# “Che Gelida Manina” From Puccini’s “La Boheme”



## Truvianni (Apr 21, 2011)

An article about one of Puccini’s most inspiring arias dedicated to Rodolfo’s adoration of the seamstress Mimi from across the hall who in a matter of minutes has fallen as deeply in love with him as he with her. 

“Che Gelida Manina” being an aria which I would love to sing to my Joannuszk Slisznuszka, for it is one that impresses upon romance. As it expresses the hopes of one man to delight the lady with whom he wishes to share more than an evening.

In the first act of Puccini’s opera “La Boheme”, we find Alfredo trying to write an article which he does not feel up to and it is just as he gives up on attempting which he no longer has any will to do that he hears a woman knocking on his door. She is the seamstress from across the hall, who goes by the name of Mimi. It is upon entrance that Rodolfo and Mimi fall in love and it is after a fainting spell by Mimi and having shared a glass of wine that Mimi decides that perhaps she had better go yet is detained when she looses her key in Rodolfo’s apartment.

Rodolfo and Mimi, naturally go about looking for Mimi’s key in Rodolfo’s dark apartment. The key in fact having been lost by Mimi on purpose which Rodolfo, in all truth has already found but none the less pretends to be looking for. It however is after looking for what one already has found yet pretends not to have while the other does not let on that she knows that her key rests in the pocket of her host, that Rodolfo suddenly grabs Mimi’s hand. This being much to Mimi’s shock, who had not expected such a sudden burst of affection and it is with the words “Che Gelida Manina” (what a cold hand) that Rodolfo begins to express his sentiments which he can no longer control for the simple but lovely; Mimi. 

Mimi, at first is slightly shy about having her hand held by Rodolfo yet does not attempt to take her hand away as she is enchanted by the man she came to visit. Rodolfo continues as Mimi looks with affection in to his eyes, with the tender words “let me warm your hand” as both suddenly find themselves under the spell of the evening and the desires brought on by their own feelings for each other. 

Rodolfo sensing his moment continues “what good is looking in the dark but fortunately it is a night of moon”. This being the instant in which both realize there is no point in looking any further for a key when what they have found is so much more precious than anything they could ever hope to find in that room. Rodolfo then seeing how Mimi is looking upon him with longing to equal his own takes the opportunity to introduce himself by saying “aspetti signorina, le diro con due parole chi son” (I will tell you, young lady who I am in two words) with a voice which seems to raise itself with passion to the very stars which are above them.

Rodolfo making clear his wishes that Mimi and he become well acquainted as he continues with all the riches of his affections “I am poet, what do I do, I write and how I live, I live. In poverty I carry on but in my dreams I am great man, and write rhymes of love with castles in the air. I have the soul of a millionaire”. Rodolfo at this point capturing all the imagination and fantasy of what romantic opera is at its grandest, in what could be considered the inspiration of idealism filled with yearning to make those in the audience realize that this is the strength of Puccini.

I, for my part have a personal relationship with this aria; It being one which I would love to sing to my Joanna Slisznuszka in the hopes that ours might end in sexuality. As I too like Rodolfo am a writer and a poet, who aims to create visions of grandness in the air with my words which are what I use to express myself. This perhaps being the reason this particular aria fills me with hope that my work might someday create the same sensation in others which this aria does on my sentiments of romance.


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