La bohème: from the beginning
Come to learn how the inspiration for the opera “La bohème” was born.
Date: 14 April 2026 (Tuesday)
Time: 7:00 – 8:00 pm HK time
Venue: Room PQ305, 3/F, Core P, PolyU campus (Click here for our campus map)
Speaker: Peter Gordon, the director of Opera “La bohème”
Organised by: Department of English and Communication, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Limited quota. Seats will be assigned on a first-come-first-served basis
About the Talk
Henri Murger’s novel “Scènes de la vie de bohème” is a vivid portrait of young artists and intellectuals scraping by in the Latin Quarter of 1840s Paris. In the 175 years since the novel was first published, it became the template for generations of “starving artist” narratives and inspired a lineage of adaptations from Puccini to Broadway. As we trace the journey from Murger’s pages to the world’s stages, we see how his vision crystallized a cultural archetype—one that continues to define how we imagine the creative life.
About the Speaker
Peter Gordon has spoken widely on opera and its intersection with literature and culture at universities, conservatories and opera companies in Greater China.
Registration
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