Programme Index

Discover 11,128,835 listings and 281,454 playable programmes from the BBC

La bohème from the Royal Opera House

Duration: 1 hour, 59 minutes

First broadcast: on BBC Four HDLatest broadcast: on BBC Four

Puccini’s operatic masterpiece, La Bohème, performed at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

Ever since its premiere in Turin in 1896, La bohème has been a huge hit with audiences across the world. Within two years, it had been seen in Buenos Aires, Los Angeles, Prague, Berlin, Manchester and beyond. With over 500 performances chalked up at Covent Garden alone, this opera is one of the most popular and enduring in the repertoire.

In this performance from 2020, Sonya Yoncheva stars as the doomed seamstress Mimì, with Charles Castronovo as Rodolfo, who falls in love with her at first sight. Simona Mihai and Andrzej Filonczyk perform the roles of the on-off lovers, Musetta and Marcello.

Richard Jones’s period production brings to life the garret flats and shopping arcades of 19th-century Paris, with designs by Stewart Laing, pitting the rags of the bohemians against the riches of the swanky shopping arcades and restaurants of the French capital.

Poverty and passion collide in a story of friendship and fellowship, love and loss. Featuring some of Puccini’s best-loved music, this performance is conducted by Emmanuel Villaume. Show less

About this data

This data is drawn from the data stream that informs BBC's iPlayer and Sounds. The information shows what was scheduled to be broadcast, meaning it was/is subject to change and may not be accurate. More