Italian soprano one of the greatest Italian sopranos of all time, died this Sunday February 9 in Modena at the age of 84 at her home in Modena. She would have been 85 years old next month. Mirella Freni was known for a special charisma. Her talent was so natural, her appearance so common and authentic that the audience just loved her.
Herbert von Karajan launched her to the highest levels of international operatic life – the Karajan recordings of Bohème in 1973 and Butterfly in 1974 are legendary.
Mirella Freni’s career started very early. Her debut came when she was just 20 years old as Micaëla in a production of Carmen by the Comunale di Modena. Already in the mid-sixties, she was known all over the world. Freni ended her professional career on stage with The Maid of Orleans at the Washington National Opera on 11 April 2005, performing the teenager Ioanna at age 70.
