Sources
67. La bohème

67.A.1

Location:

Museo Luigi Illica, Castell'Arquato (Piacenza). 


Draft of the libretto of what is now the first quadroNote: Unique in Puccini’s operas, the expression “quadro” (instead of “atto”) is used not only in the autograph full score, but also in all Italian editions of the piano-vocal and full scores. It means “scene” (or “tableau”), as well as “painting” — certainly an allusion to the artists’ milieu of the opera. It is retained here as well as in the text, whenever it refers to the original indication of the four parts of the opera. (“Atto Primo / Scena Prima”), mainly in Giulio Ricordi’s handwritting, with autograph notes, corrections, additions, and cancellations by Puccini and others. 30 leaves, written mainly only on the rectos, and numbered 1–30, 8°.

The manuscript, recovered by Juergen Maehder (see Maehder 1986 and Maehder 1987), probably originated from the second half of 1893, as there is talk about “La Barrière Atto 2°” (opposite p. 28), indicating that the original Act 3 (“Il cortile della casa di via Labruyère 8”) still existed. It was eliminated in February 1894 at the latest (see NOTES). The manuscript contains the following composition sketches:

Opposite p. 5: 5 bars of a melody for Rodolfo, connected with the entrance of Colline or Schaunard (near what is now fig. 6, but ultimately not used in this way).
Opposite p. 14: 2 bars sketch for fig. 19+3/4.
Opposite p. 21: 5 bars sketch for fig. 27-8/4.
Opposite p. 27: 4 bars sketch for the duet of Rodolfo and Mimì (“Sei sola al mondo — io, vagabondo”); the music and text for this passage were later abandoned.

67.A.II.24.a

US-Wc
 (

Moldenhauer Archives Box 107

)

1 leaf, 2° with 26 staves, written on both sides, comprising 10 bars of full score from the second quadro (fig. 24+5 – fig. 25-4).

Probably Puccini removed this leaf from 67.B.1 because of the numerous and barely legible corrections, and replaced it at this juncture with the current leaf 129 (both were written on Type A music paper; see 67.B.1).
For a commentary on this manuscript, see Fairtile 2000. 

67.A.IV.1.a

Auction Date: 01/12/2004
 (

Last at Christie's auction of 1 December 2004, sale 6962, lot 21. Formerly owned by Cecilia Massa, Armstrong, Argentina.

)

1 leaf, 4° with 16 staves, written on both sides, comprising a composition draft of the beginning of the fourth quadro (to fig. 1+13). Autograph heading: “Quadro 4° La Bohème / di GPuccini.” At the upper left margin autograph date “Pescia 20 7mbre [September 18]95.”

This draft contains numerous corrections and differs to a small extent from the definitive version.
According to Mrs. Massa, the manuscript devolved from her grandfather’s estate, the Argentine composer Juan Bautista Massa (1885–1938); he had received it from a friend who was an Italian painter. This may have been Ferruccio Pagni, Puccini’s friend from Torre del Lago who (from 1904) resided in Argentinia for several years.

67.A.IV.20.a

Auction Date: 01/02/1971
US-NYpm
 (

Heinemann MS 173B, formerly in the collection Gallini, old shelf mark IV, 383 — see Hopkinson 1968, p. 63; then in the auction of Stargardt 16/17 February 1971, No. 66.

)

1 leaf, 2°, written on both sides, comprising a draft of 36 bars for the passage preceding Mimì’s “Sono andati?” in the fourth quadro (from fig. 20-17), written on music paper of Type B in 67.B.1.
At the end of the draft is the autograph signature and date “Torre del Lago / 12.99”; below (also in Puccini’s hand, but quite neatly written in piano-vocal score) are the first five bars of Colline’s arioso “Vecchia zimarra,” which in the opera immediately preceeds the drafted passage, followed by Puccini’s self-caricature, signature and autograph date: “Torre del Lago / 12.12.90cinque [12 December 1895].”

The draft is written on the same music paper as large parts of the autograph full score (67.B.1), but some of the orchestral writing differs from the definitive version and contains numerous corrections. It certainly originated from the latest phase of composition and instrumentation (October 1895), corroborated by the autograph date “19 X [19 October]” recognizable on the recto.
Bögel 1978, pp. 224-26, provides a commentary about this manuscript.
The combination of signatures and dates, bewildering at first, probably can be explained in the following way. Puccini signed the leaf, which certainly belonged to the original composition draft (but perhaps not yet its final version) on 12 December 1895, days or even weeks after its origin. The addition of the “Vecchia zimarra” passage, together with the caricature and autograph signature may have been made on the occasion of private cel- ebrations for the completion of the opera (see Groos and Parker 1986, p. 102). It was some years later that he added the signature and date which clearly reads “12.99”Note: And not “12.95”, as Hopkinson 1968 states on p. 63. (i.e. either December 1899 or, more probably, in accordance with Puccini’s frequent custom of omitting the month in the first days of a new year, 12 January 1899). Puccini’s handwriting at that juncture was obviously added on a different occasion, which has nothing to do with the time of origin of the draft — perhaps when Puccini gave the leaf away and used the empty space for the actual date of the presentation.

