The Dover Opera Libretto Series-Complete Italian libretto with English translation by Ellen H. Beiler.This volume contains everything the operagoer needs to derive full satisfaction from La Boheme except the musical score itself. Most important it provides the complete text of the Italian libretto just as it is actually sung; that is when a singer repeats a phrase several times each of the repetitions each of the repetitions is given here. And facing the Italian text is a completely new translation of the lubretto into modern idiomatic English.

Puccini's 'La Boheme' is based on Henri Murger's novel Scènes de la vie de bohème which draws it's inspiration from the Bohemian lifestyle which was somewhat in vogue in Paris at the time. This Libretto by Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica runs as follows: Rodolfo?s neighbour in his garret Mimi knocks at the door saying her candle has gone out on the stairs. Rodolfo and Mimi sit in the dark talking and fall for each other. They go to meet Rodolfo?s friends. While there Marcello's former lover Musetta arrives with her new husband Alcindoro but distracting him falls into Marcello's arms. Some time later Mimì pours out her distress to Marcello over Rodolfo'sincessant jealousy Rodolfo is actually concerned about Mimi?s poor health and wants to part with her. On realising this the two decide to stay together until spring Marcello and Musetta meanwhile part when she is unfaithful.Some months later Rodolfo Marcello and friends are amusnig themselves in the garret when Musetta bursts in saying Mimi is downstairs and has begged to be taken to her lover to die. She dies almost happily recalling their early love.This is the Schirmer edition of the Vocal Score in Italian and and English translation by Ruth and Thomas Martin.

Puccini's 'La Boheme' is based on Henri Murger's novel 'Scènes de la vie de bohème' which draws it's inspiration from the Bohemian lifestyle which was somewhat in vogue in Paris at the time. This Libretto by Giuseppe Giacosa andLuigi Illica runs as follows:Rodolfo?s neighbour in his garret Mimi knocks at the door saying her candle has gone out on the stairs. Rodolfo and Mimi sit in the dark talking and fall for each other. They go to meetRodolfo?s friends. While there Marcello's former lover Musetta arrives with her new husband Alcindoro but distracting him falls into Marcello's arms. Some time later Mimì pours out her distress to Marcello over Rodolfo'sincessant jealousy Rodolfo is actually concerned about Mimi?s poor health and wants to part with her. On realising this the two decide to stay together until spring Marcello and Musetta meanwhile part when she isunfaithful.Some months later Rodolfo Marcello and friends are amusing themselves in the garret when Musetta bursts in saying Mimi is downstairs and has begged to be taken to her lover to die. She dies almost happily recalling their early love.

In 'Tosca' Puccini explored the dark side of human emotion a marked change from the late-Romantic sentimentality of 'La Boheme'. Also in contrast to 'La Bohème' where the villain was fate and so the stage action was minimal both heros and villains are humans who struggle on stage and the clashes are always between single individuals. It is a story of cheating and doubt - nothing seems honest and direct even love is troubled by jealousy.Thisis the Schirmer Ediiton of the Libretto in the original Italian with an English translation by John Gutman.

The Complete Libretto-The enticing music of Puccini's La Bohème perfectly conveys the enchantment of new young love and the anguish that comes with loss and death. This gorgeous souvenir libretto includes extensive background notes and photos from productions staged through the years by the Metropolitan Opera.There's a reason La Bohème has been staged at the Met more often than any other Opera. The passionate and timeless story of love among impoverished young artists in Paris has a marvelous ability to make a powerful first impression (even on those new to Opera) and to reveal unexpected treasures after dozens of hearings.At firstglance La Bohème is the definitive depiction of the joys and sorrows of love and loss; on closer inspection it reveals the deep emotional significance hidden in the trivial things (a bonnet an old overcoat a chance meeting with a neighbor) that make up our everyday lives. This touching story of tenderness and tragedy never fails to move audiences and melt hearts.

Contents: Rossini: La calunnia (Il Barbiere di Siviglia) ? A un dottor della mia sorte (Il Barbiere di Siviglia) ? Cornelius: Mein Sohn (Der Barbier von Bagdad) ? Smetana: Kezal's Aria (The Bartered Bride) ? Puccini: Vecchia zimarra (La Boheme) ? Mussorgsky: I have attained to power (Boris Godunov) ? Varlaam's Song (Boris Godunov) ? Pimen's Tale (Boris Godunov) ? Verdi: Dormiro sol nel manto mio regal (Don Carlo) ? Infelice! e tuo credevi (Ernani) ? Infin che un brando vindice (Ernani) ? Come dal ciel precipita (Macbeth) ? Il lacerato spirito (Simon Boccanegra) ? Di due figli vivea, padre beato (Il Trovatore) ? Mozart: Madamina! il catalogo e questo (Don Giovanni) ? Wer ein Liebchen hat gefunden (Die Entführung aus dem Serail) ? Solche herge laufne Laffen (Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail) ? Se vuol ballare, signor Contino (Le Nozze di Figaro) ? Non piu andrai (Le Nozze di Figaro) ? In diesen heil'gen Hallen (Die Zauberflöte) ? O Isis und Osiris (Die Zauberflöte) ? Donizetti: Ah, un foco insolito (Don Pasquale) ? A tanto amor (La Favorita) ? Dalle stanze, ove Lucia (Lucia di Lammermoor) ? Tchaikovsky: Gremin's Aria (Eugene Onegin) ? Gounod: Vous qui faites l'endormie (Faust) ? Le veau d'or (Faust) ? Beethoven: Hat man nicht auch Gold daneben (Fidelio) ? Wagner: Mogst du, mein Kind (Der Fliegende Hollander) ? Mein Herr und Gott (Lohengrin) ? Nun hort und versteht (Pogner's Address) (Die Meistersinger) ? Tatest du's wirklich? (Tristan und Isolde) ? Ponchielli: Ombre die mia prosapia (La Gioconda) ? Meyerbeer: Piff, Paff (Les Heugenots) ? Gluck: De noirs pressentiments (Iphigenie en Tauride) ? Halvey: Si la rigueur (La Juive) ? Nicholai: Als Bublein klein (Drinking Song) (The Merry Wives of Windsor) ? Massenet: Epouse quelque brave fille (Manon) ? Flotow: Lasst mich euch fragen (Porter Song) (Martha) ? Thomas: De son coeur j'ai calme la fievre (Mignon) ? Dargomyzhsky: The Miller's Song (Rusalka).