REVIEW: La Boheme

They are now two-thirds of the way through their UK tour and if you want to catch them in the south, aim for The Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury (June 24-28) or the Assembly Hall, Tunbridge Wells (June 29 but one day only).

The company was founded in 1977 as part of a government-funded programme and is now 600-strong and stages international festivals, particularly from Asia and the Pacific.

La Boheme is a tricky opera which asks its audience to imagine these magnificently adult, powerfully-voiced performers as starving students in a Parisian garret.

And the Siberian company was no exception.

Larisa Marzoeva's Mimi sang beautifully and captured Mimi's full emotional range from joy at meeting Rodolfo, through romance to a brave and accepting death.

You just felt she was a little too mature and feisty to fall for the sensationally-voiced but portly and distinctly unglamorous Anatoliy Pelipenko's Rodolfo.

As performers gave their final bow the standing ovation was reserved for Alexey Bocharov whose glorious bass, towering figure and impressive presence lit up the stage.

Roman Khobta gave a sterling performance as the musician Schaunard but bouquets should have been thrown at the feet of Vera Baranova who brought dignity and pathos to the relatively unsympathetic role of singer Musetta.

Arias were sung with elan and accuracy.

My only minor quibble was the set - a glorious backdrop of Parisian rooftops but a distinctly wobbly iron bedstead which theatened to add a soupcon of extra drama to Mimi's tragic death scene.

The Russian State Opera Orchestra overlayed Puccini's emotionally charged score with Slavic drama.

A production not to be missed - where do the Russians find these marvellous voices?

Susan King