67.A.IV.29.a

Location:

Present owner unknown (sold in 2001 by the music antiquarian Voerster, Stuttgart


1 page of composition draft for the finale of the fourth quadro (fig. 29-1/+10), with the autograph signature and date “GPuccini / Torre del Lago / 1898”, but certainly from November 1895 (see NOTES).

67.B.1

I-Mr
 (

N.III.1-4

)

Full score.
263 leaves, 2°, nearly all of which are written on both sides, numbered with a stamped pagination. Most of the leaves still bear Puccini’s handwritten numbering, written at the top or the bottom of the pages. The stamped pagination was made on 21 November 1927 (remarks confirming this appear in the manuscript between leaves 143 and 144 as well as between leaves 198 and 199).
The manuscript contains numerous autograph corrections.
The rehearsal numbers, entered continuously, are in a different handwriting, as are some of the (rare) metronome marks.

In addition to the usual staves, all of the pages have two lines for the percussion instru:ments and the following types of music paper are used:

Type A 26 staves with pre-printed names of the instrument
Type B 30 staves with pre-printed names of the instrument
Type C 26 staves without pre-printed names for the instrument
Type D 24 staves with pre-printed names of the instrument
Type E 26 staves with the names of the instruments in a copyist’s handwriting
Type F 28 staves with pre-printed names of the instruments, but not for the strings

Frequent changes of the music papers and various autograph systems of numbering indicate numerous phases of revision — all of them earlier, however, than the indicated dates for the completion of the individual quadri. Changes found in the later printed editions were not copied in this manuscript.
In the following survey, the stamped numeration is used throughout:

First Quadro:
The rectos of the leaves are stamped at the upper right with the numbers 1-90 (leaf 90v. is blank). Additionally, there is the autograph leaf or page numbering 1-79 (up to fig. 39), then no further autograph pagination.
The first page bears the autograph headline: “La Bohême [sic] atto I GPuccini / 21.1.95.”
At the end of leaf 90r. is the autograph note: “Fine atto I° / GPuccini / ora 2 di notte [2 o’clock in the morning] / 8.6.95 / milano (chiusa fatta dopo aver finito il 2° atto [conclusion made after finishing Act 2])”. The note in parentheses obviously refers to the end of the act (from fig. 39); perhaps the following 16 final pages, where an autograph numbering is missing, were only written after the preceding part of the score was delivered to Ricordi.
Except for the inserted leaves of Type B paper with the autograph numbering 12bis/12Abis and 53a/b (= fig. 4-11/+3 and fig. 22+11 – fig. 23+2 respectively), music paper of Type A is used throughout.

Second Quadro:
The rectos of the leaves are stamped at the upper right with the numbers 91-143, with additional autograph leaf numbering of 1-54.
Leaf 91r. bears the autograph heading: “Atto 2° La Bohême [sic] / GPuccini.”
At the end of leaf 143v. is the autograph note “Fine atto 2° / Pescia Castellaccio / 19.7.95 / GPuccini.”
The music papers vary in the following way:

Beginning – fig. 5-2 (autograph numbering 1–7): Type A
fig. 5-1 – fig. 21-1 (autograph numbering 8–33): Type B
fig. 21+1 – end (autograph numbering 34–54): Type A

Third Quadro:
The rectos of the leaves are stamped at the upper right with the numbers 144-198 (leaf 198v. is blank). Furthermore, from leaf 145, there is the autograph numbering 1-107 obviously written immediately after finishing the work.
Since older autograph numberings are missing, it can be surmised that the writing of this manuscript took place, so to speak, at one sitting, without any revisions worth mentioning (see NOTES).
Leaf 144r. bears the autograph title: “Quadro / 3° / La Bohême [sic] / di / GPuccini / Pescia 10.9.95”.
Leaf 145r. bears the autograph heading: “Quadro III° La Bôheme [sic] / GPuccini”.
Leaf 184v. is blank and crossed out, but numbered in Puccini’s hand.
The end of leaf 198r. bears the autograph annotation: “Pescia 18 7bre [September 18]95 / Fine / dell’atto / 3° GPuccini.”
The music papers vary in the following way:

Beginning – fig. 9: Type C
fig. 9 – fig. 10+3: Type A
fig. 10+4 – fig. 11-4: Type C
fig. 11-3 – fig. 22-3: Type A
fig. 22-2 – fig. 26-1: Type C
fig. 26+1 – fig. 27+1: Type D
fig. 27+2 – fig. 28+7: Type A
fig. 28+8 – fig. 32+4: Type D
fig. 32+5 – fig. 33-4: Type A
fig. 33-3 – end: Type D

