DVD Videos

Subtitles: Italian, English, German, French, Spanish, Chinese

Set Design by LUISA SPINATELLI

Arthaus presents Fedora, an opera by Umberto Giordano, an influential composer of Italian verismo style. The staging was celebrated for its fantastic cast with Mirella Freni in the title role and Plácido Domingo as her opponent turned lover.

As the soprano in the title role tends to dominate the work and her substantial tenor counterpart is no less important, the performances of the two lead roles are important to the success of the opera. Who could be better suited to meeting to this challenge, than Mirella Freni, who shows her amazing ability as mature singer, taking vocal control of every situation and Placido Domingo, who, his perfect condition never faltering, takes advantage of all the opportunities presented by the role. Gianandrea Gavazzeni (1909-1996), whose familiarity with the verismo style was second to none, led the performance with solicitous authority upholding the tradition that he had received from the hands of his predecessors. This production created by Lamberto Puggelli for Mirella Freni at La Scala in 1993 became an enormous success, showing her as an operatic tragedienne with truly overwhelming vocal resources.

Sound Format: PCM Stereo, DD 5.1, DTS 5.1

Picture Format: 16:9

DVD Format: DVD 9, NTSC

Subtitle Languages: IT, GB, DE, FR, ES

Running Time: 113 mins

FSK: 0

Mirella Freni is one of the most remarkable soprano singers in the world of opera. She has been winning over audiences for half a century with her ever fresh and youthful vocals and with a voice quality which remains undiminished.

The portrait shows Mirella Freni during masterclasses in her hometown of Modena; in an extended interview, filmed in the Teatro Comunale, Freni speaks about her extraordinary career. One of her first performances with Luciano Pavarotti in Puccini’s “La Bohème” is shown. Interviews with colleagues and friends such as famous tenor Plácido Domingo and conductor Herbert von Karajan as well as Freni’s greatest stage performances, private pictures and rare material from the archive complete the portrait.

„I am really touched by this movie. I feel honoured by its sensitive presentation of my life, my career, my work as a teacher and my feelings about all these aspects.“ Mirella Freni

„It was always most enjoyable to sing with her. I remember our joint performances with a lot of pleasure and also a certain melancholy.” Plácido Domingo

„(...) an artist who did everything she could to remain as she was. A simple human being with a big heart.” Herbert von Karajan

Sound Format: PCM Stereo

Picture Format: 16:9

DVD Format: DVD 9, NTSC

Subtitle Languages: IT, GB, DE, FR, ES

Running Time: 58 mins

FSK: 0

2010, the year of her 75th birthday and the 55th anniversary of her stage debut.

Mirella Freni is one of the most remarkable soprano singers in the world of opera. She has been winning over audiences for half a century with her ever fresh and youthful vocals and with a voice quality which remains undiminished.

The portrait shows Mirella Freni during masterclasses in her hometown of Modena; in an extended interview, filmed in the Teatro Comunale, Freni speaks about her extraordinary career. Interviews with colleagues and friends such as famous tenor Plácido Domingo and conductor Herbert von Karajan as well as Freni’s greatest stage performances, private pictures and rare material from the archive complete the portrait.

„I am really touched by this movie. I feel honoured by its sensitive presentation of my life, my career, my work as a teacher and my feelings about all these aspects.“ Mirella Freni

„It was always most enjoyable to sing with her. I remember our joint performances with a lot of pleasure and also a certain melancholy.” Plácido Domingo

„She is a born singer. When she is on stage, everything sings - her voice, her technique, her art and her heart.“ Carlos Kleiber

„an artist who did everything she could to remain as she was. A simple human being with a big heart.” Herbert von Karajan

Sound Format: PCM Stereo (Doc), PCM Stereo,

Dolby Stereo (La Bohème)

PCM Stereo, DD 5.1, DTS 5.1 (Fedora)

Picture Format: 16:9 (Documentary)

4:3 (La Bohème, Fedora)

DVD Format: 2 x DVD 9, 1 x DVD 5, NTSC

Subtitle Languages: IT, GB, DE, FR, ES

Running Time: 58 mins (Doc)

116 mins (La Bohème)

113 mins (Fedora)

FSK: 0

Love is the motto of the 1998 New Year‘s Eve Concert. And who wrote better music about love than Mozart and Verdi? Maestro Claudio Abbado has chosen two of the best Mozart interpreters of our day, Christine Schäfer and Simon Keenlyside, for this traditionally meaningful event. Marcelo Álvarez from Argentina, compared by some to a young Domingo, sings highlights of the tenor repertoire, and Italian Primadonna Mirella Freni tops the occasion with a breathtaking performance of the Letter scene of Tchaikovsky‘s Eugene Onegin.

Sound Format: PCM STEREO, DD 5.1

Picture Format: 16:9

DVD Format: DVD 9, PAL

Running Time: 90 mins

FSK: 0

“a milestone in the history of operatic production in this city” was the judgement of the New York Herald Tribune.

Production & Set Designer: Franco Zeffirelli

Lighting Designer: Gil Wechsler

Stage Director: Paul Mills

Choreographer: William Burdick

Musical Preparation: John Keenan, Craig Rutenberg, Jane Klaviter, Franz Vote

Assistant Stage Director: Sharon Thomas

Prompter: Jane Klaviter

Produced at the Metropolitan Opera House, October 1992

Turandot, Region 0 NTSC

Madama Butterfly, Region 0 NTSC

La Boheme, Region 0 NTSC

Manon Lescaut, Region 2, 5 PAL

This 4-DVD set includes top opera stars performing great works live in concert in Lugano with the Orchestra della Radio Televisione della Svizzera Italiana. DVD #1 Carlo Bergonzi performs in 1985 with conductor Bruno Amaducci in works by Rossini, Verdi, Puccini, & Mascagni. DVD #2: Raina Kabaivanska performs in 1987 with conductor Nino Bonavolonta in works by Rossini, Verdi, Puccini, and Cilia. DVD #3: Mirella Freni & Cesare Siepi perform in 1985 with conductor Bruno Amaducci in works by Nicolai, Gounod, Boito, Verdi, Puccini, and Mozart. DVD #4: Teresa Berganza performs in 1990 with conductor Nino Bonavonta in works by Rossini, Bizet, and De Falla.