The orchestra play fabulously, the tone in the strings especially is full of warmth and it's alive to nuances and lyrical style. The ending does not disappoint, was expecting to cry buckets and that happened. The staging is rarely too busy, nor is it ever static(even in the chorus, there have been a fair amount of productions seen with badly directed choruses), the scenes between the Bohemians are a joy especially the end of Act 2 and there is plenty of emotional wallop when needed. The production may be 30+ years old but it doesn't show its age at all, the spirit of the opera remains but it feels fresh too with the most entertaining Act 2 I've seen in a while. It doesn't just look striking but there is a real eye for detail, then again it is Zeffirelli so that shouldn't come too much of a surprise. The costumes suit the characters' personalities and they look Bohemian at least with tasteful colours and the lighting is neither too bright or too dark. Visually, this 'La Boheme' is very handsome to look at with an opulent Act 2, a hauntingly lit Act 3 and the Acts 1 and Act 4 garret setting as beautifully mounted as it is authentically cold(as it should). Some may find Paul Plishka very dry and rough vocally, he is well past his best definitely (then again this is another brought out of retirement performance), but this is more than compensated by sly and characterful musicality and phrasing and he is a tremendously fun presence onstage, experience shows. Act 3 at times could have been more intimate, attempts to make the staging more 'interesting' distracted slightly from the emotion, which resonates much more when kept simple. Of the 2017-2018 Live in HD productions so far, 'La Boheme' is one of the best, in a season that got stronger and stronger with each production, it dipped a little with 'The Exterminating Angel' (a very good production but an acquired taste opera) but so far it's been great. As was said with the 2014 production, also wonderful, this 2018 production promised a fair bit, especially that it was a revival of the classic Franco Zeffirelli production, and delivers, it is wonderful in almost every single way. The ending to Poulenc's 'Dialogues des Carmelites' is the only ending to an opera that affects me more. The music is some of Puccini's best and most beautiful, the story is entertaining and poignant and the ending is one of the most heart-rending endings in all of opera. 'La Boheme' is not just an opera masterpiece, a very close second to 'Tosca' as far as Puccini operas go, but an all-time favourite too.

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