La Bohème - San Francisco Opera

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Some people actually thought that TB was an inherited trait that showed up in people of creative talent, and that the sicker you were, the more talented you were. Or, in the reverse, that the more creative you were the sicker you would get, and that the fevers and fatigue of the illness helped people make better art. It was, in a word, glamorized and made almost fashionable. The spectre of TB is a constant presence in 19th century art. It shows up in operas other than <strong>La</strong> bohème, including Verdi's <strong>La</strong> Traviata, and in plays, poetry, novels and paintings. In reality it was a wasting disease with no known cure, and that the suffering was anything but glamorous. Sufferers were often isolated and prevented from working in certain types of jobs, or even from getting married. The symptoms of TB include immense tiredness, weight loss, fever, night sweats, chest pain, and persistent coughing that brings up blood. At the time, it almost always proved fatal. Treatment of the time was done by guess-work. Some physicians recommended rest and relaxation, some recommended fresh air and exercise, or even salt air for their patients. Infected people were often isolated in "sanatoriums." These were facilities that were set apart from crowded areas, like cities, and promoted exercise, fresh air, and rest for their patients. In 1882, Dr. Robert Koch, a German physician, was finally able to isolate the bacterium. For the first time, the cause of consumption was understood as a contagious disease that was spread through air contaminated by the coughing of an infected person. The first steps towards effective treatment and vaccination could now be taken. However, it was not until the middle of the twentieth century that major progress was made towards a cure, which was developed in the 1940's. Of course, the best treatment is prevention. Currently, doctors are trying to encourage prevention prior to development of active TB. Preventative medicine includes good nutrition, rest, exercise, periodic testing, and avoiding close and continued contact with a person who is sick with TB. Coming into contact with a person who has TB does not necessarily mean that you will also get sick. Our bodies fight off germs every day. Only a quarter of the people who are exposed to TB actually become infected, and only a small portion of those people actually get sick. 18
Curricular Connections The Bohemian by Pierre- Auguste Renoir and Activities 19
Page 1 and 2: La Bohème San Francisco Opera Guil
Page 3 and 4: Many thanks to the proud sponsors o
Page 5 and 6: Table of Contents La Bohème ......
Page 7 and 8: SYNOPSIS ACT I It is Christmas Eve
Page 9 and 10: ACT IV It is now several weeks late
Page 11 and 12: many revisions, less than a year la
Page 13 and 14: From Page to Stage The story of La
Page 15 and 16: Bohemians in Paris, 1830 Paris in 1
Page 17: Mimì's Illness One of the stronges
Page 21 and 22: Character Creation Think about the
Page 23 and 24: Prompts for Discussion and Activiti
Page 25 and 26: • Restaurant operation: • Decid
Page 27 and 28: From Bohème to Rent Summary of Act
Page 29 and 30: RENT, “Light My Candle”: Roger:
Page 31 and 32: Composition and Design Be a Compose
Page 34 and 35: Operatic Voices Operatic singing de
Page 36 and 37: Opera Glossary Accompaniment - An i
Page 38 and 39: Librettist - The person who writes
Page 40 and 41: Careers in Opera San Francisco Oper
Page 42 and 43: Another big part of San Francisco O
Page 44 and 45: Production Questions and Activities
Page 46 and 47: Opera and the California State Fram
Page 48 and 49: Bibliography Barber, David W., When
Page 50 and 51: How would you describe your student

La Bohème - San Francisco Opera

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