The scion of a distinguished family of musicians, Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924) succeeded Verdi as modern Italy's preeminent composer for the theater. Some of his loveliest and most memorable vocal music appears in the celebrated opera La Boh me, an enchanting work based on Henri Murger's novel Sc nes de la vie de Boh me.
First performed at the Teatro Regio, Turin, in 1896, La Boh me quickly developed into a staple of the operatic repertoire and has remained so to this day. From the lyrical phrases of the love duet of Rodolfo and Mimi to the ever-popular Musetta's Waltz, this work has come to be regarded as Puccini's masterpiece. Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians observes that "Puccini's music reflects the alternate gaiety and pathos of Murger's novel with a truth and sincerity to which no name but that of genius can be applied."
This handsome and moderately priced new edition of the opera's vocal score contains the complete music for voices with a piano reduction of the orchestral score. Ideal for study, rehearsal, and recital performance, it will be treasured by singers and all lovers of the finest operatic and vocal music.