Mirella Freni sings "Si mi chiamano Mimi"

[PaolaNeyra1]

Q excepcional !

[Manigran]

Mirella Freni is one of the greatest sopranos of all time. It shows here.

[Manigran]

@Manigran I think having her play this role when she's older really adds to the character. Mimi has gone through life without knowing love, so to have an older woman play her really works, because it's believable that time is passing by.

[StrongAmoeba]

2:40 - 3:36 The most beautiful piece of music there is, amazing...

[silvija73]

absolutely wonderful! she is amazing!

[yamiko193]

I love the fact that these two knew eachother as children!

[Chiollodario]

Meravigliosa....perfetta nella tecnica e nell'interpretazione. E' proprio Mimì

[tfed1219]

The best Mimi.  Goosebumps and tears everytime!

[billyflynn2]

Not a note out of place.

[Dunhamsky]

A moving performance, giving magic and wonder to the simple young woman's tale of her life. BRAVISSIMA!

[sandti69]

que puede escrivir. She is wunderbar....miravigliosa, mervelieuse, fantastico. A wonderful foil for Pavarotti's voice, but hers alone will do very nicely, thank you!

Have you heard her in Tatiana's aria from Euvgeny Onegin? You'd better had.

[rockasplund]

increibleeeeeeeee



[panchalaura]

meravigliosa, maravillosa, marvelous!!!!!

[PaskMatris]

Allora il paradiso esiste!

[keesslager]

couldnt be sung otherwise. magnificent

[REBECCAtheSOPRANO]

Bra. Va.

[avadiva]

Freni is brilliant! I just love her!

[popilo66]

puccini, wat els

[danliang8]

Veramente la più bella interpretazione che non ho mai ascoltata, pura e commovente.

[MrMrmike5]

I love La Boheme, the tenor sings then says to the soprano "Your up" then she sings her bit, then they both join together for the O Soave Fanciulla

[MauricioRaizman]

Semplice:Meravigliosa!!!! Eres mi favorita. Tu voz es cálida, natural, emana con claridad asombrosa. Mi delicia es escucharte. Mirella, quien no se enamora de un angel como tú!!!!

[nucisfan17]

amazing! best mimi ever!

[irinadz]

Oratorio puccini

[icylakepaxphile]

she really has huge and stable voice! really differnt from that of her early career.

[jenny47922]

is it wrong that I'm 18, yet still find her Mimi incredibly cute and adorable? because when she finishes off that "...importunare" I want to hug her.

[pkt1tripe]

@jenny47922

it also means that you have good taste

[P1B1U1H1]

@jenny47922 Too bad they did not have anti-tuberculosis medicines.

[ardeladimwit]

@jenny47922 don't even think about it. in reality she is one very nasty shrewish old woman.

[1994majd]

mirella was a great singer and very sweet and her singing was so easy and lovely <3

[SangpourPlaisir]

This is truly beautiful. I am taken aback.

[primaBarsova]

Bellissima!!!! Bravissima!!!!

[BentivoglioIII]

nulla di che

[SandrineSoprano]

Lovely take

[acitipo]

Extraordinaria voz potente propio para esta aria una insuperable Mimi.

[mm00046]

mirella sei grande ti amo

[mm00046]

Mirella ti amo

[EmInGi]

Semplicemente da brividi!

[DeutscherPatriot100]

very nice!

[Aetion]

I had seen this performance from TV. Very good. I like both of them.

Thank you.

[letileo88x]

potrei sapere quanti anni aveva qui la freni? grazie mille..

[jhar26]

Mirella is the mimiest Mimi of them all!!! Bravo!!!

[ididete]

wonderful interpretation. But more importanty--TRUE BELCANTO. Meaning, she sings with all the attributes of the voice that she truly has--high enough, well supported with a completely lowered larynx. Compare this to Kiri te Kanawa's interpretation which sounds "shallow" in comparison to this.

