De Tommaso's Rodolfo Elevates Met's 1,431st La Bohème

Tenor Freddie De Tommaso delivered the defining performance of the Metropolitan Opera's opening night of Puccini's "La Bohème" this season — the company's 1,431st performance of the work — while conductor Ramón Tebar made his house debut on the podium.

The cast included soprano Juliana Grigoryan as Mimì, soprano Rosa Feola as Musetta, baritone Hansung Yoo as Marcello, bass-baritone Le Bu as Colline, baritone Gihoon Kim as Schaunard, and baritone Donald Maxwell as Benoit/Alcindoro. De Tommaso, who also sings Macduff in the Met's "Macbeth" this season, took on Rodolfo in a pairing with Grigoryan that proved the evening's core strength.

Franco Zeffirelli's traditional staging framed the production. Its Paris skyline of circa 1830, set under grey skies, encloses the dilapidated flat where young French artists come to grips with revolution and war, resisting external chaos by leaning on one another.

From the opening aria "Questo Mar Rosso," De Tommaso, Yoo, and Le Bu combined well-trained voices with sharply drawn character work that deepened as the night went on. Yoo's Marcello was jovial and well-poised, with a voice displaying a palette of colors.

De Tommaso stood out. His stage presence glowed, his eyes sparkled with joy, and his phrasing and legato stayed consistently on point. His "Che gelida manina" showed excellent Italian diction and vocal dynamics — but the reviewer identified the tenor's pure joy in singing as the decisive element. "His heart was in the right place and Puccini's music absolutely requires this first and foremost," the review noted. "Without this point of reference, one will fall flat, no matter how great they think they sound."

Grigoryan's Mimì grew across the evening. "Sì. Mi chiamano Mimì" established the character's shyness and developing illness. In "O soave fanciulla," her interwoven lines with De Tommaso drew roars of applause as she stretched her upper range.

Her Act three aria, "Donde lieta uscì," marked the turning point. Grigoryan let her voice unfurl completely, her presence turning stoic and steadfast as Mimì's health declines and Rodolfo's patience dwindles. "Usually this role is straight forward in its appearance, however Grigoryan made it her own," the reviewer wrote. "I'm still thinking about it. Brava!"

Rosa Feola's Musetta commanded attention in "Quando m'en vo," her flirtatiousness "perfectly over the top" as she broke plates, danced on tables, and threw up her skirt while waiters dove for a closer look — with Maxwell's wealthy older suitor adding to the spectacle. The Act two Café Momus scene, complete with a Dancing Bear and toy vendor Parpignol's donkey, gave the Met Chorus and children a lively, precisely timed showcase.

Le Bu's "Vecchia zimarra, senti" carried a rare combination of tenderness and turmoil. The reviewer called him "absolutely a star on the rise."

The final duet, "Sono andati? Fingevo di dormire," left no dry eye in the house, with De Tommaso's soulful cries for the dying Mimì etched into memory. Tebar's acute awareness in the pit channeled it all, the review concluded, making this "a most historical 'La Bohème' to behold."