Karita Mattila "Dance of seven veils" Salome

[DANILISHINA]

Karita Mattila is the best Salome all over the world i think...also the choreography of this "veil dance" is great - not simple something like belly dance, but REAL emotions of her desperation,,exaltation,unhapp­iness, cruelty, sexuality and unfulfilled desire...very good idea not to dance in this usually "dancing piece"..Karita´s great soprano + wonderful gesture = BRAVO !!.

[robjacksontop]

@DANILISHINA I've seen Karita and she's wonderful...but have you seen Nadja Michael in London?  Staggeringly wonderful.

[Genieperiode1]

O:-)

[olympicrange]

Mattila will do her best to make whatever is given her work-- but the production and scene is ludicrous! Just how does this evoke "Herod the Great" Salome and John the Baptist?? It's sort of like doing the crucifixion and substituting Attica and the electric chair. And for Mattila--- illusion has worked for many a post-teen Salomes. The cabaret outfit lap dance doesn't flatter nor does it create the "illusion" And Karita is a beautiful woman-- this is a disservice to her and Strauss

[ugodeste]

Ma per l'amor di dio...

[SchweigsameFrau]

I love her; she's magnificent. And damn them for making her dance around in the unsexiest of things : the pantsuit.

[lydiaguarro]

Que puesta espantosa!



[serenopiovoso]

Bello

[deadlift65]

The director (Juergen Flimm) beltralys the form but respects the spirit: Salome is not only sensuality, but also decadence. I liked it.

[chrish12345]

damn I was really lookn forward to some tit (at least) in this one

[MrsPisaroni]

Succeeded in the near impossible-makes Salome totally sexless. She's the 'darling of the Met' but has a bland stage presence.

[cantanteporsiempre]

For not been so attractive like others, I love her because she´s so secure of what she is, and how she looks. I love this!!!! Brava.

[dfgrbtr]

This is beyond disgusting... Sex sells. Even in opera. How sad.

[llamasaresmelly]

@dfgrbtr This whole scene is about sex and Salome's discovery of her sexuality. Why shouldn't this acceptable. The music has a grotesque quality to it (I mean it in the best way imaginable). If anything, this is a fully realized depiction of Salome's dance, whereas many other versions only graze the surface.

[jewelmarkess]

@dfgrbtr The story calls for it. It's not clearly spelled out in Oscar Wilde play, but it's been traditional in opera for the singer to start covered in veils then remove them one by one. Here the action is moved to our time, so there are no veils. Maria Ewing stripped completely in this dance too. It's here by the way - you have to confirm you are 18 to watch Maria Ewing's dance. I actually prefer Maria Ewing's dance to this one, and I prefer traditional productions.

[JeeRant]

Are you familiar with the opera at all? The scene is SUPPOSED to be grotesque and shocking. And sexy.

[dfgrbtr]

@JeeRant Yes, I am. And no, I don't think it should be this obvious. Is a woman only sexy to you with absolutely no clothes on???

Sorry for not finding much art in this particular interpretation - and in most way too modern interpretations at all. They're more about sex and scandal than music and art.

[Alloco1937]

Very sexy, even more so than Maria Ewing even though Karita never gets completely nude like Maria does

[cantanteporsiempre]

@Alloco1937 Maria Ewing was terrific in Salome. I love her. She´s my favourite Salome, well, my second favorite, my first favourite is Katherine Malfitano. Ewing is my favourite Carmen.

[Alloco1937]

Very sexy; even more so than Maria Ewing, even though Karita DOESN'T get completely nude like Maria does.

[llamasaresmelly]

@Alloco1937 Karita actually went nude during performances. She just wasn't allowed to be US censors since it was being shown on PBS.

[Composerland]

This was one of my favorite nights at the Met.

[philipc67]

This is fantastic. She does a very sexy dance. I saw her as Salome in Paris in 2003 (the Dodin staging) and she was superb. Just the right voice and physique for the role, although she is now getting too old for full credibility. But this Met production looks grotesque.

[parpaiounverd]

The choreography is exceptional and K. Mattila is incredibly magnetic, she IS the music...

[tristanchord85]

What I like about this Dance is that it seems spontanious and like she is improvising, rather than doing a "choreographed" dance.

[camilla0690]

Che brava!!! Avrà studiato danza!

[harpguy18]

I love at 8:18 she looks like yes daddy you know you want this but cant have it

[kaifas762]

¿que diria strauss si viviese?

[OperaBR]

I think she's very sexy and certainly moves like a young girl (perhaps much more than some of them). She does have mature looks, but I didn't expect something else from a 49-year-old woman. What I did expect, considering this is Mattila, was a thrilling, sexy and flesh-and-blood (I don't know the better adjective in English, but in Portuguese I'd say "pulsante"!) Salome, and I wasn't surprised. What I like the most is that her every movement has to do with the rhythm played by the orchestra!

[MusicaParola]

Pulsante (throbbing) is an excellent adjective in any language. Mattila baila com a libido pulsante, sublimada pela música e pela dança.

[operamudflower]

I definitely noticed her movement with music. Some people can count but have no internal rhythm. Ms. Mattila has both. Great moves and great observation OperaBR.

[operamudflower]

This one friggin 'mature' Salome.

[MusicaParola]

The last soprano who seemed young enough for the character was Stratas, who sang the role superbly. Mattila is rather youthful, compared to other recent interpreters of this role. Alas, too bad 15 year old sopranos cannot tackle this score.

[operamudflower]

That makes a lot of sense. Mattila has a very youthful spirit. I definitely agree with Stratas reading very young on stage. Do you thing her small stature has ever limited her being cast? Maybe they looked past her appearance (since she's quite easy on the eyes) and let her voice (huge as it is) make up for her height. Hmm. :)

[MusicaParola]

In her day, Stratas sang a wide repertoire. She also sang every role she wanted to sing; if some were missing from her active repertoire, I suspect it was due to her own decisions in what was appropriate for her. A great artist.

[Dimitrious8]

I don't think Stratas has voice big enough to be superb as Salome. Don't forget she sang it only in the studio and has never sung on stage. The suitable look is not enough. In my opinien, the only Salome can both sing and look are nowadays Eilana Lappalainen and Mlada Khudoley. There is also Nadja Michael, but she has too small voice for Salome.

[operamudflower]

You're very informed as to her career. Thank you so much for your information. It's good to see that woman who could have sung so much was careful not to sing 'too' much. Thanks again.

[markNLeona]

Very pretty voice. Thanks for sharing

[Eitlena]

Yea. Netrebko needs to sing this. and I need to see it. Lol.

[MusicaParola]

Hopefully, Karita Mattila will be available to provide the vocals.

[droot6681]

haha good one! Netrebko can't sing this, maybe in a decade or so but doubtful.

[voltape]

I'm dying to see Anna Netrebko in this role.