Young love and mortality are fatefully intertwined in La Bohème, and in Floris Visser’s new production at Glyndebourne Death stalks the consumptive Mimi from her first appearance among the bohemians to the moment of her premature demise. The stalking figure is played by Christopher Lemmings, who also takes the small role of Parpignol, the toyseller at the Café Momus. That’s no coincidence: one of the most moving moments is when Mimì looks longingly at Parpignol handing out toys to the children, as if to plead for the gift of life.
Another such moment occurs when Mimì says goodbye to her lover Rodolfo, not in fact because their love has waned, but because Death is there looking her in the face. It’s a chilling moment too when the mortally sick Mimì arrives on the scene in the final act with Death in tow. And the final sequence in which she walks slowly off into darkness in step with him, the heart-rending cries of Rodolfo ringing in our ears, is unforgettable. Visser knows and exploits the power of a visual image to underscore the emotional effect of text and music.
