LAST night saw the first night of Opera Ireland's winter season, and the first performance since the company changed its name. It was also a celebration for the Gaiety Theatre, which opened exactly 125 years ago.

One of the strong points of the evening was the production, which originated with English National Opera, and was reworked for Opera Ireland under the direction of Daniel Slater. The realistic sets and the straightforward lighting were effective in creating the right atmosphere, and for most of the time the singers actions were as natural as this deliciously over intense story will allow.

Vocally things were less consistent. La Boheme unashamedly manipulates its audience; yet none of the principal singers had that large voice, even lyricism which makes the music's calculated sentimentality perforce reach out and tug at the most passive of hearts.

The American soprano Maria Spacagna, as Mimi, was large voiced - sometimes too large for balance - but her persistently strong vibrato and occasionally imprecise intonation limited her expressive range. Like her, Ireland's Kathryn Smith, playing Musetta, had a strong stage presence. But when singing loudly, the sound became rather too edgy and loose in pitch. The most consistently pleasing sounds came from the Italian men, especially from Maurizio Comencini as Rodolfo and Andrea Zese as Marcello, though both of them have voices which are as light as this music can bear.

The chorus sang nimbly, and with a precision which contributed greatly to the success of the Christmas Eve crowd scene in the first act.

There was good ensemble between singers and orchestra. Conductor Rico Saccani achieved a nice balance between the need to keep things moving along, and making the most of the score's delicate sumptuousness. The RTE Concert Orchestra were with him all the way, playing their socks off.