For the very first time, this iconic movie is coming live to the concert hall in a unique collaboration between the James Whale Orchestra and the Orquestra Barroca of Casa da Musica in Porto. This will be a chance to experience the movie as it has never been seen or heard before, with an orchestra performing the acclaimed soundtrack live in concert on authentic C18th instruments. If you ever wanted to know what opera looked and sounded like live in the C18th, this is your chance!
Farinelli - the stage name of the C18th Italian castrato Carlo Broschi – was indisputably one of the greatest singers in the history of Opera, possessing a voice range and technique that few other singers have ever matched. Together with his brother, composer Ricardo Broschi, Farinelli enjoyed immense fame throughout the royal courts and concert halls of Europe, idolized and adored as a true rock star of the 18th century. The ‘Farinelli repertoire’ – arias especially written for his extraordinary voice by the greatest composers of the day – are some of the most exciting and demanding, and beautiful ever written.
Gerard Corbiau’s celebrated film boasts lavish stagings of baroque opera masterpieces in stunning detail, whilst painting a moving picture of Farinelli’s extraordinary and often tragic life. The exquisite beauty of the voice that made Farinelli the most sought after singer of his time, and the horrifying trauma of the castration that created that voice, provide the powerful poetic contrast that underlies the movie.
Farinelli won a Golden Globe for best Foreign Film, and another for its production design of accurate and lavish reconstructions of baroque opera. It was also nominated for Best Foreign Film at the Academy Awards. The soundtrack – which features music by many 18th century masters including Handdel, Vivaldi, Monteverdi and Popora was awarded a Cesar Award for best music.
Premiere – Casa da Musica, Porto, 7 June 2026
