Search - Mirella Freni :: Mirella Freni: A Celebration

How beautiful is the female voice? try this!

OperaOnline.us | Boston, MA | 05/04/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This 2005 two CD compilation of operatic favorites will likely please Mirella Freni fans for two reasons: first reason is the selection of songs chosen to highlight such a long and lustrous career. DECCA chose wisely by not going off and producing a "little known" salute, but rather focused on the singer herself, and those songs and characters she has become identified with over the years. How beautiful is Mimi's "Si, mi chiamo Mimi" from Puccini's , La Boheme? How passionate and poignant is Butterfly's, "Vogliatemi beni", especially when sung against Pavarotti's Pinkerton? How dramatic can a soprano shade Verdi's Elisabetta voice in Don Carlo', "Tu che le vanita"? How much emotion can one pump into poor Desdemona's final "Ave Matria" in Verdi's Otello? And without going over the edge, how much innocent excitement can a soprano bring to Tchaikovsky's "Pulskai poginbnu ya, no pryezhde (Letter scene) in Eugene Onegin?

DECCA's "In Celebration" answers these questions unequivocally. This CD answers such questions and leaves the listener in awe - at least it did me - of the beauty, power and subtlety of the female voice.

Second reason to own this CD is the voice itself. Mirella Freni's soprano is round, open and full. Said another way: no nasal lapses from this singer. Her tone is rich and smooth, and her diction is - well, she was born in Modena, Italy. It's a voice that needs no further explanation. Musically and vocally, this 2-CD set is a winner all around.

As readers of these reviews know, it is this reviewer's opinion that a CD has to set and hold a mood and not break that mood once established. It's no joy to have to reach for the "skip" button on the remote when listening to music. That's not to say this collection doesn't have variations or that it's all maudlin - not that there's anyting wrong with being maudlin. By consistent theme I mean it doesn't have unnecessary interruptions in its overall operatic mood. You expect to hear Mirella Freni's voice in some of her most communicative moments, and that's what you get. Lasty, accompaniment is provided by different orchestras at different times in her career, but the different orchestras present no problem. The overall sound quality of this CD set is superb throughout. The transition to digital is balanced and won't necessitate any adjustment in volume in any of the 23 enjoyable and vocally descriptive cuts. I recommend it.

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La Regina

G. Golding | Seattle, WA | 05/31/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I believe Mirella Freni to be one of the greatest artists of all time, as these discs will attest. The aria from La Wally is definitive, nobody sang it better. Her Mimi is legend and she is considered the ideal Butterfly. The way she wraps her voice around Tschaikovsky is miraculous. She is a fabulous Verdian and Tebaldi said that "Freni is the last of the Italian spintos." Her progression from lyric to dramatic roles is totally convincing. Hearing Freni as Fedora in Washington was a revelation. Her voice was big and beefy. Having heard Jane Eaglen in Seattle many times, I feel that Freni's voice is every bit as big.

Enjoy this tribute to a simple Modenese goddess.

Thank you for the music, Miss Freni.

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