Thoughts on La Boheme

The opera that I decided to watch was La Boheme. This opera was about two roommates, Rodolfo and Marcello, who live in the city. They are both very poor and always cold in their apartment. One night, Rodolfo meets his neighbor Mimi. Once the lights blow out, they instantly fall in love. Later on, Marcello meets a rich woman named Musetta, and they begin to date. Rodolfo and Marcello seem to be madly in love until a night when both think that they should break up with each other. At first, Mimi says it is because of Rodolfo's jealousy, while Rodolfo says it is because of Mimi's flirtatiousness. Later, Rodolfo admits that it is because of how Mimi has become sick because of the conditions that they live in. At the end of the play, Mimi sadly passes away. I thought this opera was very fascinating. It shows a glimpse of what life must have been like in the 1800s for those who were not well off. We, ourselves, without realizing it take for granted things such as heat and electricity. This opera revealed to me how we should be thankful for what we have, for Mimi ends up dying because of the poverty and the coldness. I thought the romance between Rodolfo and Mimi was quite beautiful. It was gratifying to see how they stuck together until the end, despite her sickness. However, I was a bit confused on how rapid their romance blossomed. Immediately after meeting they fell in love, which I do not feel is very realistic. In addition, I found the romance between Marcello and Musetta somewhat confusing, for I could not tell how they actually felt about each other. Nevertheless, I thought this was a good opera to watch, and it reminded me a lot of the musical Rent! I wonder if Rent was inspired by this opera.