Karita Mattila to return to Finnish National Opera in 2012

The celebrated Finnish soprano Karita Mattila, 49, is to return to the Finnish National Opera in August 2012.
      She will sing the lead role in Leos Janácek’s The Makropoulos Case (also known as The Makropoulos Affair), a co-production with the San Francisco Opera.
      Karita Mattila is to make her role debut as the leading character in the new opera in San Francisco in November 2010.
      ”This will be the first co-production of the Finnish National Opera with a US opera house. I am looking forward to an extremely fine production”, says Mikko Franck, the Artistic Director of the National Opera.
     
Mattila’s last performances at the National Opera were in the title role of Giacomo Puccini’s Tosca as well as her sold-out recitals in the autumn of 2006. Since then Mattila has had a break in her performances in Finland, but at the moment, her forthcoming performances include a concert in the Tampere Hall and then her return to the National Opera.
      ”It was nice to negotiate with Karita”, notes Franck, even though the singer has a full calendar for many years ahead.
      Her role in Janácek's The Makropoulos Case may be a perfect part for Mattila, as she is one of the most celebrated contemporary singers in the title roles of Jenufa and Káta Kabanová.
      The Makropoulos Case is one of Janácek’s later works, dating from 1925.
      The dramatic opera tells about Emilia Marty, a celebrated singer who is surrounded by admiration, ruin, and unfulfilled love.
     
The director of The Makropoulos Case will be Olivier Tambosi, while Frank Schlössmann will be the Production Designer.
      In San Francisco the opera will be conducted by Jiri Belohlávek, an ”authoritative” interpreter of Janácek’s music.
      In Helsinki the most likely conductor is Mikko Franck himself.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Juha Uusitalo and Karita Mattila performing Salome at Metropolitan Opera (23.9.2008)
  Director spoils Karita Mattila´s Tosca party at Metropolitan Opera (29.9.2009)

See also:
  Karita Mattila is most successful Finnish artist in sales of classical music (1.9.2004)

Links:
  Karita Mattila (Wikipedia)
  San Francisco Opera
  Karita Mattila homepage
  The Makropulos Affair (Wikipedia)
  Finnish National Opera