Country

:

Italy

Birth

:

February 27, 1935 in Modena, Italy

Death

:

February 9, 2020 in Modena, Italy

Period

:

Contemporary

Genre

:

Opera

 

Mirella Freni was a renowned Italian soprano who was born on February 27, 1935, in Modena, Italy. She was the daughter of a baker and a seamstress, and her family was not particularly musical. However, Freni showed an early interest in singing and began taking lessons at the age of 10. Freni's talent was quickly recognized, and she was accepted into the Conservatorio di Musica Arrigo Boito in Parma at the age of 16. She studied under the renowned soprano Carmen Melis, who had also taught Luciano Pavarotti. Freni's voice was noted for its purity, clarity, and warmth, and she quickly became a favorite of her teachers and fellow students. Freni made her professional debut in 1955, at the age of 20, in the role of Micaela in Bizet's Carmen at the Teatro Municipale in her hometown of Modena. She quickly gained a reputation as a rising star in the opera world, and her career took off in the 1960s. One of Freni's most notable early performances was in 1961, when she sang the role of Mimì in Puccini's La Bohème at the Royal Opera House in London. Her performance was widely praised, and she became a favorite of audiences and critics alike. She went on to perform the role of Mimì many times throughout her career, and it became one of her signature roles. Freni also had a successful career in the United States, where she made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York in 1965, as Micaela in Carmen. She went on to perform many other roles at the Met, including Desdemona in Verdi's Otello, Marguerite in Gounod's Faust, and the title role in Puccini's Madama Butterfly. Throughout her career, Freni was known for her versatility and her ability to sing a wide range of roles. She was equally at home in the operas of Mozart, Verdi, and Puccini, and she was particularly noted for her performances in the bel canto repertoire. Her voice was also well-suited to the lyric soprano roles of Massenet and Gounod. Freni's career was marked by many notable performances and awards. In 1969, she sang the role of Juliette in Gounod's Roméo et Juliette at the Salzburg Festival, in a production directed by Franco Zeffirelli. Her performance was widely praised, and it helped to establish her as one of the leading sopranos of her generation. In 1972, Freni won the prestigious Grammy Award for Best Classical Vocal Soloist Performance for her recording of Puccini's La Bohème. She went on to win two more Grammys, in 1989 and 1992, for her recordings of Verdi's Otello and Puccini's Madama Butterfly, respectively. Freni also received many honors and awards throughout her career, including the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, the Légion d'honneur from the French government, and the Kennedy Center Honors in 1998. She was also made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1985. Freni continued to perform well into her 70s, and she remained a beloved figure in the opera world until her death on February 9, 2020, at the age of 84. Her legacy as one of the greatest sopranos of the 20th century is secure, and her recordings and performances continue to inspire and delight audiences around the world.

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