[redgrapeskins]

@ididete you may like Miss Freni's interpretation here but mentioning her vocal sound and gifts to Miss Kiri is an insult to the science of voice-- Miss Tekanawa's performance of this aria on youtube is not her finest moment but the smooth velvet controlled sound she is known for -without the shreaking - more than compensates

[ididete]

@redgrapeskins I am sorry, I don't agree. Ms Freni, if you listen to her carefully, has a much richer sound than Te K. not because her voice is richer or bigger but because she has the upper and lower resonance in her voice, i.e., the chest voice mixed with head voice throughout her WHOLE register, while Te Kanawa sings only with head voice--basically she sings with a shrunk version of her own voice, while Freni gives us her voice to the fullest. Freni is the true rep. of italian belcanto.

[oliver4115]

Belllissima voce

[oliver4115]

HA UNA VOCE BELLISSIMA

[WYZK1]

A música é o calmante da nossa alma. Sempre que estamos angustiados, deveríamos nos colocarmos diante de um rádio, ouvindo músicas clássicas, pois estas sim, acalmam a alma, o coração e faz com que nossas mentes possam reagir a qualquer paranóia que por ventura senttirmos.

[Karochaman]

A música anuncia a paz. Como dizia meu velho pai - "Sinto a paz chegando".

[Ahgou07]

she is the best!!!!!

[DavidoffGustav]

amazing thing is her age.. . she blows everyone else out of the water even when oler



[inlovewithmuscles]

Mi piaccion quelle cose

che han sì dolce malìa,

che parlano d'amor, di primavere,

di sogni e di chimere,

quelle cose che han nome poesia...

[HamburgerIngo]

wie schön, diese große sängerin einmal wieder zu sehen...

[69Allyster]

Precioso...

[DavidoffGustav]

to see how great she was check out... the early recordings with her - years later more passion and even greater technique

[1990dindin]

straordinaria cantante

[8cmn]

This quite literally gave me chills. I thought that was just a figure of speech.

[heartpower8]

I totally agree she is the BEST Mimi, brava Mirella brava XXXX

[callastoujours]

Unsurpassed!!!!!

[AleLovesOpera]

I don't now who is the best Mimi ever, but 1 thing is 4 sure Mirella Freni's angelical voice is superb in this piece, i love the way she sings this beautiful Puccini Aria, i can't describe how wonderful was her interpretation and the way it melts my heart..

[frapepsi]

vorrei sapere chi sono quei 6 simpaticoni e c......ni ai quali nn piace questo monumento.

[ididete]

my favorite aria of all times. Puccini must have been in heaven when he wrote this.

[icylakepaxphile]

wonderful interpretaton. but sounds too old for mimi. it's so ridiculous that when a singers's interpretation for a character matured enough, the singer's beautiful young voice fits for the characterization of young character in opera would gone.

[ypmagnusson]

oh yes, the best performance of this aria I've ever heard. Lovely. Makes me cry.

[giulianadelfino]

insuperabile

[peque1204]

Bravo!!! espectacular.

[giulianadelfino]

bravissima!! sensibilissima!

[downforthecountchoc]

She blows my little computer speakers! beautiful performance

[frapepsi]

MONUMENTALE

[zorroaramis62]

MAESTOSA

[TheAdolf1234]

2:41...PUCCINI...

[johnchannetshow]

SHE IS THE BEST.

[xx1625]

She's wonderful!

[CateSoprano]

i'm crying as a child!!!!!!

[tonytib]

Mirella Freni is extrodinary.

[andreea94a]

the best Mimi

[hughpei]

this is the bst version!!

[billyflynn2]

Absolutely stunning in every way.

[brandonichero]

What power - yet still so hauntingly beautiful. Thanks so much for posting

[musoph21]

i've heard this aria a 1000x and this is the first time i cried to watching and hearing it.

[gatikable]

me gusta mirella freni es una de las mejores mimi que he escuchado bravo mirella ( =

[theiaw]

Is it strange that I like the modernized RENT as much as I like this?

[paulinawesome]

she was made for this role!

[dalilulis]

My perfect mimi....

[LucaYune]

its so holy !!!!!!!!! she is running a belcanto school in Italy right?? bravo !!!!!!

[otium19]

truly delightful

[lutomsky]

Ive just listened to maria Callas i prefer this lady far more passion

[lutomsky]

I love this so so much reminds me of springtime xxxxxx

[frapepsi]

fantastica....complimenti al complimento di archie

[Greatheil]

beatiful voice and for the most part a beautiful interpretation.  But puccini wrote pianissimo on that high A for a reason. Not mezzoforte crescendoing to forte.

