Aria From La Boheme

La Boheme

Giaccomo Puccini's opera La Boheme is a mature work in the verismo mode in which the early aria "Che gelida manina" creates a dramatic situation that colors all that follows even as fragments from the aria appear again and again, tying together the lives of the common people portrayed in the opera. As E. Thomas Glasow writes, "In verismo scores, such motivic recall is common, putting greater emphasis on the dramatic effect of certain key situations" (Glasow 70). These fragments imitate the idea of the leitmotiv from Wagner, a theme that carries thematic weight and that reappears in different places in the opera to extend the deeper meaning of the action.

The poem itself has the simplicity of conversation, conveying the situation as Rodolfo holds Mimi's hand and reacts to her plight in a real and direct manner. One critic cites the lyrical elements in the poem and writes,

Rodolfo's first aria "Che gelida manina" in Act I, introduces a primarily conjunct melody of touching simplicity, conveying the innocence of pure love. This melody returns at the end of Act I, as Mimi and Rodolfo exit, and again, in Act IV as Mimi, on her deathbed, reminisces with Rodolfo on their first encounter ("Program Note" para. 1).

Puccini uses this method throughout with different themes from the early arias in Act I.

The situation in which this aria is sung colors its meaning and also marks its form as something special poetically. Rodolfo, after all, is a poet, and he has chosen to stay behind while his friends celebrate Christmas eve at a cafe. Mimi arrives at his door, her candle having gone out, and asks him to relight it for her. He has been writing poetry, and now he expresses himself in poetry that is lyrical, romantic, emotional, and yet simple all at the same time. In this aria, Rodolfo expresses his feelings for the young women and his fears at the same time, for her hand is icy cold to the touch, reflecting the illness that is consuming her and evoking both love and pity at the same time.

Mosco Carner notes that this aria is actually part of a grouping of arias in Act I that are linked around the awakening of live in these two characters. He also writes, "Che gelida manina' is one of the purest and most fragrant melodies that ever came into Puccini's head. We note the chant-like opening in pp and the disembodied beauty of the orchestral texture, with muted strings drawing a filigree against the vocal lines which is gently continued by the solo harp" (Carner 320).

In this aria, Rodolfo introduces himself to this young woman by telling her of his dreams and ideals as a poet. He is found writing poetry, and now he expresses his essence as a poet through a poetic speech that opens him to her. The situation is dramatic and is carried by the action. Rodolfo first reacts to the coldness of her hand in an emotional way. When Mimi starts to withdraw her hand, he holds on and asks her to wait a moment while he tells her who he is and what he does. He does then release her, and she sits and listens as he tells her who he is, that he is a poet, that he writes in his room, that he is poor, but that he creates poetry from his dreams. This part of the aria follows the strictures of lyric poetry. There is one clear subject, this poet and how he lives, and an emotional underpinning to the narrative as Rodolfo expresses his sense of self. He uses the metaphor of a theft to describe what has happened to him as she has entered his room and robbed him of his riches, referring to the poems he creates from his dreams. Mimi has stolen his dreams with her eyes, and now he finds that those dreams have been replaced by a new dream, a dream of her. The thieves are actually her eyes, and she has brought them into his room to rob him in a way that also brings hope, the hope of loving her. This lyrical expression of deep feeling is shaped as a simple metaphor of burglary leading to the final request that she tell him about herself, which is the lead to the next aria in which she does just that.

This aria is the first in the opera and sets up the situation quite clearly, showing the meeting of the two lovers while at the same time foreshadowing their separation because of the coldness of her hand, indicating the wasting disease that will take her soon. Indeed, she can barely stand when he first takes her hand. The metaphor of darkness carries multiple meanings as well. Her light has gone out, just as the light of her life will soon go out as well. The darkness represents the way Rodolfo has lived until now, and Mimi is a ray of light that has entered his room and his heart at the same time. She is looking for something, but he tells her it is too dark to be doing that. The implication is that he has been looking as well, and now he sops because he has found her. Just as he hopes she will stop looking because she has found him. His dreams have embodied that search, but those dreams have all vanished in the reality of Mimi. His asking to know more about her is also a way of dispelling the darkness, in this case the darkness of not knowing the answers that he now seeks.