PucciniLa Bohème

The New York Times

The director Stefan Herheim creates productions that are larger than life: intellectually charged but joyously theatrical. Little of his work has been captured on DVD, which makes this 'Bohème,' which he made for the Norwegian National Opera, a must-have. Mr. Herheim deconstructs the traditional sets of the company's previous production, creating a mixture of old and new with a sober twist: Mimì dies of cancer at the start, and the opera is reconfigured as Rodolfo's refusal to admit it. The production is a surreal, moving experience: sometimes mystifying but ultimately haunting.