[DavidoffGustav]

and freni at her age in this breeaks our hearts and beats out everyone else..

[lutomsky]

Why how old was she? she looks ok

[Wotan123456789]

She was 55 when this was recorded. Mirella and her signature role, unique.

[candacecromson]

It is so breathtaking to see those two extraordinary singers together on stage... Thanks!

[Manigran]

Sublime! Thank you again Freni!

[marialuciaroca]

2 much

[jamsof]

childhood friends and performing together, how beautiful to see that they both made it.

[operasempreviva]

B-E-AAAA-UTIFUL!!!

tempo choice and rubatos is quite appealing

she was born to sing!

[elcritico21]

De todas las interpretaciones de esta aria que he escuchado, esta es la mejor y mas completa. Simplemente maravillosa y unica.

[PaulWytrazeky]

Yes she is superb, but I think Polish soprano singing in Met NY - Teresa Zylis Gara is also bravissima MIMI

[recitativorafael]

Mirella, Bravissima!!!

[fragava68]

she is Mimì !!!! the best one, the real one....

[speersch]

La perfection du bel canto italien, l'art suprême du souffle et de l'émotion...

[bar0qu3]

non La si smette mai di apprezzare...grandissima artista...che scuola per noi giovani leve...

[aaaiiidddaaa]

this amazing singer it shows that singing is so easy, so natural.

[MARISOLDELMONACO]

Meravigliosa

[shnagabad]

That was simply sublime.  :)

[Chilair1]

I would never compare leontyne price to mirella freni. however, I do have a recording of Leontyne singing this, that made me fall in love with the song, and I have yet to hear a version after that which made me feel the same way.

But freni is my home girl.

[rostropovache]

de loin la meilleure

[Sukisha76]

She is the quintessential mimi. Love her.

[anthonya13]

i am a trumpeter who knows very little about singers, but what I can say is that i am noticing how incredibly resonant and projecting her voice is compared to every other you tube version!

[moghedien13]

she had a very strong for its type.

[bossmuscle]

Freni looks like Carol Burnett.

[opernair]

Pavarotti is sooooo sweet at 1: 47- 48.

Love the both of them

[denstertube]

Heart breaking and lovely. She is just wonderful! Possibly my favourite youtube version!

[mrF1no]

She is and will always be my Mimi. The best voice ever!!

[polyphemes]

I couldn't second that more. No one sings it like she does. Maybe this is due to use, but the fact is that with her, my heart is always shaken. It seems to me like she -is- Mimi.

[AUDIOPHlLE]

I find hers a rather boring and unpassionate Mimi. Doesn't really help her any that the mechanical old fat ass with the high notes is her Rodoflo. Will gladly stick with the singers from a generation or two before.

[Clarentia]

...she's doing great with the notes...i just think it's lack of fragility mimi supposed to have...but i love this version anyway...=)

[AUDIOPHlLE]

I have her 1963 "Boheme" with Gedda recorded at Rome and while she is a fine singer it is really my opinion that this kind of singing brought an end to the golden age of singing. Singers styles like hers came in around the early 60s and since then gone forever is the passion and emotion we once heard in Puccini and now it seems people think the passion is in the libretto and not in the singing!

[amarayoga]

2:41 is heart wrenching....:)

[vp1981ad]

I know! I have this DVD, and as soon as that part came along, I actually burst into tears, because the moment seemed to me to be a distillation of the beauty and tragedy of this entire opera. Freni is just magnificent here!

[Gineryl555]

good!!"fantastic"good"!!

[Sacry90]

Che emozione vedere e sentire insieme tre grandi artisti italiani come la Freni,Pavarotti e Puccini!

[controignoranti]

una grande artista ma pessima insegnante.non fa altro che fare i danni ai cantanti giovani........

[KyriaElvira]

It's really wonderful!

[mrF1no]

Mirella is the best Mimi, ever. Sometimes I even think she is Mimi.

[walkm]

I dont like her vibratto!!

[Tigno93]

vibrato, whit only one "T"

[moh672]

Wonderful!

I have a recording of her doing this from iTunes however that is even better!

