Outstanding Italian soprano (1935-2020), one of the most significant opera singers of the 20th century.
Mirella Freni was born in 1935 in Modena. As a child, she knew Luciano Pavarotti (their mothers worked together at a tobacco factory) and would often perform with him later in life. She studied music with her maternal uncle and private teachers. Freni made her debut in 1955 in her hometown as Micaëla in "Carmen". In 1958, she had great success as Mimì ("La Bohème") at the Teatro Regio in Turin, and in the following season she performed at the Dutch National Opera.
Freni's world fame began in 1960 at the Glyndebourne Festival in the United Kingdom, where she performed the role of Zerlina in a production of "Don Giovanni" (with Joan Sutherland as Donna Anna). In 1961, the young singer was invited to the Royal Opera House Covent Garden for the role of Nannetta in "Falstaff", and in the same role she made her debut at La Scala, replacing Renata Scotto. In 1963, Freni performed at La Scala in Franco Zeffirelli's production of "La Bohème" conducted by Herbert von Karajan, and immediately became one of the famous conductor's favorite singers. That same year, this production was presented at the Vienna State Opera. Subsequently, Freni performed eleven more roles in Vienna, including the title role in "Manon Lescaut" and Amelia Grimaldi in "Simon Boccanegra".
In 1965, Freni made her Metropolitan Opera debut, again in her signature role of Mimì. On this stage, the singer performed for 40 years, including such roles as Adina ("L'Elisir d'Amore"), Liù ("Turandot"), Marguerite ("Faust"), Juliette ("Romeo and Juliet"), Susanna ("The Marriage of Figaro"), Micaëla ("Carmen"), Elizabeth ("Don Carlos"), Tatyana ("Eugene Onegin"), as well as the title roles in "Manon Lescaut", "Adriana Lecouvreur", and "Fedora" by Giordano.
She performed at many leading opera houses, mastering an extensive repertoire for lyric and later lyric-dramatic soprano. Freni never performed some roles on stage but made audio recordings of them – for example, the title roles in "Tosca" and "Madama Butterfly". She also played the role of Cio-Cio-San in Jean-Pierre Ponnelle's film-opera (1974). Other film-operas in which Freni appeared include "Carmen" (1967, directed by H. von Karajan), "La Bohème" (1965, directed by Franco Zeffirelli), "Otello" (1973, directed by Roger Benamou), "La Traviata" (1973, directed by Wolfgang Nagel), "The Marriage of Figaro" (1975, directed by Jean-Pierre Ponnelle), and "Faust" (1975, directed by Yves-André Hubert).
In 1978, she married the renowned bass Nicolai Ghiaurov and together with him founded the Bel Canto Center in Vignola, Italy, where she gave masterclasses and taught bel canto technique.
Mirella Freni triumphantly ended her opera career in 2005, at the age of 70, beautifully performing the role of the young Joan of Arc in Tchaikovsky's opera "The Maid of Orleans" at the Washington Opera.
She died on February 9, 2020, at her home in Modena at the age of 84.
Mirella Freni was born in 1935 in Modena. As a child, she knew Luciano Pavarotti (their mothers worked together at a tobacco factory) and would often perform with him later in life. She studied music with her maternal uncle and private teachers. Freni made her debut in 1955 in her hometown as Micaëla in "Carmen". In 1958, she had great success as Mimì ("La Bohème") at the Teatro Regio in Turin, and in the following season she performed at the Dutch National Opera.
Freni's world fame began in 1960 at the Glyndebourne Festival in the United Kingdom, where she performed the role of Zerlina in a production of "Don Giovanni" (with Joan Sutherland as Donna Anna). In 1961, the young singer was invited to the Royal Opera House Covent Garden for the role of Nannetta in "Falstaff", and in the same role she made her debut at La Scala, replacing Renata Scotto. In 1963, Freni performed at La Scala in Franco Zeffirelli's production of "La Bohème" conducted by Herbert von Karajan, and immediately became one of the famous conductor's favorite singers. That same year, this production was presented at the Vienna State Opera. Subsequently, Freni performed eleven more roles in Vienna, including the title role in "Manon Lescaut" and Amelia Grimaldi in "Simon Boccanegra".
In 1965, Freni made her Metropolitan Opera debut, again in her signature role of Mimì. On this stage, the singer performed for 40 years, including such roles as Adina ("L'Elisir d'Amore"), Liù ("Turandot"), Marguerite ("Faust"), Juliette ("Romeo and Juliet"), Susanna ("The Marriage of Figaro"), Micaëla ("Carmen"), Elizabeth ("Don Carlos"), Tatyana ("Eugene Onegin"), as well as the title roles in "Manon Lescaut", "Adriana Lecouvreur", and "Fedora" by Giordano.
She performed at many leading opera houses, mastering an extensive repertoire for lyric and later lyric-dramatic soprano. Freni never performed some roles on stage but made audio recordings of them – for example, the title roles in "Tosca" and "Madama Butterfly". She also played the role of Cio-Cio-San in Jean-Pierre Ponnelle's film-opera (1974). Other film-operas in which Freni appeared include "Carmen" (1967, directed by H. von Karajan), "La Bohème" (1965, directed by Franco Zeffirelli), "Otello" (1973, directed by Roger Benamou), "La Traviata" (1973, directed by Wolfgang Nagel), "The Marriage of Figaro" (1975, directed by Jean-Pierre Ponnelle), and "Faust" (1975, directed by Yves-André Hubert).
In 1978, she married the renowned bass Nicolai Ghiaurov and together with him founded the Bel Canto Center in Vignola, Italy, where she gave masterclasses and taught bel canto technique.
Mirella Freni triumphantly ended her opera career in 2005, at the age of 70, beautifully performing the role of the young Joan of Arc in Tchaikovsky's opera "The Maid of Orleans" at the Washington Opera.
She died on February 9, 2020, at her home in Modena at the age of 84.
