Vocal Recital: Mattila, Karita - Duparc, H. / Saariaho, K. / Rachmaninov, S. / Dvorak, A. (Helsinki Recital) Karita Mattila & Martin Katz

• Henri Duparc (1848-1933)
• 1 Applause 00:15
• 2 L'Invitation au voyage (version for voice and piano) 04:27
• 3 Romance de Mignon 04:11
• 4 Au pays ou se fait la guerre 05:35
• 5 Chanson triste (version for voice and piano) 03:30
• 6 Phidyle (version for voice and piano) 06:03
• Kaija Saariaho (1952-): Quatre instants (2002)
• 7 No. 1. Attente (Longing) 05:10
• 8 No. 2. Douleur (Torment) 06:07
• 9 No. 3. Parfum de l'instant 03:41
• 10 No. 4. Resonances (Echoes) 07:01
• Sergei Rachmaninov (1873-1943)
• 11 6 Songs, Op. 4: No. 4. Ne poy, krasavitsa, pri mne (Sing not to me, beautiful maiden) 04:40
• 12 No. 3. Sumerki (Twilight) 02:06
• 13 No. 6. Otrivok iz A. Myusse (Fragment from Musset) 02:00
• 14 No. 1. Muza (The Muse) 04:10
• 15 No. 12. Kakoye schast'ye (What Happiness) 02:22
• Antonín Dvorák (1841-1904): Cigánské melodie (Gipsy Songs), Op. 55
• 16 No. 1. Mein Lied ertont, ein Liebespsalm (I chant my lay, a hymn of love) 02:44
• 17 No. 2. Ei, wie mein Triangel wunderherrlich lautet (Hark, how my triangle) 01:19
• 18 No. 3. Rings ist der Wald so stumm und still (Silent and lone the woods around) 03:12
• 19 No. 5. Reingestimmt die Saiten (Tune the strings, oh gipsy) 01:19
• 20 No. 6. In dem weiten, breiten, luft'gen Leinenkleide (In his wide and ample, airy linen vesture) 01:32
• 21 No. 4. Als die alte Mutter (Songs My Mother Taught Me) 02:46
• 22 No. 7. Horstet hoch der Habicht auf den Felsenhohen (Cloudy hieghts of Tatra) 02:25
• Total Runtime 01:16:35

Info for Vocal Recital: Mattila, Karita - Duparc, H. / Saariaho, K. / Rachmaninov, S. / Dvorak, A. (Helsinki Recital)

This release contains a rare recital performance of star soprano Karita Mattila in her native Finland. In front of an electrified audience, the best-selling Finnish artist in classical music performed in sold-out concerts at the Finnish National Opera in Helsinki in October 2006 ('What an evening, what a show!' - Helsingin Sanomat)

The centerpiece of the featured programme is the ecstatic song cycle Quatre Instants (Four instants), a musical setting by Karita Mattila's compatriote Kaija Saariaho of poetry by noted French writer Amin Maalouf. Described as 'a quasi-operatic monologue that plunges into the erotic, extreme territory that Mattila conveys so well', Quatre Instants was written for Mattila in 2002 and premièred by her in Paris and London to international acclaim ('A sensational recital by a sensational artist' - The Guardian/UK). This recording represents the first commercial release of this piece.

The programme also includes familiar songs by composers of the late Romantic period, Henri Duparc and Sergei Rachmaninov. Another highlight is the popular song cycle Gypsy Melodies by Antonin Dvorák.

Described by Musical America as 'the most electrifying singing actress of our day, the kind of performer who renews an aging art form and drives the public into frenzies' upon receiving the prestigious 'Musician of the Year' award in 2005, Karita Mattila is one of today's most exciting lyric dramatic sopranos.

Karita Mattila is accompanied on piano by Martin Katz, dubbed 'dean of accompanists' by The Los Angeles Times, and in 1998 recipient of Musical America's 'Accompanist of the Year' award.

„Mattila is performing Rachmaninov's Kakoje stsastje with such overwhelming intensity and physical play that one almost worries about her wellbeing. (...) sublime quality of this live-recording which follows such high standards that each single nuance and colour of the voice is captured with meticulous precision and ideally balanced with the piano sound.“ (Christiane Bayer, klassik.com)

„(…) one of the most interesting, exciting sopranos in the world today. (...) Nothing but praise for the soprano (...) or for her accompanist (Katz is a real listener to what his singer does).“ (Mike Ashman, Gramophone)

„The many admirers of Karita Mattila will welcome this spectacular souvenir of her live shows. (...) The extremism of style and content and the explosive eroticism (in Quatre Instants) are tailor-made for Mattila. Ondine's superb multi-channel recording faithfully projects the larger-than-life effect.“ (David Gutman, International Record Review)

„The (Kaija Saariaho) songs push Mattila to her expressive limits as cries of rapture curdle into shrieks of pain and spasms of rage intrude on erotic memories. Its impact on the audience can be gauged from the near hysteria that erupts at the end. (...) Her accompanist, Martin Katz, deals superbly with some of the most fearsomely difficult piano writing in the entire song repertoire.“ (Tim Ashley, The Guardian)

Karita Mattila, soprano
Martin Katz, piano

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