Opera Plots I - MDC Faculty Home Pages

First Produced Turin, February, 1896
Chief Characters Mimi, Musette, Rudoiphe, Marcel, Schaunard, Colline
THE subject-matter of this opera is more a series of character sketches, giving a vivid picture of
Paris student Bohemian life than a story containing any very definite plot.
In Act 1 the happy-go-lucky, but desperately poor students, Rudolphe the Poet and Marcel The
Artist, are shown at work in their garret, cold and hungry. Rudolphe sacrifices his MSS. to keep
the fire alight; but presently their comrade, Schaunard the Musician, appears, having had an
unexpected windfall, which he proceeds to share with his friends in true Bohemian fashion. He
brings with him quite an extravagant feast which they at once proceed to enjoy, being joined by
another friend, Colline the Philosopher. When the landlord comes angrily to demand his longoverdue
rent, they merrily force him to join them at supper, and soon make him jolly and forgetful
of his rent by copious draughts of good wine. After supper three of them go off to join in the fun
of a fair being held in the streets opposite the celebrated Café Momus; but Rudolphe remains
behind to finish a MS., promising to join them later. When the hilarious students have gone,
Rudolphe is interrupted by the entrance of pretty little Mimi, an embroiderer, who has come for a
light, and who half-faints on her entrance, being very frail, and, in fact, consumptive. Rudolphe
has before been struck with the ethereal beauty of this girl; and he now contrives to extinguish the
light, and as they both search for a key which Mimi has dropped, their hands meet in the dark, and,
being thrilled by the touch, they confess their love for one another. Rudolphe now takes Mimi out
to the fair with him.
Here we find all the merry friends taking refreshment outside the Café Momus; and here also
Marcel meets his sweetheart, the coquettish Musette, who is at the moment accepting the
attentions of a rich but foolish old banker. She soon manages to hoodwink her aged admirer,
however, by despatching him to buy her a new pair of shoes; and then she quickly makes friends
with her beloved Marcel once more, and departs with him.
In Act 3 we have many little quarrels and reconciliations between the two pairs of lovers; and in
this act, also, we see that Mimi s malady is gaining a fatal hold upon her.
In Act 4 Rudolphe and Marcel are shown in their garret once more, very wretched because their
sweethearts seem to have deserted them altogether; but their commise-rations with each other are
presently interrupted by the hurried entrance of Musette, full of anxiety and excitement, who
aunounces that she has brought Mimi to bid them farewell, as she is now in a dying state. Very
tenderly the two students carry in the exhausted girl, and Rudolphe lays her upon his bed and folds
her in his arms, weeping. The other students enter, and one by one they go out to pawn their coats
in order to buy wine and restoratives for the dying girl. But Mimi is beyond all human help; and
after uttering a tender farewell to her beloved Rudolphe she expires happily in his arms, and the
curtain descends upon the despairing collapse of the bereaved lover and the sympathising sorrow
of his faithful companions.
128. THE GIRL OF THE GOLDEN WEST