Love on the Line: Karita Mattila rings true in Poulenc

By Matthew Rye, 09 November 2022

Loading, please wait...

See full listing

“yet so compelling was her stage presence that one just couldn’t look away”

Reviewed at Wigmore Hall, London on 8 November 2022

Poulenc, La Voix humaine

Mackeben, Nur nicht aus Liebe weinen

Holländer, Ich bin von Kopf bis Fuß auf Liebe eingestellt

Gershwin, The Man I Love

Bacharach, What The World Needs Now

Karita Mattila, Soprano

Keval Shah, Piano

Houston Symphony vividly brings Peer Gynt to life

Sam Jacobson, 28th March

Blending theater and symphony, the Houston Symphony reimagines Peer Gynt as Grieg intended – complete with dialogue, chorus, and a luminous cameo from Karita Mattila.

****1

Redemption Song: Jenůfa triumph signals a bright future for Hrůsa

Eleanor Knight, 15th January

Corinne Winters is phenomenal as the self-possessed Jenůfa in The Royal Opera's revival of Claus Guth's powerful staging.

*****

An all-star Jenůfa falls short in Prague

Frank Kuznik, 16th September

Superb singing and brilliant work in the pit can't quite rescue Jiří Nekvasil's overambitious production.

****1

Pappano and Loy bring empathy to Elektra at Covent Garden

David Karlin, 12th January

Christof Loy’s thoughtful staging enlightens the character of the protagonists in Sophocles’ tale of matricide; Sir Antonio Pappano extracts great nuance and beauty from Strauss’ score.

****1

Ambur Braid’s Salome sets the Four Seasons Centre alight

John Gilks, 3rd February

Ambur Braid excels in the title role in the Canadian Opera Company’s starrily cast revival of Atom Egoyan's production.

*****

From light-hearted to heartbreaking: Il trittico at Salzburg Festival

Isabella Steppan, 21st August

Asmik Grigorian is captivating in an unobtrusive production of Puccini's three one-act operas. Under Franz Welser-Möst, the Vienna Philharmonic is on top form.

*****

More reviews...

Matthew Rye

Matthew read music at Oxford and worked in music journalism for 30 years as a writer, critic and editor. He wrote numerous programme and CD booklet notes, spent 13 years as a Daily Telegraph critic, worked at BBC Music Magazine and was reviews editor of The Strad. He also wrote for The Wagner Journal and Opera and blogged at ferneklang.blogspot.co.uk. He was general editor of 1001 Classical Recordings You Must Hear Before You Die (Cassell Illustrated, 2007) and was the author of a new series of eBooks, Masterpieces of Music (Erudition).