A Voice Out of The Cold

The film is a documentary about Alaskan-born mezzo-soprano Vivica Genaux. This outstanding young singer is on her way to international recognition with arias for Farinelli and a variety of operatic roles ranging from Handel and his contemporaries to Rossini and Donizetti.

In her short career, she has successfully performed throughout Europe and the United States. Despite her busy schedule, the young woman manages to maintain close ties to her home state of Alaska. The movie shows Vivica Genaux and her home state of Alaska. A train ride between Anchorage and Fairbanks serves as the common thread.

Vivica Genaux reunites with her family in Fairbanks and gives a recital. We also see her rehearse the Farinelli program under the baton of René Jacob at the Berliner Staatsoper. Then we hear Vivica Genaux accompanied on piano by Craig Rutenberg, performing Spanish zarzuelas, Lieder by Loewe (a contemporary of Schubert) and a melody from the famous musical My Fair Lady.

Vivica Genaux is truly one of today's leading exponents of the Baroque and bel canto repertoire. Her recent CD recording of the challenging castrato arias for Farinelli has helped to spread her name throughout the classical music world. For weeks, these recordings were at the top of the classical music charts. Her protégé, the Belgian conductor René Jacob, first came up with the idea for the recordings.