Mirella Freni | |
|---|---|
 Freni in 1970 | |
| Born | Mirella Fregni (1935-02-27)27 February 1935 |
| Died | 9 February 2020(2020-02-09) (aged 84) Modena, Italy |
| Occupation | Operaticsoprano |
| Years active | 1955–2005 |
| Spouses | |
| Awards | |
Mirella Freni[a]OMRI (bornMirella Fregni;[b] 27 February 1935 – 9 February 2020) was an Italian operaticsoprano who had a career of 50 years and appeared at major international opera houses. She received international attention at theGlyndebourne Festival, where she appeared as Mozart's Zerlina in Mozart'sDon Giovanni and Susanna inLe nozze di Figaro, and as Adina in Donizetti'sL'elisir d'amore.
Freni is associated with the role of Mimì in Puccini'sLa bohème, which featured in her repertoire from 1957 to 1999[1] and which she sang atLa Scala in Milan and theVienna State Opera in 1963, conducted byHerbert von Karajan. She also performed the role in a film of the production and as her debut at theMetropolitan Opera in New York City in 1965. In the earliest opera DVDs, she portrayed her characters convincingly in both acting and singing. Freni was married to the BulgarianbassNicolai Ghiaurov, with whom she performed and recorded. Her obituary fromThe New York Times described her as a "matchless Italian prima donna".[2]
Born inModena, she had the samewet nurse asLuciano Pavarotti, with whom she grew up and who was to become a frequent tenor partner on stage.[3] She studied voice first with her uncle, Dante Arcelli,[4] then with Luigi Bertazzoni andEttore Campogalliani. She later changed the spelling of her name from Fregni to Freni, thinking it would make it easier to pronounce.[3] Freni made her operatic debut at theTeatro Municipale in her hometown on 3 March 1955 as Micaëla in Bizet'sCarmen.[3][5] She later married her teacher, the pianist and directorLeone Magiera,[5] and had a daughter with him.[6] She resumed her career in 1958 when she performed Mimì in Puccini'sLa bohème at theTeatro Regio in Turin[3] and sang inDe Nederlandse Opera's 1959–60 season. Her international breakthrough came at theGlyndebourne Festival, where she appeared in 1960 as Zerlina in Mozart'sDon Giovanni[4] alongsideJoan Sutherland as Donna Anna, and in 1962 as Susanna in Mozart'sLe nozze di Figaro and as Adina in Donizetti'sL'elisir d'amore, directed byFranco Zeffirelli.[7][3][4]
In 1961, Freni first performed at theRoyal Opera House in London as Nannetta in Verdi'sFalstaff.[7] She stepped in as Nannetta atLa Scala in Milan forRenata Scotto in 1962.[8] On 31 January 1963, she appeared there as Mimì in a production staged byFranco Zeffirelli and conducted byHerbert von Karajan.[3] She became one of the conductor's favourite singers in operas and concerts.[5] The production was repeated at theVienna State Opera the same year,[9][10] and she appeared at the house in eleven roles, including the title role of Puccini'sManon Lescaut and Amelia in Verdi'sSimon Boccanegra.[10] On 29 September 1965, she first appeared at theMetropolitan Opera in New York City, again as Mimì,[3] withGianni Raimondi as Rodolfo who also made his house debut. ReviewerAlan Rich wrote in theNew York Herald Tribune:
Miss Freni is—well, "irresistible" will do for a start. Beautiful to look at, and actress of simple naturalness and overwhelming intelligence, she used voice and gesture to create a Mimì of ravishing femininity and grace. The voice itself is pure and fresh, operating without seam from bottom to top, marvelously colored at every point by what seems to be an instinctive response to the urging of the text.[11]
She later appeared there as Adina in Donizetti'sL'elisir d'amore,[12] Liù in Puccini'sTurandot, Marguerite in Gounod'sFaust, and Juliette inRoméo et Juliette.[5] The following year she sang Mimì again for herPhiladelphia Lyric Opera Company debut, withFlaviano Labò as Rodolfo.[5] She appeared as Maria in Donizetti'sLa figlia del reggimento first at La Scala in 1968, also the first time she performed together with Pavarotti. The following year they performed as the lovers Mimi and Rudolfo inLa bohème there together.[8] A recording of her singing Mimi with Pavarotti as Rudolfo conducted by Karajan was released in 1973.[13]
