Page 29 - aruba-today-20190502

A29
PEOPLE & ARTS Thursday 2 May 2019
Painful death scene doesn't deter soprano Karita Mattila

By MIKE SILVERMAN she studied the part, she
NEW YORK (AP) — Her char- became fascinated by
acter suffers through one of the character of Mme. De
the most harrowing death- Croissy, who in her delirious
bed scenes in all of opera. final moments lashes out at
But that doesn't faze Karita God.
Mattila, who's looking for- "She's so human facing
ward to performing it as death, she becomes so
"quite an adventure." bare with all her weak-
The Finnish soprano, noted nesses," Mattila said. "She
for her dramatic intensity as has spent 30 years in that
well as her luminous voice, convent, and then to have
is returning to the Metro- such a moment at the
politan Opera as Mme. de end — it fascinates me.
Croissy, the First Prioress, You can be a president, a
in Francis Poulenc's 20th- king, whatever and you still
century masterpiece, "Dia- struggle with the same is-
logues of the Carmelites." sues as everybody else."
The opera is adapted from Vocally, she said, the role is
a play that is loosely based tricky because although it
on the true story of a group has its share of high notes,
of Carmelite nuns who This image released by the Metropolitan Opera shows soprano Karita Mattila, center, Paul Co- much of it lies "lower than
were guillotined during the rona, left, and Karen Cargill during a performance of Poulenc's "Dialogues of the Carmelites" at the usual dramatic sopra-
French Revolution. the Metropolitan Opera in New York. no stuff," especially her first
The revival of the clas- Associated Press scene with Blanche, the
sic John Dexter produc- conflicted young newcom-
tion opens Friday for three ence that she's writhing in trayal of Strauss' "Salome" retiring, Mattila is thinking er who is the opera's hero-
performances, the last of agony as she sings. — which included a flash of instead about all the new ine. First Prioresses at the
which, on Saturday af- "It's tough because you full frontal nudity — a sen- roles she's eager to take Met over the years have
ternoon, May 11, will be have to stay in bed and sation at the Met in 2004. on. Peter Gelb, the Met's included the great French
broadcast live in HD to make it work," Mattila said That was perhaps the high general manager, said the soprano Regine Crespin,
movie theaters worldwide. in an interview after a re- point of a long Met career company was looking to who originated the role
Mattila's character ap- hearsal last month. "But it that began in 1990 and has find new assignments for when the production pre-
pears in just two scenes helps to be fit, so you can taken her through more her, "since Karita has been miered in 1977.
early in the opera, but the find uncomfortable-looking than a dozen leading roles such a major part of recent Yannick Nezet-Seguin, the
grim realism of her death positions for an ill person totaling nearly 150 perfor- Met vocal history and still Met's music director who is
from cancer can leave an and still sing it." mances in operas by Mo- has so much to offer." conducting this revival, said
impression that lingers until Fitness has never been an zart, Wagner and Janacek, She said she had never Mattila's portrayal "lives up
the tragic conclusion. One issue for Mattila, who at 58 among others. seen "Dialogues" before, to the legendary singers"
of the challenges, she said, retains the willowy figure Now, at an age when "and I just thought it would who have performed it pre-
is to convince the audi- that helped make her por- many sopranos think about be quite an adventure." As viously at the Met.q

'Hurts 2B Human' offers a predictable Pink

By RAGAN CLARK lid, Cash Cash, Wrabel and you see inside my attic."
Associated Press even Chris Stapleton make This isn't to say all Pink's sen-
Pink, "Hurts 2B Human" appearances. timental tracks are kitschy.
(RCA) The album lands clearly in "90 Days" incorporates a
Right out of the gate on her the pop camp. First single James Blake/Imogen Heap
new album, Pink gives you "Walk Me Home" is catchy production style with a bal-
just the song you expect with all the right ear worm anced blend of Wrabel
from the punk superstar: ingredients, but this same and Pink's vocals over dis-
a pop ballad oozing with formulaic pop tendency torted layers to create a
confidence and giving hurts her on other songs. strong track.
her signature "f-off" vibe. Her energy and booming It's also one of the songs
Her background vocalists vocals may draw listeners that sounds radio-ready,
sound like a posse as she in, but the album falls short along with the title track,
sings out, "Don't hustle me/ with some tracks lacking proving that Pink still has
Don't f--- with me." originality. what it takes to stay rel-
"Hurts 2B Human" sounds "My Attic" sounds like a evant. The breadth of her
largely like Pink's typical tune that's been done be- collaborations are also
aesthetic — mostly pop fore: a Fergie-style "Big Girls commendable: the R&B
with a punk attitude and a Don't Cry" using a thinly style of Khalid and the
few sentimental piano bal- veiled metaphor of an at- country roots of Stapleton
lads sprinkled in. Just like tic to describe the things may not seem cohesive,
her 2017 album "Beautiful she keeps hidden. "I keep but both sound equally at
Trauma," Pink dabbles in hiding the keys in all these home on the record. This cover image released by RCA shows "Hurts 2B Human," a
a myriad of styles, but this places even I can't find/ Overall, "Hurts 2B Human" is release by Pink.
time recruits the help of Hoping one day you'll find predictably Pink — to both Associated Press
more collaborators. Kha- them all 'cause I wanna let its benefit and detriment.q