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Last night's first "La Boh?me" of the season at the Met was a beauty. The special, non-subscription performance was a sellout and drew a festive crowd that included the King of Morocco and his royal party.

Probably the king and others had bought their tickets well in advance in order to catch Renata Tebaldi, who had been scheduled to sing Mimi but whose mother's death forced her to give up singing this season. If so, there was no need for disappointment, for Victoria de los Angeles was a vocally enchanting heroine. And singing opposite her, in his first Rodolfo at the Met, was Carlo Bergonzi, called in at the last moment to substitute for the ailing Daniele Barioni. Signor Bergonzi was excellent and the duets were rapturous.

It was a first-rate cast, all around. Heidi Krall is a lovely Musetta, who distinguishes the role every time she does it and she was in fine voice last night. Frank Guarrera was a winning and vocally commanding Marcello. George Cehanovsky and Giorgio Tozzi enhanced the parts of Schaunard and Colline. And praise to Ezio Flagello's Benoit and Lorenzo Alvary's Alcindoro. Thanks, too, to director Hans Busch for keeping the stage action clean and purposeful and, above all, for restoring the touching business at the end of the third act wherein Marcello tenderly retrieves Musetta's scarf.

Thomas Schippers conducted fastidiously.

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