Fourth Quadro:
The rectos of the leaves are stamped at the upper right with the numbers 199-263, with additional autograph leaf numbering of 1-65, obviously made after finishing the work.
Leaf 199r. bears the autograph heading: “Quadro 4° La Bohême [sic] / GPuccini.”
Leaf 216v. contains pencilled sketches, but perhaps not in Puccini’s hand.
Leaf 252v. is blank and crossed out, but numbered by the composer.
Leaf 263v. bears the acknowledgement of the submission of the manuscript to the Prefettura di Milano on 28 February 1896. At the end of the music is the autograph inscription: “adi 10 dicembre 1895 / ore 12 di notte / Torre del Lago GPuccini.”
The different music papers and (older) autograph page numberings make the different phases of work recognizable as follows:

Beginning – fig. 5: no older numbering Type D
fig. 5 – fig. 6+13: older page numbering 3/1-8 Type D
fig. 6+14 – fig. 7+8: older page numbering 9-15 Type E
fig. 7+9 – fig. 10: older page numbering 1-8 Type F
fig. 10 – fig. 20-8: older page numbering A-Y, 1A-19X Type E
fig. 20-7 – fig. 21+12: older page numbering 1-8 (designated at the beginning with the autograph indication: “GPuccini La Boheme [sic] 3° fascicolo / atto IV°”) Type D
fig. 21+13 – fig. 21+18: older page numbering 9-10 Type E
fig. 21+19 – fig. 23+1: older page numbering 11-14 Type D
fig. 23+2 – fig. 24-3: older page numbering 15-16 Type E
fig. 24-2 – fig. 24+13: older page numbering 1-2 Type A
fig. 24+14 – fig. 25+7: older page numbering 3-5 (6 blank) Type B
fig. 25+8 – fig. 25+19: older page numbering 7-8 Type A
fig. 25+20 – fig. 28-3: older page numbering 9-14 Type E
fig. 28-2 – end: older page numbering 15-28 Type B

67.B.2

Location:

Last in Stargardt's auction of 10-11 March 2020, catalogue 708, no. 694. Formerly in the collection of Friedrich Georg Zeileis (see Zeileis 1992, p. 133).


Auction Date: 10/03/2020

“Solo di Rodolfo atto Imo Quadro Imo Che gelida manina,” consisting of 4 leaves, 4° (5 1/2 pages of which contain writing), with the autograph dedication “To Mrs. P.A. Valentine.”

Apparently personally copied by Puccini from the piano-vocal score and possibly written during one of his stays in America (in 1907 or 1910). It is amazing that Puccini wrote such an extensive copy for a dedicatee (see also 67.B.3).

67.B.3

CH-CObodmer

“Valzer di Musetta / La Bohème atto 2° / To mrs. P.A. Valentine” (see Musikhandschriften der Bodmeriana, Cologny-Genève: Fondation Martin Bodmer, 1986, pp. 71-72). 3 leaves, 4° (3 pages of which contain writing), signed at the end by the composer.

Apparently personally copied by Puccini from the piano-vocal score on the same music paper as 67.B.2, and obviously written on the same occasion.

Not Known

67.D.1

Copied source Portion Bibliographic reference Page number
67.A.1

opposite p. 27

 Maehder 1986

p. 166.

67.D.2

Copied source Portion Bibliographic reference Page number
67.A.II.24.a

John Newsom and Alfred Mann (eds.),The Rosaleen Moldenhauer Memorial. Music History from Primary Sources. A Guide to the Moldenhauer Archives (Washington: Library of Congress, 2000), 362-63.

67.D.3

Copied source Portion Bibliographic reference Page number
67.A.IV.20.a

Approdo musicale 1959 (supplement to Gallini’s article).

67.D.4

Copied source Portion Bibliographic reference Page number
67.A.IV.20.a

recto

Catalogue of Stargardt’s auction of 16-17 February 1971

p. 179.

67.D.5

Copied source Portion Bibliographic reference Page number
67.B.2

p. 5

 Zeileis 1992

p. 133.

67.D.6

Copied source Portion Bibliographic reference Page number
67.B.1

p. 1

Catalogues of Stargardt's auctions of 25-26 February 1975, p. 203, and of 11 March 2020, p. 331.

67.E.1

First Italian edition:
La Bohème (Scene de la Vie de Bohème di Henri Murger). 4 Quadri di Giuseppe Giacosa e Luigi Illica. Musica di Giacomo Puccini. Opera completa per canto e pianoforte ...
Riduzione di Carlo Carignani.
Copyright 1896.
Ricordi, Milan etc., 1896.
PN 99000, 269 pages, 4°.

