They fall in love, and when the three friends call the poet from the street, Mimi agrees to come with him.

Embraced they walk away towards Cafè Momus. The final note should be a C6 for the soprano and an E4 for the tenor. And it should end in a very soft Pianissimo. A good tenor would want to show off and go up on the high C5 together with Mimi, and for that reason, the last phrase is sometimes sung from the side scene in Forte (strong). This is not in the intent of Puccini.

Act 2 – At Cafè Momus.

 A crowded and chaotic environment with a lot of people who run from here to there. The chorus is divided into groups that shout short phrases, more than actually sing. They are salesmen, customers, mothers, fathers, and children. Among them, we see Schaunard, Colline, and Marcello.

Rodolfo and Mimi navigate through the crowds, laughing and having a good time. The four friends end up at a table in the middle of the Cafè and Mimi is introduced to the others.

Here are two very small parts…. Parpignol, who is the Toys-salesman, and a child who has a solo phrase Vo’ la tromba, il cavallin.

Marcello asks Mimi what gift Rodolfo has given her, and she answers a hat (… that will play a part in both the 3rd and the 4th Act).

Now the fourth main character enters, Musetta. She is more of a glamour girl and more openly prostituted. She’s there with Alcindoro, an old and rich gentleman (Comical role Baritone or Bass, sometimes doubles as Benoit). Immediately it’s clear that Musetta still has feelings for Marcello, her former lover, and that Marcello too is in love. They quarrel openly, and Alcindoro becomes more of a bystander even though he’s the one paying for her. Here comes another highlight, Musetta’s Aria Quando me n’vo… (When I walk down the street alone, people stop and look…). Musetta now attracts the attention of the whole Cafè as she tries to rid herself of Alcindoro. Suddenly she screams out loud. My foot hurts. These shoes are terrible. She then tells her escort to run down to the corner where there’s a shoemaker, to get her another pair of shoes. He protests, but then he takes her shoe under the coat and exits.

Marcello and Musetta can now openly show their affection. Someone in the group asks for the check, which turns out to be much more than what they can afford. Musetta cunningly grabs it and tells the waiter to add it to the check of Alcindoro’s. 

While this happens, a military parade is approaching in the streets. Everybody runs out to see it and in the confusion, our friends disappear into the crowd. The band marches through and everybody sings along. The scene ends with Alcindoro coming back from the shoemaker not finding anybody except for the exaggeratedly expensive bill.

Act 3 – The Barrière d’Enfer (Gate of Hell)

The atmosphere is now darker and the story becomes increasingly tragic.

The limit of 1800-Paris. A toll station with guards and gates that close at night. The atmosphere is drastically different from the happiness of Christmas, love, and friendship in the second Act.

Two months have passed. Marcello is working as a painter at a nearby Tavern, where Musetta sings to amuse the customers. Mimi comes to see Marcello. 

She explains that Rodolfo is changed. He’s always jealous, he shouts at her and says that she should find herself another lover. At night he sits just looking at her as if trying to read her mind.

  –  Last night he said, It’s over, then he ran out!

Marcello explains that Rodolfo had come there in the early morning, very tired, and had just fallen asleep, exhausted. He offers to get him for her but she doesn’t have the courage to meet him.

Rodolfo wakes up and comes out from the Tavern where Marcello is waiting for him. Mimi is hiding behind a corner.

This is one of the best half hours in the musical literature of all time. 

Marcello quarrel with him for his jealousy. But Rodolfo states that Mimi is unfaithful and that she becomes a flattering coquette in presence of other men, especially a particularly indiscreet Viscount.

Marcello gets angry with him and pushes him to make him take reason.

This is the key-point in the Opera. Puccini makes Rodolfo sing two phrases exactly the same apart from one note. The first time he explains about the Viscount, and how coquette Mimi is, flirting with everybody. The second time he reveals his true despair. That one, single note changes the atmosphere in his voice completely.

–  “Mimi è una Civetta e frascheggia con tutti”… (First phrase)

  –  Invan’, invan’ nascondo la mia vera tortura… (Second phrase)

  –  Mimi is sick. And I cannot provide for her, he says. Our little room is cold and the north wind comes rumbling in. I love her more than anything in the world but if she doesn’t get help, she will die. Love isn’t enough to save her.

Mimi who’s standing aside hears him and comes forth. At first, Rodolfo denies what he just said, but soon they both understand the sacrifice they have to do. They have to break up. When winter turns to spring, and nature awakes, their love will have to end.

