O Triunfo d´A Matos

(Elisabete Matos)

Simpaticamente, o Paulo (Valquírio) inteirou-me sobre a prestação de Elisabete Matos, na sua estreia no Met, como Minnie (La Fanciulla del West - G. Puccini).

A entrada de La Matos no Met é o corolário de uma carreira absolutamente notável, conquistada passo a passo, longe da Lusitânia. A partida foi um imperativo, condição sine qua non do sucesso, sejamos honestos.

Tive a felicidade de assistir à sua memorável Tosca, ao nível das top - top. Pelo caminho, foi conquistando terreno, nos mais respeitáveis palcos líricos do mundo. Por fim, chegou ao cume da montanha mágica, sediada em NYC.

Doravante, só há que manter o nível e... assumir os papéis que são seus: Lady Macbeth, Abigail, Isolda, Turandot, Gioconda, and so on!

«At least as heard over Sirius, Elisabete Matos made a completely WOW debut as Minnie in the Met's "Fanciulla" tonight. Matos' entrance was very nicely done, the voice firm, plush, warm, even pretty much from top to bottom, and well we have a Minnie that actually SOUNDS like Minnie! She capped the "Laggiu nel Soledad!" with a thrilling High C, though she sounded almost unsure about it for a nanosecond. The other high notes, rang out clear, with a force that Voigt simply cannot muster - at least as Minnie, and at least right now.

Further, while Voigt sang Minnie with sort of one "sound" all the way through (often curdled at that) Matos brought an old-school type of shading to the role, with all kinds of colors and effects in the voice, managing those triplets in Act II beautifully - with an even weight distributed through all. Very nice. She also brought a "chill" type of sound when addressing Rance that sounds most uncommon these days, which contrasted brilliantly with the "doe-eyed" sound she often sang to Johnson with. Also very nice.

The poker scene was - even in audio only - high drama that found my heart racing. The only thing missing was that maniacal laughter singers of yore used to throw in to end the act on a note of grand hysteria. (Was Neblett the last to do this?) The audience cheered lustily at the end and I wondered if she might come out for a curtain call. (Question: what is the Met's criterion for whether or not an opera has curtain calls between acts?) Her final pages of music were exquisitely sung, rich with emotion and rock steady tone.

(...)

"I cannot think of a soprano who could sing any better this demanding role, which requires luscious legato phrasing, a powerful top range and stamina. . . . she has found a way to soften the sometimes harder edges of her voice and sing with lyrical pliancy while still cutting through the orchestra for big climaxes, including a fearless high C in Act I."

I can think of one: Ms. Matos! I'll probably be stoned for this, and I wish Ms. Voigt no ill will (hey, I'm a fan), but it would be really nice if Matos got the upcoming HD cinecast as THIS is how Minnie should sound and it would be, overall, a a more impressive record of the Met celebrating Fanciulla's centenary.

Whatever happens, this night will stick in my head for a long, long time. Viva La Matos!»

«I was in the house for Elisabete Matos' debut at the Met. It was a definite triumph for her. The standing ovation began when the three principles came out in front of the curtain. The screams for her (mine included) were plentiful and everyone seemed delighted with her debut's success.

Her middle voice was a bit light at first in Act I, but warmed up and filled out to project well early in Act I. The top voice was beautiful and the high notes were thrilling and powerful with great intonation throughout. Her acting is very believable and quite comfortable for someone doing this production for the first time.

She, Gallo, and Giordani were absolutely white-hot for Act II! Again, her comfort with riding the horse, the business of the act, and the role are remarkable for someone's first performance in this production.

For Act III, the set swallowed her voice making her sound much more distant than for Acts I and II. However, when she got off the balcony, the voice was at 100% again. If I were Voigt and Matos, I'd demand they have Minnie do that entrance on the ground rather than on that balcony.

I have to say that Lucio Gallo has improved greatly since the earlier broadcasts or we are not getting the quality of his voice on SiriusXM. It sounds as if he is "covering" more and not forcing so much.

Giordani was in his usual good form. The low notes vanish, but he has that brilliant top voice! It crowned a convincing dramatic portrayal.

It was a *VERY* satisfying evening at the Met! If I saw nothing else while in NYC, the trip was well worthwhile solely for this performance. I'm very lucky to have been able to be there.

Congratulations to Miss Matos on a magnificent Met debut!»

nota: no próximo Verão, A Matos incarnará Lady Macbeth, a 12 de Agosto... em Salzburgo!