Registered at the Prefettura di Milano on 25 January 1896 (I-Rsc 103.B.31).

According to MRL, the production of this edition already began on 28 June 1895. It was announced in the Gazzetta musicale of 13 February 1896, but was certainly ready by the beginning of January (the first printing date in MRK is 2 January 1896; see also NOTES). There are only slight differences compared with 67.B.1, and they are almost all variants in the text. The only notable exception is the transposition of Rodolfo’s aria, “Che gelida manina”, from C major to D flat major (discussed in Budden 1998b, 9-13).
As Puccini had only finished the composition and orchestration a few weeks earlier, he obviously had little or no time to check the printed piano-vocal score. That is probably why it contains innumerable discrepancies in details of expression when compared to the following editions. Not even one third of all pages remained uncorrected in the following editions, a situation unique among all the editions of the piano-vocal scores of Puccini’s operas.

Copies
I-Fn

Mus.i.1093

 BS 1896

registered 16 November 1983
I-Rsc

103.B.31

 without BS
I-Rsc

10.K.17

 BS 1896
I-Rsc

3.F.29

 BS 1896
I-Lmp BS 1896
I-Lgp

67.E.1

 BS 1896
GB-Lbl

F.860.b

 BS 1896

registered 7 July 1897

USA holdings: NUC NP 0634005 (some of which may also be copies of 67.E.2).

67.E.1a

First Spanish edition:
La Bohemia. Escenas de “La Vida a Bohemia” de Enrique Murger. 4 Cuadros de José Giacosa y Luis Illica ... Nueva edición con adiciones del autor.
[No translator mentioned].
Copyright 1904.
Ricordi, Milan etc., 1904.
PN 109165, 281 pages, 4°.

Registered at the Prefettura di Milano on 7 July 1904 (I-Rsc 105.B.12).

The first performance of La Bohème in the Spanish language supposedly took place in Barcelona in April 1905 (see Loewenberg 1943, p. 618), for which this edition probably was produced. MRL records 20 August 1903 as the beginning of production of the edition. According to MRK, printing began only on 6 July 1904. It is amazing, however, that this late edition (like 67.E.5) is called a “new edition with additions by the author.” It contains most of the corrections of the expression marks, but apart from the first one listed in 67.E.2, it does not include any of the considerable musical changes Puccini made after the first performance. Therefore, this edition corresponds substantially to 67.E.1. The reason could be that there was already a singable Spanish translation made much earlier for performances in Mexico, in September 1898,Note: See the Gazzetta musicale of 6 October 1898, p. 580. and other Spanish speaking countries, temporarily entered by hand in copies of 67.E.2, and adopted here for the sake of simplicity.

Copies
I-Fn

Mus.i.664

 BS 6.04
I-Mc

Spartiti 971

 BS 6.04
I-Rsc

105.B.12

 BS 6.04
I-Rsc

G.21.F.6

 BS 6.04
US-Wc

M 3.3.P8B6

 BS 6.04

registered 8 July 1904

67.E.2

Second Italian edition:
Copyright 1896.
Ricordi, Milan etc., 1896.
PN 99000, 269 pages, 4°.

The edition alters a few details and also corrects some of the smaller obvious mistakes of 67.E.1. It also contains the following more important variants compared with that edition. Some of the changes were mentioned in a letter Puccini sent to Tito Ricordi during the rehearsals in Turin (see NOTES):

Fourth quadro:

fig. 2-5/3 (old): 3 bars were condensed to 2.
fig. 11+12/19: 4/8 time instead of 2/4.
fig. 31+2/3: 3/4 time instead of 4/4.

This was probably already the version heard in the very first performance of the opera.

Copies
I-Fn

Mus.i.1255

 BS 7.97

registered 14 November 1989
I-Mc

Spartiti 968

 BS 1896
I-Mc

Spartiti 2299

 BS 7.97
I-Nc

Z.4.23

 BS 1.97
I-Nc

Z.4.22 (-)

 BS 7.97
D-B

Kp 250/1

 BS 7.97
I-Lgp

67.E.2

 BS ?.96
F-Pn

D.9798

 BS 9.96
GB-Lbl

F.860.rr.

 BS ?.96

registered 15 May 1973
US-Wc

M 1503.P977B7 1896

 BS 6.96

Other USA holdings: see NUC NP 0634005 (some of which may also be copies of 67.E.1).

67.E.2a

First English edition:
The Bohemians ... An Opera in Four Acts ... English Version of Acts I and II by William Grist, Acts III and IV by Percy Pinkerton ...
Copyright 1897.
Ricordi, Milan etc., 1897.
PN 100357, 204 pages, 4°.

Registered at the Prefettura di Milano on 25 March 1897 (I-Rsc copy).

