Janacek: Káta Kabanová (Kátya Kabanová)

“Its luminosity is reflected in Jiří Bělohlávek's conducting, undoubtedly the most airily lyrical Katya I can remember, which uses Mackerras's edition but applies less spiky gestures...[Mattila] refines her bright dramatic soprano sufficiently to sound fresh and eager, then captures an edge of hysterical guilt.” BBC Music Magazine, January 2011 *****

“Jiří Bělohlávek plainly loves this score and paces it well...Mattila is, without a doubt, an outstanding Kat'a...she gives a vocally splendid account, sensitively inflected and radiant at climactic moments...[Dalia Schaechter is] admirably bitter and twisted...[Oleg Bryjak] demonstrates a fine understanding of [his] role, singing with a kind of gruff belligerence that is just right for the part.” International Record Review, March 2011

“This is an excellent production...Mattila as Kat'a is stupendous...[her] faultless in its progression from hesitancy to impassioned resolve. In the final monologue, her hair dishevelled, her misery and longing are heartbreaking. Throughout, Mattila sings with a flood of golden tone… Bělohlávek's conducting is beautifully judged, whether in tension or release. Utterly brilliant!” Gramophone Magazine, April 2011

“Its luminosity is reflected in Jiří Bělohlávek's conducting, undoubtedly the most airily lyrical Katya I can remember, which uses Mackerras's edition but applies less spiky gestures...[Mattila] refines her bright dramatic soprano sufficiently to sound fresh and eager, then captures an edge of hysterical guilt.” BBC Music Magazine, January 2011 *****

“Jiří Bělohlávek plainly loves this score and paces it well...Mattila is, without a doubt, an outstanding Kat'a...she gives a vocally splendid account, sensitively inflected and radiant at climactic moments...[Dalia Schaechter is] admirably bitter and twisted...[Oleg Bryjak] demonstrates a fine understanding of [his] role, singing with a kind of gruff belligerence that is just right for the part” International Record Review, March 2011

“This is an excellent production...Mattila as Kat'a is stupendous...[her] faultless in its progression from hesitancy to impassioned resolve. In the final monologue, her hair dishevelled, her misery and longing are heartbreaking. Throughout, Mattila sings with a flood of golden tone… Bělohlávek's conducting is beautifully judged, whether in tension or release. Utterly brilliant!” Gramophone Magazine, April 2011

“This transfer to DVD of a 1988 Virgin VHS houses an entirely recommendable staging by Lehnhoff for Glyndebourne. He directs his excellent cast with an astonishing ability to delineate their inner feelings, receiving the most positive response from Nancy Gustafson in the title-role. She presents, from her initial entry, an overwrought, highly impressionable girl frustrated beyond endurance by the casual attentions of her husband Tichon, and longing for the erotic charge offered by the attractive Boris.
When she finally capitulates to his advances, she mirrors the sense of release tinged with guilt evinced in the music. Her singing is firm, soaring, vibrant. Palmer is the very picture of buttoned- up severity as Kabanicha. Her command over Kát'á and Tichon is terrible to behold.
Davies suggests Tichon's lack of backbone.
McCauley's Boris conveys the man's ability to infatuate the repressed Kát'á. His tenor is keen, though under strain in the upper register.
Andrew Davis brings out all the passion and anguish in the wonderful score. Tobias Hoheisel's sets derive from Russian art of the period of the story's genesis.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010