And here Mimi sings the marvelous aria Donde lieta usci’. Bring a handkerchief.

Then there’s the final quartet in three parts, equally brilliantly composed, where Rodolfo and Mimi declare each other eternal love. But also that they shall await spring before separating.

  –  I wish that winter could last forever, Mimi sings with tears in her eyes.

The second part is when Musetta comes out from the Tavern. Marcello accuses her of being too provocative towards a gentleman and they start another fight with harsh language and offending words.

The third part is the end of the Act. Mimi and Rodolfo walk away together embraced, while Musetta and Marcello break up for the umpteenth time. Their part of the quartet finishes with short phrases and words, the very last outbursts are spoken: Vipera, Rospo, Strega (Snake, Toad, Witch).

Puccini shows off his genius by letting four people sing out two completely different emotions. Rodolfo and Mimi express their everlasting love in beautiful melodies while Musetta and Marcello are quarreling, screaming, and shouting. And still, it’s the same music, the melody is perfectly harmonically consonant and the line is simple as a lullaby.

Rodolfo and Mimi walk off the stage.

Act 4 – Back in the Attic of the first Act

More time has passed. Rudolfo and Marcello are again trying to work. This time it’s not the cold that prevents them, but it’s the longing for their loved ones. They sing a famous duett Oh, MImi tu più non torni where they declare their love, each to his woman.

  –  I don’t understand how my brush has his own life. When I should draw the sky, the earth, the spring, and winter. The only thing that comes out is Musetta, her eyes, her lips…

As another rerun from the first Act, Schaunard and Colline enter but not with wine, food, and combustible, but with one small herring… salted. So the four friends start to prepare for dinner. They soon get caught up in a game where each one impersonates a character. Marcello at a certain point  gets to be a woman (singing in falsetto). They run around the flat fighting, and laughing…

Puccini has composed an orchestral scherzo in a high tempo where nobody sings. They just run around chasing each other for 30 seconds. The contrast is like a punch in the gut when the music suddenly stops on an orchestra hit in Bb followed by an E minor.

Musetta rushes in. She had found Mimi on the street. Mimi had left her Viscount and was trying to reach Rodolfo just to die together with him hoping that he had been waiting for her. Now she couldn’t climb the stairs.

They help her in and put her in bed.

The small group of friends gathers around her. Mimi says that her hands are still cold and smiles at Rodolfo. Their apartment is as empty as it can be. They don’t have anything to offer her. Musetta leaves with Marcello to sell her earrings for medicine and to call a doctor.

Then Colline sings an Aria for his coat (Vecchia zimarra). He too is going to sacrifice something for a friend in need. For a man without money, giving away the only thing that could keep him warm, isn’t a small thing…

This is one of the very few Bass-Arias by Puccini. He didn’t particularly like low voices. 

He and Schaunard leave.

Here follows the immensely sad aria by Mimi.

  –  Sono andati? Fingevo di dormire. (Are they gone? I pretended to sleep…)

Then a short duet between Rodolfo and Mimi where fragments from the first act are returning. Rodolfo brings out the hat he bought her at Christmas. He had saved it as a memory. She sings fragments of the melody from Rodolfo’s Aria in the first act, but collapses. Rodolfo cries out and Schaunard rushes in.

But Mimi assures them both that she’s fine.

Now the others return. Musetta gives a Muff to Mimi for her cold hands and prepares the medicine. Marcello says that the doctor will come as soon as possible. Mimi falls asleep declaring eternal love for Rodolfo

The end is also quite extraordinary. 

There is a moment after the second citation of Rodolfo’s aria when the orchestra plays a distinctive B minor. That should be the point when she dies. The death of Mimi is often shown with a sudden change in light or even her hand that falls out from under the blanket. Again Puccini uses all his knowledge about the stage to create extraordinary tension.

Schaunard understands that she’s dead and tells Marcello. Often Musetta too is aware that she’s deceased … The last phrases are not sung but spoken. Colline asks:

  –  How’s she doing?

  –  You see? She’s calm.

Then Rodolfo senses something strange in the atmosphere. They watch him with immense pity. So he cries out.

  –  What is it? All that walking back and forth?… Why are you looking at me like that?

  –  Coraggio (Be strong…), Marcello says, and embraces him.

Rodolfo frees himself and cries out.

  –  Mimi… Mimi!