Now only 200 miles away from the Met (and closing?):

Catherine Malfitano is no less harrowing in the role of Kostelnicka. Indeed, there were moments when she called to mind the late Leonie Rysanek, the only other singer in my experience who could make this character utterly monstrous and curiously sympathetic.

This little post is not about Anja Silja, so I won't continue to insist that she be included in the Rysanek line of succession. This is about Catherine Malfitano, whom I think deserves such comparisons, and whom I miss terribly. She hasn't sung here in nearly five years. In the interim, she has retooled her rep to now include those juicy mama-from-hell types we all love (and want to be in our next life). We're joyed to hear of her successes elsewhere, but we'd be all about forgiving Gelb for Netrebko if he sends a Met contract Cathy's way. Here's another ecstatic review:

(Racette) was matched in intensity, perhaps exceeded, by the other star of the evening, Catherine Malfitano, who reprised her lauded performance as the Kostelnička. In a severe black dress (costumes by Jon Morrell), she is a terrifying figure, making her unraveling at the end of Act II, where she has a guilt-ridden vision of "death staring me in the face," one of the most dramatic moments of the evening.