This edition was certainly prepared for the first performance in the English language on 22 April 1897 in Manchester. Apparently it was not sold publicly, for it was not recorded in MRK. According to MRL, production of the edition began on 28 December 1896.
Apart from some minor details, it agrees with 67.E.2.

Copies
I-Fn

Mus.i.666

 without BS
I-Mc

Spartiti 972

 without BS
I-Rsc

103.C.47

 without BS
F-Pn

𝄞4244

 without BS
US-Wc

M 3.3.P8B56

 without BS

registered 26 March 1897

Other USA holdings: see 67.E.3.

67.E.2b

First German edition:
Die Bohème. Scenen aus Henry Murgers “Vie de Bohème” in vier Bildern von G. Giacosa und L. Illica ... Deutsch von Ludwig Hartmann ...
Copyright 1897.
Ricordi, Milan etc., 1897.
PN 100171, 255 pages, 4°.

Registered at the Prefettura di Milano on 24 June 1897 (I-Rsc 103.C.48).

The edition was published on the occasion of the first German performance on 22 June 1897 in Berlin. According to MRL, production began on 7 November 1896. MRK records a printing date of 9 June 1897.
Apart from some minor details, the edition agrees with 67.E.2.

Copies
I-Fn

Mus.i.665

 BS 6.97
I-Mc

Spartiti 970

 BS 6.97
I-Rsc

103.C.48

 BS 6.97
I-Rsc

G.21.F.11

 BS 6.97
I-Lgp

67.E.2b

 without BS
A-Wn

M.S.47676

 BS 9.97
D-B

Kp 250 (-)

 BS unknown
D-Mbs

4°Mus.pr.20183

 BS 8.97
D-Mbs

4° Mus.pr.2486

 BS 9.97
F-Pn

Vmb.3763

 BS 9.97
US-Wc

M 3.3.P8B54

 BS 6.97

registered 25 June 1897

67.E.3

Second English edition:
Copyright 1897.
Ricordi, Milan etc., 1897.
PN 100357, 204 pages, 4°.

MRK records 21 October 1897 as printing date. The edition was probably produced in connection with the first performance at London’s Covent Garden Opera (2 October 1897, sung in English).
Apart from smaller changes in the English translation and an abundance of changes of expression marks, there are the following more important differences compared to 67.E.2:

Act 2:

fig. 16-2 (old): 1 bar in 4/4 for orchestra was replaced by 5 bars in 2/4.
fig. 31+4/5: Marcello’s singing in parallel with Colline’s was added.
fig. 31+6/10: Colline’s singing in parallel with Marcello’s and Schaunard’s was added.
fig. 33+15/18 (old): 4 bars of the orchestral postlude were cancelled.
Copies
I-Mc

Spartiti 1942

 BS 11.04
I-Lgp

67.E.3

 BS without date
GB-Lbl

F.860.k.

 BS 2.10

registered 2 June 1911
US-NYp

MS

 BS 8.10
US-R

M1503.P977B6E 1897

 BS 10.97
US-Wc

M1503.P977B6E 1897

 BS 9.08

registered 21 May 1957

Other USA holdings: see NUC NP 0634031, 0634091, 0634094, 0634095 (some of which may also be copies of 67.E.2a).

67.E.4

First French edition:
La Bohème. Quatres actes de M.M. G. Giacosa et L. Illica. Version française de M. Paul Ferrier ...
Copyright 1898.
Ricordi, Paris etc., 1898.
PN 101800, 228 + 55 pages (see below), later 283 pages, 4°.

Registered at the Prefettura di Milano on 12 May 1898 (I-Rsc 103.C.32).

The edition was produced for the first French performance on 13 June 1898 at the Opéra-Comique in Paris. According to MRL, production of the edition began on 25 March 1898. Strangely enough, in the earliest copies (with the blind stamp 4.98) the continuous page numbering only extends as far as the end of Act 3 and Act 4 has its own pagination (1-55). This indicates the great haste in manufacturing the score.
According to MRK, the date of the first printing was 19 May 1898.
This edition adopts numerous, but not all of the modifications of expression marks from 67.E.3 (possibly also due to the rush to produce the score) and adds some new ones. It contains the following (more important) variants compared to 67.E.3 (see NOTES). They are the most substantial revisions made after the very first performance of the opera:

Act 2:

Before fig. 16 (old): 11 bars (orchestra, Parpignol, Ragazzi) were replaced by 87 new bars, comprising a new scene for Mimì and the bohemians.
fig. 22-1: Change of meter to 4/4 was revoked (now all in 3/4).
fig. 22+1/4: Musetta’s vocal line was altered.
fig. 23+3/7, +14/15: Vocal lines for Mimì and Musetta and distribution of the text were changed.
fig. 32+2/9: The chorus was replenished.
fig. 32+12 – end: Former 27 bars (31 bars before 67.E.3) were replaced by 41 new bars.

