which the essence is embodied with realism and bestowed with novelties. Opera lovers, especially young opera lovers, this La Bohème is a must!
Rating:
Summary: A superior performance
Review: This performance is absolutely stunning! It conveys just what Puccini intended, life and love among the young non-conformists of Paris. While David Hobson is not Pavarotti, his voice is exccellent and he conveys the part much better than anyone else I have ever seen and heard in the role of Rodolfo. Christine Douglas is excellent as Mimi. Together, they are most convincing in their parts. The direction of Baz Luhmann is outstanding. He makes the singers become their namesakes. Highly recommended.
|
