[From Olivia Stapp's review of the SFO "Kat'a" in the Tuesday edition of
www.sfcv.org, right and true every way.]

   The Finnish soprano Karita Mattila performed her first Kat'a
   Kabanova at the San Francisco Opera today in brilliant style,
   combining superb vocalism and profound character portrayal.  Indeed
   her artistic thrust is so powerful that after a few minutes of her
   presence onstage, we become acutely sensitized to her every
   delicate gesture and nuance.  Few artists of this generation have
   such innate luminosity, this all-engulfing "fluidum" which pours
   out into the auditorium.  In the past there were artists of the
   same ilk; Stratas, Callas, Olivero, even Moedl come to mind.  They
   are artists whose large souls on stage transcend the space and even
   the medium they are performing in, when provided with the right
   vehicle for their talents.  Kat'a is such a role for Mattila.

Janos Gereben/SF
[log in to unmask]