[dessert57]

Italians singing the most beautiful music ever, written by an Italian :)

xxx

[maryjivinjane]

So beautiful!

[Mixtupabit]

Fren... just the best Mimi and Butterfly..

[2Emile]

This and Tebaldi's and Caballe's, are the best renditions on youtube.

[pabs661]

tebaldi yes, but caballe just a cow pretending to be a hummingbird, just terrible

[alessandrodu6900]

2:41 => just extraordinary.

[iloneens]

fantastic.

[swiftsboy]

Two small points,

Mirella so loved the role of Micaela(Carmen) that she named her daughter Micaela.

She gave up singing Butterfly because it moved her so she couldn' concentrate on the role whilst singing it.

She and Pavarotti (both from Modena) had the same wet nurse,their parents lived streets apart.Mirella once said "You can see who got the most milk!" LOL

[LordMgls]

ATTENTION

This is beautiful!!!

You may buy the entire Opera (in this version) by Prisa Innova, Spain.

[mizofan]

This is absolutely lovely- beautifully sung, charming, perky, and radiates happiness.

[ginafaloola]

beautiful. absolutely beautiful! a master.

[reydogoloyugo23]

Perfect

[wonderanimal]

a rare moment one feels gratified to belong to the human race

[ZTURRETER]

Well stated!  I agree.

[elcritico21]

¡que belleza!

[yodavidnavarro]

One of the most beautiful arias and sung by Mirella. Just outstanding!

[flouraki]

OMFG!! This is the MIMI!!!! KILL me for FRENI!! NO JOKE!!

[LaiBrooke]

2:40-3:36 is goosebump inducing.

[sarahbobsezzive]

wow beautiful!

[Aetion]

Yeah, both the voice and the woman! An excellent combination of beauty.

[mungkeetimi]

the best mimi i heard!brava!

[erstesangerin1]

Amazing! Freni is my favorite Mimi.

[elcritico21]

tienes razón para mi, también es la mejor mimi

[harudarkness]

los pelos de punta...

[brandywinevalentine]

her voice is just so beautiful... it brings tears to my eyes.

[MiChiamanoMimi1]

I love Mirella freni and Pavarotti! This is the best!

[operadonna]

The. Best. Mimi. Ever.

[marknsa]

Thank you for posting all the Freni Pavarotti Boheme clips!

[bazone8]

Wonderfull. I agree with another who said the best Mimi of all time.

[Angeleaf]

Sembra che Puccini abbia scritto il ruolo di Mimi per la Freni...una Mimi perfetta...meravigliosa...

[izrah82]

freni's voice is so big and meaty i love it.

my opinion she sings the best mimi i have heard

[walkm]

WHY THE WABLE!?!??!!

[dennisdeem]

she's older in this recording..it's hardly a wable as a result of a technical flaw...probably due more to age than anything else. You do know that she and Pavarotti shared the same teacher?!?

[jmahlon]

For me there is always a youthful smile in her voice.  She had it all her career, although even more sweater when she was younger. One of the most beautiful and expressive singers of all time.

[girellabergamasca]

beautiful mimì, beautiful freni.

[killtampabay]

There is none sweeter than Freni. The first thing I heard her sing was La ci darem la mano, and I will have no other Zerlina. She's also brilliant here, mind you.

[lipatti60]

semplicemente la migliore esecuzione possibile da quando puccini ha scritto quest'opera

[gregorypino]

Freni es la mejor

[mozartlver]

That was the longest "si" in the world. LOL

I love FRENI!!!

[IMthinkingGoAway]

Lol I noticed that it was a long "si" too. He know's how to take advantage of every note, as he should. :)

[ILoveTobin]

Pavarotti and Freni together in opera = GODS forever!

Fantastic!

[bjou520]

I think Cortrubas is a better Mimi.

[manlodaw]

huh?

[gehduarte]

the best mimi, together with stratas. i might prefer freni, im not decided yet.

[misty861]

she is fantastic

[woytynowska]

She sings good, but I prefer Gallardo-Domas, or (especially) Teresa Stratas - she (Stratas)is the best Mimi. The role... it's my dream, maybe I will sing it as my debut. And people call me "Mimi". I understand Mimi because I have personality much alike the character.. and Mirella Freni, I think that she does not understand....