A Couple Made in Operatic Heaven: Netrebko & Villazón Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazón have been moving hearts and DVDs at a phenomenal pace since their 2005 Salzburg Traviata. Their CD Duets ranked third on the pop charts. The concert they gave with Plácido Domingo to a crowd of 20,000 at Berlin’s Waldbühne for the 2006 World Cup was aired in 27 countries around the world, and with sales of over 100,000 copies, the DVD reached Robert Dornhelm platinum status. Their 2007 Manon at the Berlin Opera Robert Dornhelm was born in Temeshvar (Roma- was a glittering cinematic fable. And in 2008, just before nia) in 1947, emigrated with his family to Austria in Netrebko’s maternity pause, the trio teamed up again to 1961, and lives today in Los Angeles (USA). His sing at Vienna’s Schönbrunn Palace for the debut film, The Children of Theatre Street, starred European football championship 2008. Grace Kelly and was nominated for an Oscar. Among Now, after conquering the stage, his credits are Echo Park (1986) and Requiem for they lay claim to the big screen. Dominic (1990), as well as historical films such as Anne Frank (2001), RFK (2002), The Crown Prince (2006) and the sensational four-part TV adaptation of Tolstoy’s War and Peace. His documentary Karajan – Or Beauty As I See It honors the great conductor on the 100th anniversary of his birth. ANN A NET R EBKO ROL A NDO VILLAZóN A FILM BY ROBERT DORNHELM BETACINEMA PRESENTS AN UNITEL CLASSICA AND MR-FILM PRODUCTION IN COOPERATION WITH IMG AND DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON IN CO-PRODUCTION WITH ZDF WITH SUPPORT OF ORF FILM/FERNSEH-ABKOMMEN ÖFI FFW ANNA NETREBKO AS MIMÌ ROLANDO VILLAZÓN AS RODOLFO GEORGE VON BERGEN AS MARCELLO SUNG BY BOAZ DANIEL NICOLE CABELL AS MUSETTA VITALIJ KOWALJOW AS COLLINE ADRIAN ERÖD AS SCHAUNARD SUNG BY STÉPHANE DEGOUT COSTUME ULI FESSLER SET DESIGN FLORIAN REICHMANN EDITING INGRID KOLLER KLAUS HUNDSBICHLER CINEMATOGRAPHY WALTER KINDLER ‘LA BOHÈME’ GIACOMO PUCCINI LUIGI ILLICA GIUSEPPE GIACOSA CONDUCTOR BERTRAND DE BILLY ORCHESTRA SYMPHONIEORCHESTER DES BAYERISCHEN RUNDFUNKS CHORUS CHOR DES BAYERISCHEN RUNDFUNKS AND KINDERCHOR DES STAATSTHEATERS AM GÄRTNERPLATZ PRODUCED BY ANDREAS KAMM OLIVER AUSPITZ PRODUCERS JAN MOJTO KURT J. MRKWICKA JEFFREY D. VANDERVEEN DIRECTOR ROBERT DORNHELM www.unitel.de/laboheme www.betacinema.com Giacomo Puccini’s immortal opera in a high budget feature-film version directed by Academy Award nominee Robert Dornhelm, starring the opera The Story world’s “dream team”, soprano Anna Netrebko and tenor Rolando Villazón Paris in the 1830s. Four friends share a drafty Parisian garret. Though leading a life of privation, they are buoyed by good spirits: the writer Rodolfo, the painter Marcello, the musician Schaunard and the philosopher Colline. It is Christmas Eve, and they decide to cele- brate in their favorite pub, the Café Momus. Rodolfo stays behind to finish an article. There is a knock at the door; their neighbor Mimì, whose candle has gone out, asks for fire. Rodolfo is fascinated by her. It is love at first sight! The Production The pairing of one of the most beloved operas of all time with one of The new lovers catch up with Rodolfo’s friends at the world‘s most popular operatic couples is a recipe for success. And the Café Momus, where Marcello‘s former mistress rarely has Puccini’s La Bohème had such a photogenic and engaging Musetta turns the evening into a spirited event. The cast. “Director Robert Dornhelm focuses entirely on his stars Netrebko light-hearted mood of Rodolfo’s and Mimì’s first days and Villazón, whose incredible presence carries the film along. There’s together does not last, however, for Mimì develops a room for big emotions, powerful voices, grand opera and tremendous fatal illness. Though they agree to stay together, Mimì cinema,” writes one of Vienna’s leading dailies. While realism characte- leaves her lover. Only when she is desperately ill and rizes the set design and costumes, Dornhelm conjures up a dream-like dying does she return to the garret where she once atmosphere with mixed color and black-and-white flashbacks, evoca- was so happy – and to Rodolfo, the man she still loves tive fades and other special effects. Yet the film is fully Netrebko’s and with all her heart... Villazón’s. Dornhelm made it clear from the start that he wanted to build a monument to the two singers. And with this five-million-euro production, he has amply achieved his goal. Anna Netrebko Born in Krasnodar, Russia, Anna Netrebko first attracted international Rolando Villazón attention as a soloist of the Mariinsky Theater (Kirov Opera) in The tenor was born in Mexico City in 1972. In 1999 he made his break- St. Petersburg. Her major breakthrough came in 2002, when she debuted through in Europe as Des Grieux (Manon) in Genoa, which was followed both at New York’s Metropolitan Opera and the Salzburg Festival. She by his highly noted debut as Alfredo at the Opéra de Paris in 2000. He has since been singing regularly in Salzburg, for example in Giuseppe is now a regular guest at the world’s most prestigious opera houses: Verdi’s La Traviata, as well as at the Vienna State Opera, the Bavarian New York and Vienna (La Bohème), Paris (Les contes d’Hoffmann), Los State Opera and La Scala. She is also a sought-after recitalist and Angeles, Berlin, Barcelona (Manon), Salzburg (La Traviata). concert singer. “He sounds relaxed and lyrical as the young poet. His high notes in the “Netrebko is in excellent voice, her gleaming soprano filling out Mimì’s climaxes are vibrant and attacked cleanly.” (AP) wistful phrases with grace and sensitivity.” (AP).