Act 3:

fig. 14+13/18: Marcello’s text was changed and expanded by 4 bars in all (in Italian: “Or rincasate, Mimì, per carità! Non fate scena qua!”).
fig. 24-7/6: Marcello’s singing was added.

Act 4:

fig. 5-7/4: 4 new bars for orchestra replaced 1 bar with the indication “Lento e grave.”
Copies
I-Fn

Mus. i.772

 BS 4.98
I-Rsc

103.C.32

 BS 4.98
I-Rsc

G.21.F.22

 BS 4.98
F-Pn

D.9800

 BS 5.98
F-Pn

Vm4.983ANote: This copy contains an autograph dedication by Puccini, dated on the day of the first performance, to the “intelligente artista Signorina Lacqué (?)”, perhaps a member of the chorus. 

 BS 5.98
US-Wc

M 3.3.P8B5

 BS 4.98

registered 21 May 1898

67.E.5

Third Italian edition:
Nuova edizione con aggiunte dell’autore.
Copyright 1896. (New Edition or Nuova Edizione) Copyright 1898.
Ricordi, Milan etc., 1898.
PN 99000, 277 pages, 4°.

Registered at the Prefettura di Milano on 18 November 1898 (I-Rsc 103.B.27).

The edition applies the changes already contained in 67.E.4 to an “authentic” version in the original Italian language, as emphasized by the indication “new edition with author’s additions” (“nuova edizione con aggiunte dell’autore”). MRK records printing with the indication “Nuova Edizione” on 21 October 1898; the blind stamp of I-Rsc 103.B.27 was probably used erroneously.
Numerous expression marks were altered, some of which were already in 67.E.3; furthermore there is one more important difference compared to 67.E.4.

Third quadro:

fig. 15-12/6: 7 bars for orchestra were added.

It is possible that Puccini already made this addition in April or May of 1898 during the rehearsals for the French première. So that performance was probably the first in the definitive version.Note: There is an old set of string parts of the Opéra-Comique (F-Pn, Mat.F.234) containing this handwritten addition. 

Copies
I-Fn

Mus.i.1074

 BS 12.08

registered 30 August 1983
I-Fn

Mus.i.729

 BS 10.98
I-Mc

Spartiti 969 a (-)

 Ripristino 1944
I-Mc

Spartiti 1841

 BS 3.41
I-Mc

Spartiti 1951

 Ripristino 1944
I-Mc

Spartiti 1997

 Ripristino 1944
I-Nc

Z.4.25 A

 BS 5.29
I-Rsc

103.B.27

 BS 6.98
I-Rsc

17.B.31

 BS 10.06
I-Rsc

G.21.E.29

 BS illegible
I-Rsc

G.21.E.32

 BS 3.08
I-Rsc

G.21.F.12

 BS 7.19
I-Rsc

G.25.A.18

 BS 4.21
I-Lgp

67.E.5

 BS 5.04
F-Pn

𝄞2648

 BS 10.06
GB-Lbl

F.860.u.

 BS 5.04

registered 30 April 1960
US-Wc

M 1503.P977B7 1898

 BS 10.06

registered 31 May 1928

Other USA holdings: see NUC NP 0634016

67.E.5a

La Bohème di Giacomo Puccini. Partitura. [Engraved conductor’s score, lacking a title page].
Copyright 1896. (Nuova Edizione) Copyright 1898.
Ricordi, Milan etc., 1898 (?).
PN 99010, 274 pages, 2°.

According to MRL, the production of this full score began on 9 October 1895. It was published, however, only in 1898, after Puccini had finished making changes in the music. It substantially agrees with 67.E.5 — except for the change in the text at fig. 14+13 ff. in the third quadro (see 67.E.4), probably just erroneously not transferred.

Copies
I-Nc

54.2.80-83 (-)
I-Rsc

G.23.G.12-15
I-Lgp

67.E.5a
GB-Lbl

I.340.n.

registered 15 January 1970
US-NYp

JMH 73-37

registered 15 January 1970

67.E.5b

Second French edition:
Copyright 1898.
Ricordi, Paris etc., 1899.
PN 101800, 283 pages, 4°.

According to the earliest BS, this edition was published at the beginning of 1899. According to MRK, printing dates of 8 December 1898 or 14 January 1899 are possible.
With the exception of some variants in vocal lines, necessitated by the French translation, this edition brings 67.E.4 in complete agreement with 67.E.5.

Copies
I-Lgp

67.E.5b

 BS 12.09
I-Lgp

67.E.5b (2)

 BS without date
F-Pn

𝄞 4844

 BS 2.30
F-Pn

𝄞 5295

 BS illegible
F-Pn

F.1152

 BS 6.36
F-Pn

Vm4 983

 BS 1.00
GB-Lam

without shelf mark

 BS 3.99
GB-Lbl

F.860.qq.