From the early 1970s into the 1980s, Freni sang heavier Verdi roles,[5] including Elisabetta inJohn Dexter's production ofDon Carlos, Desdemona inOtello (alongsideJon Vickers), Amelia inSimon Boccanegra, Elvira in theLuca Ronconi staging ofErnani, Leonora inLa forza del destino, and the title role ofAida performed in theHouston Grand Opera in 1987. She appeared as Puccini'sTosca only on a recording. She performed as Manon Lescaut in the Metropolitan Opera's 1990 season[14] and recordedMadama Butterfly[15] and the three roles ofIl trittico.[16]
Freni chose her roles carefully, saying in an interview: "I am generous in many ways, but not when I think it will destroy my voice. Some singers think they are gods who can do everything. But I have always been honest with myself and my possibilities."[2] She refused Karajan's offers of Leonora in Verdi'sIl trovatore and the title role in Puccini'sTurandot.[5] Elvira inErnani was set aside after a single run at La Scala (and despite offers to sing the role elsewhere).[5] She never sang Cio-Cio-San on stage, but recorded it twice, not including the 1975 filmMadama Butterfly, alongsidePlácido Domingo, with Karajan conducting andJean-Pierre Ponnelle directing.[7] She played Susanna in the Ponnelle film ofLe nozze di Figaro, which also featuredDietrich Fischer-Dieskau,Kiri Te Kanawa andHermann Prey.[9]
Freni extended her repertoire and style during the 1990s with Italianverismo,[5] taking on the title roles of Francesco Cilea'sAdriana Lecouvreur in Milan, Paris, Barcelona and New York, and Umberto Giordano'sFedora in London, Milan, New York, Torino, Barcelona and Zürich. In 1997, she performed Giordano'sMadame Sans-Gêne at theTeatro Massimo Bellini.[17] During this time she sang in Russian operas, such as Tchaikovsky's Tatiana inEugene Onegin, Lisa inThe Queen of Spades, and Ioanna inThe Maid of Orleans. Freni ended her professional career on stage, performing teenager Ioanna at the age of 70 at theWashington National Opera on 11 April 2005.[5]
Freni's marriage to Leone Magiera in 1955 resulted in their daughter Micaela but ended in divorce in 1978.[6] She then marriedNicolai Ghiaurov, one of the leading operaticbasses of the post-war period. Together they helped to establish the Centro Universale del Bel Canto inVignola, where they began giving master classes in 2002. After Ghiaurov's death in 2004, Freni continued their work of preserving thebel canto tradition, teaching young singers from around the world.[3] Freni's daughter, Micaela Magiera, wrote a biographical work by the name ofThe Girl Under the Piano, which centers on her parents and their friendship with Pavarotti.[c]
Freni died on 9 February 2020 at her home in Modena. According to her manager, she died "after a long degenerative illness and a series of strokes".[2][5] She left her sister, Marta Fregni, her daughter and two grandchildren.[18] On 12 February, her coffin was moved from the funeral home to theTeatro Comunale Modena for public tribute and then transferred in a procession toModena Cathedral, where the funeral took place.[20] TheItalian Tribune of Detroit eulogized her life and career:
[Freni was] an exemplary operatic prima donna for nearly 50 years, she was known for her beguiling stage presence and quiet charisma. She first won international acclaim in 1963, singing the role of Mimì in the Franco Zeffirelli production of Puccini's "La Bohème" at La Scala in Milan. In later years, Ms. Freni enjoyed teaching at theUniversity of Bologna and also established a separate center for the study of singing in the town ofVignola.[18]
Freni was awarded theOrder of Merit of the Italian Republic in the grade of Knight Grand Cross in 1990[21] and the FrenchLegion of Honour in March 1993.[7] In 1995, she was appointed Commander of theOrdre des Arts et des Lettres.[22] TheUniversity of Pisa awarded her an honorary degree in 2002 for her "great contribution to European culture."[23] In 2009, she was promoted to the rank of Officer in the Legion of Honour.[24] In a broadcast matinée ofFedora at the Metropolitan Opera on 26 April 1997, Freni was presented with theKey to the City of New York by then mayor,Rudy Giuliani.[25] In 2005, theMetropolitan Opera celebrated the 40th anniversary of her Met debut and her 50th anniversary on stage with a special gala concert conducted byJames Levine.[26]
