"La Boheme is a work of genius, for me it's the perfect opera. There's not a bar or a word or anything you'd want to alter. It just gets to you"

- Opera Director John Copley CBE.

Soul Music ventures back into the Parisian winter of Puccini's beloved 'La Boheme' where legendary Opera Director John Copley CBE reflects on his 40 years of bringing this tale of friendship, love and loss to the stage of London's Royal Opera House.

Alongside his memories of sharing pasta with a young Pavarotti we hear the stories from those whose lives have been touched by - and often reflect - the essence of this most popular of operas.

From the romantic gesture of a probationary constable serenading his soon to be bus conductress wife in 1950s Torquay to the moment that a devoted husband passed away - La Boheme has touched the lives of opera lovers around the world.

Featuring interviews with author Mavis Cheek and opera devotees Ray Tabb and Nancy Rossi.

Producer: Nicola Humphries

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2014.