 BS illegible

registered 15 October 1972
US-NYp

MS

 BS 12.09

registered 7 November 1917
US-Wc

M 1503.P977B83 1898

 BS 1.00

registered June 1949

67.E.5c

First Russian edition:
Bogema — La bohème. Opera w 4 dejstwijach ... Perebod s poslednego italianskogo isdania s pribavleniem avtora M. Aron i A. Pauli.
A. Johansen, St. Petersburg, 1899.
PN 2482, 224 pages, 4°.

Russian and Italian text.

Russia did not acknowledge international copyright. Therefore, this is probably an edition produced by the St. Petersburg publisher’s own initiative. This score was certainly of interest to Russian music enthusiasts on the occasion of the performances (sung in Italian) in Russia. Shortly after the publication of this edition, there was, however, also a performance sung in Russian in St. Petersburg on 23 February 1900 (see Loewenberg 1943, p. 618). Musically, the edition agrees with 67.E.5, however, it is very cursory with regard to the expression marks.

Copies
US-NYp

JOG 98-1

registered 16 April 1998

67.E.5d

Second German edition:
Copyright 1897.
Ricordi, Milan etc., 1908 (?).
PN 100171, 266 pages, 4°.

According to the earliest known blind stamp, the edition may have been published in 1908. Smaller differences from 67.E.5 certainly are due to carelessness while correcting 67.E.2b (as is the “old” year of copyright, possibly a mechanical error retained from 67.E.2b).

Copies
I-Mc

Spartiti 1579

 BS 2.35
I-Rsc

G.12.A.15

 BS 11.42
A-Wn

M.S.35354

 BS 2.14
D-B

Kp 250 b

 BS 4.29
D-B

N.Mus.3829

 BS 4.24
D-Mbs

4° Mus.pr.3439

 BS 11.08
D-Mbs

M.S.7872

 BS 6.24
I-Lgp

67.E.5d

 BS 11.15
I-Lgp

67.E.5d (2)

 BS 7.36
US-NYp

MS

 BS 6.10

Other USA holdings: see NUC NP 0634080

67.E.5e

Third English edition:
Copyright 1897 and 1917.
Ricordi, London etc., 1917.
PN 115494, 283 pages, 4°.

English and Italian text.

According to MRL, production began on 27 February 1915; MRK records the printing as “Nuova Edizione” on 30 June 1917. The edition also adopts the changes for the English version that had already been made and musically completely agrees with 67.E.5. It is still available for purchase (later printings just have the title La Bohème instead of The Bohemians).

Copies
I-Fn

264Mus.Coll.i.53.23

 Ristampa 1980
I-Mc

Spartiti 969

 Ristampa 1980
I-Rsc

G.21.E.6

 BS 6.17
I-Rsc

G.26.F.36

 without BS
D-B

Kp 250/3

 printed in 1952
I-Lgp

67.E.5e

 BS illegible, but 1927 at the earliest
F-Pn

A.I.D.Mus.1085

 BS 6.22
GB-Lam

099196

 BS 1.38
US-Wc

M 1503.P977B74

 BS 6.17

registered 20 August 1917

Other USA holdings: see NUC NP 0634029, 0634040, 0634041, 0634044, 0634049, 0634057, 0634060, 0634097, 0634098, 0634099

67.E.5f

La Bohème (Scene de La Vie de Bohème di Henry Murger). Quattro Quadri di Giuseppe Giacosa e Luigi Illica. Musica di Giacomo Puccini. Partitura d’Orchestra.
Copyright 1920.
Ricordi, Milan etc., 1920.
PN 115561, 408 pages, 8°

Announced in Musica d’oggi of February 1920, pp. 58-59.

Apart from a few minor differences, the edition corresponds to 67.E.5. According to MRL, despite the much later date of publication, production already began on 25 May 1915. MRK records 29 February 1920 as the first printing date.

Copies
I-Fn

Mus.O.73

 BS 2.20

registered May 1920
I-Mc

Part. op.a-34

 BS 2.20
I-Rsc

13.G.21

 BS without date
I-Rsc

G.23.F.15

 without BS
I-Rsc

G.24.F.22

 BS illegible
D-B

Kp 249

 BS 2.20
D-B

N.Mus.O.1311

 BS 10.25
D-Mbs

8° Mus.pr.934

 BS 2.20
I-Lgp

67.E.5f

 BS 10.23
GB-Lbl

E.1204.b.

 without BS

registered 24 September 1923
US-NYp

JME 75-204

 BS 2.20

registered 29 October 1975
US-Wc

M 1500.P97B5

 BS 5.37

registered 1 August 1939

Other USA holdings: see NUC NP 0634018, 0634019

67.E.5g

Fourth English edition:
La Bohème ... English Version by Howard Dietz. Copyright 1952.
Ricordi, New York, 1952.
PN N.Y.1533-285, 285 pages, 4°.

