Puccini’s La Boheme

Original Text: La Boheme and Die Walküre

La Boheme, the first act of Puccini’s romance opera, was performed in Paris. The piece is a conversation between a poet, Rodolf, and Mimi, who is acting as the seamstress. The dialogue is quite lifelike, and both the music and the text in the composition change the speed frequently. This gives the piece a human feeling, which is essential to highlighting the romance and love theme. Similar to this, the final scene of Act I of Wagner’s Die Walküre is a love scene. Wagner’s Die Walküre’s Act I finale features a sizable orchestration and a strong voice. Act I of Puccini’s La Boheme continues the theme of love in a similar manner. Puccini’s La Boheme and Wagner’s Die Walküre are romantic compositions. The historical age in which the two composers lived revered the piano, the favorite instrument for romantic compositions. During the romanticism age, art song was used to express feelings of love.

Differences in the Compositions

The differences in the two Opera compositions are the fact that while Act I of Puccini’s La Boheme is performed in Paris, Act I conclusion of Wagner’s Die Walküre is performed in Germany. Both compositions were performed in the era of Nationalism in the 19th century when musical compositions were used as a unifying factor for many countries in Europe. The compositions carried the distinct national styles or the national spirit. National schools provided suitable environments where performances took place. For instance, Act I of Puccini’s La Boheme was meant to express Bohemian life. Act I of Puccini’s La Boheme makes me feel the romance through the fluctuation of the tempo. It also makes me have a feeling of the Bohemian life. On the other hand, Act I conclusion of Wagner’s Die Walküre makes me feel the spirit of nationalism, which is represented in the large voices and large orchestration characterized by the composition.