"Huge As The Ocean...Infinite As The Sea": Puccini's La Boheme with the Armenian National Philharmonic Orchestra

Conductor Eduard Topchjan, David Babayants as Schaunard, Vazgen Gazaryan as Colline, Gianpiero Ruggeri  as Marcello, and Liparit Avetisyan as Rodolfo.

I'm only a  week or so late on my article on Giocomo Puccini's La Boheme (hehe), with the Armenian National Philharmonic Orchestra and Eduard Topchjan conducting on July 26, 2017 at the Aram Khachaturian Concert Hall. The lovely cast consisted of the same singers who performed at the Opera Gala two days earlier, on July 24, 2017.

Gianpiero Ruggeri as Marcello

Liparit Avetisyan as Rodolfo
Ani Yorentz as Mìmì
Gianpiero Ruggeri as Marcello
Hasmik Torosyan as Musetta
David Babayants as Schaunard
Vazgen Gazaryan as Colline
Gagik Vardanyan as Benoit
Hovhannes Nersesyan as Alcindoro

Liparit Avetisyan as Rodolfo, Gianpiero Ruggeri as Marcello, Hasmik Torosyan as Musetta, Hovhannes Nersesyan as Alcindoro, and David Babayants as Schaunard.

Avetisyan and Yorentz performed very well together, with harmonious acting and very strong mutual stage presence. The aria duo scene, with Che gelida la manina and Si, mi chiamano Mimi was performed by both exquisitely and the audience could tell that they were engaged in a conversation.

Hasmik Torosyan as Musetta

Another dynamic duo was Gianpiero Ruggeri and Hasmik Torosyan, who were not only funny at times but also very heartfelt. Musetta and Marcello were very passionate about each other, and that's why they were constantly quarreling. Their flamboyance was a great contrast to Mimi and Rodolfo 's timidness, but both operatic couples are essentially different depictions of passion.

I even managed to find yet another dynamic duo, and that was Vazgen Gazaryan and a plastic goldfish in a glass tank. Colline the Philosopher seemed to share all of his deep and sophisticated philosophical thoughts with this goldfish, until he sold it for money for Mimi at the very end. His farewell excerpt, originally meant to be sung to Colline's coat, was sung by Gazaryan to his goldfish. Very sad.

David Babayants as Schaunard was very funny, entertaining, and relatable. Being the musician in the company of roommates, he seems to be the only one who actually brings in some cash whenever he's  lucky enough to get a gig. Babayants was marvelous as Schaunard.

Hovhannes Nersesyan as Alcindoro

Just a general comment that I found Hovhannes Nersesyan in the role of the crippled and rich old lover of the young and flirtatious Musetta very ironic and funny because Nersesyan did not look the part due to his non-compliant age. His acting was very exciting and hilarious, especially at the end of the Christmas Eve Act.

Liparit Avetisyan as Rodolfo and Ani Yorentz as Mimi

The production's costumes were absolutely gorgeous, designed by Paris-based designers Vartan and Gevorg Tarloyan. A showing of their collection was happening before the actual production in the lobby, with music and models dancing. I have attached photos taken from stage director Sukias Torosyan's social media.

Gevorg and Vartan Tarloyan's costume collection showing before the performance.

The dresses in the actual production fit both Torosyan and Yorentz very well, leaving a beautiful impression of the entire production. Maestro Eduard Topchjan also wore a velvet coat, probably a part of the stunning collection, so that he matched with the singers onstage.

Gagik Vardanyan as Benoit, Vazgen Gazaryan as Colline, Liparit Avetisyan as Rodolfo, Gianpiero Ruggeri as Marcello, and David Babayants as Schaunard.

The production itself was very similar to last summer's La Boheme, plus the new costumes and some new stage props. Colline's very philosophical and very plastic goldfish seemed to cause a decent amount of joy in the audience, Mimi's ominous hourglass (and Rodolfo symbolically turning the hourglass when they first meet), and an uncomfortable and, frankly, out of place hookah that added a whimsical touch to the entire scene.

  Of course, the hookah was toppled over in the fourth act due to the extremely limited amount of space, but even that bloop seemed to only add to the effectiveness of the set.

Plastic Goldfish in a Glass Tank as herself, Vazgen Gazaryan as Colline, David Babayants as Schaunard, and Gianpiero Ruggeri as Marcello.

Everybody's acting was memorably excellent. Musetta's attention-seeking character was very well portrayed by Torosyan, who really emphasized the evident presence of love that Musetta has for Marcello. Ruggeri, in turn, played against her charms very well, depicting poor Marcello's torments at her purposeful fickleness. Their unfaltering eye contact with each other really added to the authenticity. Gazaryan made everyone laugh with his unfaltering eye contact with his plastic goldfish and partially insane interpretation of the fish-stricken philosopher (probably the main consumer of their hookah 😉). Babayants protrayed Schaunard as the most work-capable of the lot, the least love-stricken and looking at everything through a sober lense. Yorentz made everyone's breath stop short with her stunning depiction of Mimi's whimpering death, and Avetisyan drew tears from the eyes of the audience as he portrayed Rodolfo's anguish and treachery at the discovery of Mimi's death.

Vartan and Gevorg Tarloyan's costume collection showing before the production.

Puccini's heart-wrenching music never ceases to inspire and to move; his last and final motif for Mimi's death is a genius conclusion to this masterpiece.