Farinelli

Dec 1, 1994

1h 51m

★ 6.6

Where does the power of his voice end?

Overview

The life and career of Italian opera singer Farinelli, considered one of the greatest castrato singers of all time.

Genres

History

Drama

Music

Production Companies

Stéphan Films

Italian International Film

Farinelli Trailers

Cast

Carlo Broschi (Farinelli)

Stefano Dionisi

Riccardo Broschi

Enrico Lo Verso

Alexandra

Elsa Zylberstein

George Frideric Handel

Jeroen Krabbé

Margareth Hunter

Caroline Cellier

Countess Mauer

Marianne Basler

Felipe V

Jacques Boudet

Prince of Wales

Graham Valentine

Broschi

Pier Paolo Capponi

Benedict Hunter

Renaud du Peloux de Saint Romain

Young admirer

Delphine Zentout

Nicola Porpora

Omero Antonutti

This set has Edita Gruberova singing in top form, all her scooping cast aside, which one finds in abundance in her Lucia under Richard Bonynge. Here, however, she makes ravishing use of those bits of tone that only she can produce: those instances of coloratura and dramatic legato with little asides and small florishes of style that suggest her intelligent approach and her high degree of musical involvement in this role. She does this in her I Puritani and her Anna Bolena, less so in Roberto Deveraux and Maria Stuarda(both sets). Listen to Addio del passato and the Sempre Libra...ravishing, yes, but there are again those nuances learned from Callas that she makes her own. A very singualr perform,ance, and extremely moving with its detail and cry for pity throughout..from the start even. Neil Schicoff is excellent, not an unworthy Alfredo at all! His is a great lyric tenor voice that should have been in the top line.

7.6

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7.7

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7.8

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6.9

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7.3

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6.9

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7.3

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7.5

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7.2

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6.7

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7.3

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8.2

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