Puccini: La Boheme (Complete opera recorded in 1995)

"Pappano's recording of Boheme is the finest in over 20 years or even longer - sumptuously played and recorded, and characterfully sung by a starry cast. This is a version to stand alongside the classics of the past." Rosette. Penguin Stereo Guide.

Awards:
Victoires de la Musique classique

"Antonio Pappano is a man of the theatre, which is a distinct advantage after a number of sets of La boheme which have become mired in sentimentality, but his tempos here can be so swift that he is inclined to err the other way. The ensemble scenes positively fizz with energy (half this score belongs to the high spirits of youth and it is good to be reminded of the fact) but the serious side of the drama, including much of Act 3, gets hustled along impatiently. Like most younger conductors, Pappano is conscientious about observing Puccini's detailed tempo markings, but the result does not sound natural. I still have an affection for the old school of Italians, like Serafin, who just conducted the music as they felt it."
(Gramophone Oct 1996)

Giacomo Puccini had a remarkable gift for memorable melody: totally appropriate to their moment in the opera, his tunes always heighten the drama's emotional effect. The story of the tragic love between the poet Rodolfo and the seamstress Mimì is set out in four short acts with all the characters brilliantly characterised. This recording, made in 1995, features Roberto Alagna and Leontina Vaduva as the lovers supported by Thomas Hampson, Samuel Ramey and Simon Keenlyside as Rodolfo's companions and Ruth Ann Swenson as Musetta. Antonio Pappano, conducting the Philharmonia Orchestra, clearly demonstrates the prowess which brought his appointment to the Royal Opera House.