Magic Moments of Music – Franco Zeffirelli's La Bohème

Synopsis

This magic moment with music by Giacomo Puccini and artworks by Zeffirelli opens a window into the tender and melancholically intimate story of Mimì in bohemian Paris. After the great success of Zeffirelli’s production of La Bohème at La Scala in Milan, Herbert von Karajan and Zeffirelli were compelled to turn it into an opera film. The screen adaptation of Puccini’s masterpiece featured the choir and orchestra of the Milan Scala and among others, Mirella Freni, Gianni Raimondi and Rolando Panerai. The young Mirella Freni, who sang the role of Mimì for over 50 years, gained fame the world over, not least because of her natural and pure voice. South African soprano Pretty Yende, who was a student of Mirella Freni and later sang in Franco Zeffirelli’s production of La Bohème, recounts her experiences with her mentor. As a very young tenor, Franco-Italian singer Roberto Alagna sang alongside Mirella Freni in the Zeffirelli production and is grateful to count himself among the great tenors, alongside Pavarotti and Carreras – thanks in large part to this performance of La Bohème.

Additional Info

• No: A05051047
• Artists: Pretty Yende, Roberto Alagna, Marina Rebeka, Caterina D’Amico, Marco Gandini
• Production year: 2023
• Run time: 00:54:00
• Director: A film by Anaïs Spiro
• Producers: ZDF/ARTE, sounding images
• Format: HDTV 16:9