Mirella Freni |

Mirella Freni

She made her debut in 1955 (Modena, part of Michaela). Since 1959 she has been singing on the leading stages of the world. In 1960 she performed the part of Zerlina in Don Giovanni at the Glynbourne Festival, and in 1962 the part of Susanna. Since 1961 she sang regularly in Covent Garden (Zerlina, Nannetta in Falstaff, Violetta, Margarita and others), in 1962 she sang the part of Liu in Rome.

With great success she made her debut at La Scala (1963, the part of Mimi, conducted by Karajan), becoming the leading soloist of the theater. She toured Moscow with the theater troupe; 1974 as Amelia in Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra. Since 1965 she has been singing at the Metropolitan Opera (she made her debut as Mimi). In 1973 she performed the part of Suzanne at Versailles.

Among the best parts are also Elizabeth in the opera Don Carlos (1975, Salzburg Festival; 1977, La Scala; 1983, Metropolitan Opera), Cio-Cio-san, Desdemona. In 1990 she sang the part of Lisa at La Scala, in 1991 the part of Tatiana in Turin. In 1993 Freni sang the title role in Giordano’s Fedora (La Scala), in 1994 the title role in Adrienne Lecouvreur in Paris. In 1996, she performed at the centenary of La Boheme in Turin.

She starred in the films-operas “La Boheme”, “Madama Butterfly”, “La Traviata”. Freni is one of the best singers of the second half of the XNUMXth century. She recorded with Karajan the parts of Mimi (Decca), Chi-Cio-san (Decca), Elizabeth (EMI). Other recordings include Margarita in Mephistopheles by Boito (conductor Fabritiis, Decca), Lisa (conductor Ozawa, RCA Victor).

E. Tsodokov, 1999