Puccini: La Bohème

Luciano Pavarotti, at his vocal peak as the idealistic young poet Rodolfo, is one reason this recording has become one of the best-loved and most acclaimed performances of the world's most popular opera; Mirella Freni, whose captivating, silken soprano portrays the doomed Mimi, is another. But it's Karajan who casts a spell around the singers, surrounding and supporting them with a wealth of suave orchestral color and expressive nuance, providing an atmosphere that turns from comedy to tender romance to tragedy in which the characters can fully bloom into life.