The edition not only gives a new (very free) translation, but is also cursory regarding expression marks, rather arbitrarily originating in part from the earlier English editions and partly from 67.E.5 (probably due to engravers’ carelessness rather than intentional decisions).

Copies
I-Lgp

67.E.5g
GB-Lbl

F.860.p.

registered 17 December 1952
US-Wc

M 1503.P977B74 1952

registered 16 December 1952

67.E.5h

Partitura d’orchestra. Nuova edizione riveduta e corretta.
Copyright 1920.
Ricordi, Milan, 1953.
PN P.R.110, 408 pages, 8°.

Printed from the same plates as 67.E.5f and, apart from the plate number, identical with it. In this respect, the indication “revised and corrected” is difficult to understand.

67.E.5i

Riduzione per piccola orchestra di Mario Parenti. Partitura.
Ricordi, Milan, 1954 (?).
PN 128730, 274 pages, 2°.

In MRL catalogued on 2 February 1954. Also wind parts with PN 128731. 

In Puccini’s lifetime, reduced orchestrations only existed for Madama Butterfly (74) and La Fanciulla del West (78). It is remarkable that Ricordi took so long to produce a full score of La Bohème with a reduced orchestration.Note: A reduced orchestration of Il Trittico (84) was also produced around the same time. 
The version, obtainable only on rental, reduces the percussion parts and has 2 Flutes, 1 Oboe, 2 Clarinets, 1 Bassoon, 2 Horns, 2 Trumpets, 1 Trombone, and the Strings.

67.E.5k

Fourth Italian edition:
A cura di Mario Parenti (1961).
Copyright 1896.
Ricordi, Milan, 1961.
PN 99000, 277 pages, 4°.

The edition is a reprint of 67.E.5 with a few minor corrections and attempts to eliminate inconsistencies between the piano-vocal and full scores.

67.E.5l

Third German edition:
Neue deutsche Übertragung von Hans Swarowsky ... Nach dem Autograph der Partitur revidiert von Francesco Bellezza (1965).
Copyright 1965.
Ricordi, Munich and Milan, 1965.
PN Fr.2009, 210 pages, 4°.

German and Italian text.

There are also chorus parts for this translation with PN 130912, catalogued in MRL on 30 August 1965.

The edition is based on a comparison of the autograph full score with the early Italian editions of the piano-vocal score, the critical notes are a little inaccurate, speaking of a first and second edition of the piano-vocal score (meaning 67.E.2 and 67.E.5). Musically, for the most part the edition agrees with 67.E.5 — with small differences only in expression marks, tempo, metronome indications, and the like adopted from 67.E.2  or 67.B.1, based on Bellezza’s somewhat questionable editorial decisions.

67.E.5m

Fourth German edition:
Klavierauszug mit italienischem und deutschem Text herausgegeben von Rolf Reuter. Deutsche Übertragung von Joachim Herz und Klaus Schlegel.
Peters, Leipzig, 1975.
PN E.P.12766 (Edition Peters no. 9637), XV + 238 pages, 4°.

The edition (from the former German Democratic Republic and problematic in view of copyright issues) endeavours to create an independent piano-vocal score, using 67.E.1, 67.E.2, 67.E.5, 67.E.5a, 67.E.5f, and 67.E.5l. It has no critical importance, however, nor was it intended as such.

There was another edition of this score that utilized the same plates published by Henschelverlag, Berlin.

67.E.5n

Second Russian edition:
Bogema: opera v četyreh dejstviâh.
Muzyka, Moscow, 1980.
264 pages.

67.E.6

Fifth Italian edition:
Nuova edizione riveduta sulle fonti originali, a cura di Francesco Degrada (1988). [Partitura].
Ricordi, Milan, without year.
PN 134816, 408 pages, 2°.

Available only on rental (as well as the corresponding chorus and orchestra parts with PN 134817/18).

MRL catalogued this entry at the end of November 1988.

This edition has compared the autograph 67.B.1 (much more carefully than 67.E.5l) with the printed editions since 67.E.1. It also includes numerous references to the critical apparatus (“Apparato critico”), which, up to now, still has not been published.
In his preface, Degrada gives his reasons for having made several corrections, particularly concerning expression marks, as well as two more important additions:

First quadro:

fig. 30+11/15: The flute part was added.

Second quadro:

fig. 6+7/10: The Sopranos of the chorus were added (“Qui mi sento soffocar!”).

67.E.6a

Nuova edizione riveduta sull’autografo, a cura di Francesco Degrada (1988).
Copyright 1988.
Ricordi, Milan, without year.
PN 134819, 277 pages, 4°.

Only available on rental.

MRL catalogued this entry at the end of November 1988. This is the piano-vocal score corresponding to 67.E.6.

Nota