The Metropolitan Opera mourns the death of Mirella Freni, one of the greatest sopranos of the post–World War II era. Her extraordinarily beautiful voice and intense, Italianate interpretations captivated Met audiences from her debut in 1965—the last season at the old opera house—to a gala celebrating her 40th year with the company in 2005. Her most frequent of the 13 roles she sang at the Met were Mimì in La Bohème (her debut role), and Juliette in Roméo et Juliette. Freni’s artistry was impeccable, particularly notable for her technical mastery and vocal beauty. Her extraordinary legacy with the Met lives on in numerous radio and TV transmissions. She was admired and beloved by her fellow artists and company members for her warmth and down to earth persona.
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Remembering Mirella Freni
![Photograph of Mirella Freni, at a 2005 Gala celebrating her 40th anniversary with the company [Ken Howard / Met Opera]](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ebea4d8/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1869x1242+0+0/resize/840x558!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Flegacy%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F2%2F13%2FMirella%20Freni.jpg)