J: I can't quite figure out mattila's voice
J: it is very very pretty
J: but like, it sometimes feels unenergized
J: but it is truly a beautiful instrument
A: I feel you
A: I am really interested to hear it live
J: hmm it is better on headphones
A: huh
J: I feel like it will be a weird voice for Elsa
J: like just not enough balls
A: interesting
J: but everyone like creams themselves for her Salome
J: and that takes serious nuts
A: the most recent idea I have of it was that Boccanegra DVD
J: oh how was that?
A: I definitely had an impression of cojones
J: oh good
A: moreso than that Meistersinger I have
J: like this Jenufa is great but there are moments where I feel like I just want a little more guts.
J: and a little less Anja Silja
J: who may I reiterate I cannot believe is taking time out of her busy schedule to return from the dead for a run as Kostelnicka next season
J: when she was already in horrible voice 15 years ago
A: Ummm...I guess I'll have the Jenufa--but could you make the Mattila extra spicy and go easy on the Silja?
J: haha
J: and if you could just leave out the Jerry Hadley altogether
4 comments:
He's still singing?
(Oops. He hasn't been in SF since Mansouri, to give you an idea.)
I've heard Mattila three times - Elsa, Kat'a, Arabella. I don't remember the Elsa too well; it was ten years ago. She was fantastic in the other roles. PLENTY of balls. It's a big voice.
I didn't care that much for her Salome. It was so oversexed from the beginning that it had nowhere to go. Totally minority opinion, I know. Very much looking forward to her Elsa and another notch on my Wagner belt.
For what it's worth, I'm with straussmonster re: Mattila's Salome.
Her Elsa, though, was *perfection* back in 1998. I'm looking forward to hearing it again, and hoping like mad that the Salomes haven't taken their toll. (My Chicago sources were down, down, down on Mattila's Manon Lescaut. As I recall, it got a good report here - but in any event, Elsa is a vastly better vocal fit for Mattila, sitting in the easiest part of her voice without putting undue pressure on it.)
She is a glorious artist with a glorious voice, but her technique is something of a kluge.
i've only seen her once - last season as Kat'a.
before, i had always thought the same thing about her recorded voice. every once in awhile (or is it all the time?) it just emerges all limp and vibrato-less like a very pretty (but very tired) hooker.
totally different in house.
now silja totally puzzles me - absolutely intrigued (puzzled by la voce) and would have given my left nut to have not chickened-out in going to the Glyndbourne production of Vec Makropulos at BAM (like...6 years ago?).
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