Farinelli (film)

Infobox Film
name = Farinelli


image_size =
caption =
director = Gérard Corbiau
producer =
writer = Marcel Beaulieu
Andrée Corbiau
Gérard Corbiau
narrator =
starring = Stefano Dionisi
Enrico Lo Verso
music =
cinematography = Walther van den Ende
editing = Joëlle Hache
distributor = Sony Pictures Classics (Region 1 DVD)
released = flagicon|France 7 December, 1994
flagicon|Canada 3 February, 1995 (Montréal only)
flagicon|Italy 16 March, 1995
flagicon|USA 17 March, 1995
flagicon|UK 3 November, 1995
runtime = 111 mins
country = Italy/Belgium/France
language = Italian
budget =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website =
amg_id =
imdb_id = 0109771

"Farinelli" is a 1994 biopic film about the life and career of Italian opera singer Farinelli, considered one of the greatest castrato singers of all time. It stars Stefano Dionisi as Farinelli and was directed by Belgian director Gérard Corbiau.

Although Dionisi provided the speaking voice, Farinelli's singing voice was provided by a soprano, Ewa Małas-Godlewska and a countertenor, Derek Lee Ragin, who were recorded separately then digitally merged to recreate the sound of a castrato.

Although based on real life events, some dramatic license is taken. For example, Farinelli's brother is given much importance and Porpora is de-emphasized, while the movie offers a different explanation for how Carlo Broschi came to take the stage name Farinelli. George Frideric Handel, played by Jeroen Krabbé, is made out to be somewhat of a villain, but this is based on the competition between the theater at which Handel's music was played and the theater at which Farinelli sang.

The film was directed by Belgian Gérard Corbiau. Its musical director was the French harpsichordist and conductor Christophe Rousset.The musical recording was made at the concert hall "L'Arsenal" in Metz, with the orchestra Les Talens Lyriques.

It is rated R by the MPAA for depictions of adult themes and sexuality. It is available on Region 1 DVDs with a spoken track in French and Italian with a little English, and subtitles available in English and Spanish.

Reception

It was released in 1994 and won the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film in 1995. It was also nominated for an Academy Award in the same category, but did not win.

ee also

*List of Belgian submissions for Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film

External links

*imdb title|id=0109771|title=Farinelli: Il Castrato

###@@@KEY@@@###succession box
title=Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film
years=1995
before="Farewell My Concubine"
after="Les Misérables"