Boheme, La: Act III, Aria: Donde lieta usci; Addio, senza rancor (soprano)

LA BOH?ME (THE BOHEMIAN), one of the most beloved and commercially-successful operas, is based on the 1851 novel "Scenes of Bohemian Life" by Henri Murger.  With a libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa, Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924) worked on it from 1893 to 1895. It first appeared at the Teatro Regio in Turin on February 1, 1896, conducted by 28-year-old Arturo Toscanini. Weighed negatively against Turin's recent Italian premiere of the Wagner opera G?TTERDAMMERUNG, it received a lukewarm response from audience and critics. A few months later, concertgoers filled opera houses on both sides of the Atlantic to hear it. Breaking up with Rodolfo in Act III, Mimi sings "Donde lieta usci; Addio, senza rancor," telling him she has no hard feelings and offering her pink bonnet in memory of their love. Instrumentation: 2+Picc.2+EH.2+BCl.2: 4.0.0.0: Hp: Str (4.4.3.3.3 in set): Solo Sop.