Mirella Freni obituary

Outstanding soprano in the great Italian operatic tradition

Graceful, clear-voiced and expressive, the soprano Mirella Freni, who has died aged 84, began her long operatic career in lighter roles, such as Susanna in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro and above all as a notable Mimì, the spirited, consumptive seamstress in Puccini’s La Bohème.

As she went on to almost every role available to her voice, she observed the verities of good singing – full, easily produced tone, a firm line and expressive phrasing, her portrayals always graceful, decorous, secure.