Press

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  01 Mar 19 DVORAK: Stabat Mater Boston Symphony Orchestra
  Boston Symphony Hall

  ‘The soloists — soprano Rachel Willis-Sorensen, mezzo-soprano Violeta Urmana, tenor Dmytro Popov, bass Matthew Rose — were vocally gratifying; I especially liked Popov’s grit and thrust and Rose’s smooth, full bass.’

  Jeffrey Gantz, Boston Globe, 1 March 2019 

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  08 Feb 19 BRITTEN: A Midsummer Night's Dream
  Philadelphia Opera

  ‘…The Act III play within the play — it always brings down the house in theatrical productions — is treated mockingly by Britten. To me, it’s much funnier when the tale of Pyramus and Thisbe is acted as a matter of life and death. The fact that Matthew Rose (Bottom) not only revealed his humanity in Britten’s less-humane circumstances was a major reason why he was the production’s star. Also, this Curtis Institute graduate has one of the most lustrous, unforced bass-baritone voices in the business. And that didn’t hurt one bit.’

  David Patrick Stearns, The Inquirer, 9 February 2019

  ‘Every singer playing a rustic was that character in voice and personality, but the superstar was bass Matthew Rose, who has performed Bottom a dozen times. He struck the ideal balance between attention-seeking, pompous – well, ass – and guy you can’t help loving in spite of that. And what a mellifluous voice!’

  *****

  Susan Gould, Bachtrack, 13 February 2019

   

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  08 Jan 19 SCHUBERT Winterreise
  The Pheasantry, Chelsea

  “Matthew Rose, the majestic bass known for his comic turns in opera, perched on a stool in the King’s Road branch of Pizza Express like a cabaret crooner broken and bereft at the loss of his love. But for the Frank Sinatra songbook read Franz Schubert: this was the devastating song cycle Winterreise. Gripping the edge of the piano like a despairing drinker clutching the bar, Rose poured out his heart in a performance that will be hard to equal this year – and it’s only January.

  A packed audience, seated at tables around the tiny stage, was transfixed. The tinkle of cutlery and glass gave way to stunned silence. Food was left untouched, such was the visceral power of Rose’s storytelling. For those who have heard his mellifluous voice fill an opera house it was a privilege to be in such an intimate setting, to be close to that supreme sense of line, that untapped power just waiting to be unleashed.”

  Stephen Pritchard, The Observer, 12 January 2019

  “This is one of many Pizza Expresses putting on live music, but must be the first not only to move from jazz to an Art Song Series, but to undertake a tragic masterpiece such as Schubert’s Winterreise.

  On the cabaret platform in the dimmed basement, surrounded by diners — but there was no thought of eating! — the bass Matthew Rose and the pianist William Vann gave a performance of the most startling immediacy and daemonic power. We had an interval — two 12-song, solid blocks of grief, but pudding in between — and just as well for the nerves.

  As Rose pointed out, the room and ambience were perfectly in keeping with the conception of the work. The evening was a true “Schubertiad”.”

  Paul Driver, The Times, 13 January 2019

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  04 Nov 18 STRAVINSKY: Rake's Progress London Philharmonic Orchestra
  Royal Festival Hall

  “You feel for singers who have to appear on stage with the bass Matthew Rose. He has a presence that demands attention and a voice so pure, so resonant, so rich that he eclipses all those around him. His Nick Shadow dominated the stage, and yet was never entirely sinister. He’s a natural comic and with his too-short trousers and a sleazy, droopy moustache, his Shadow made us laugh far more than tremble.”

  ****

  Stephen Pritchard, Bachtrack, 4 November 2018

  “Best of all was Matthew Rose, anyone’s first choice for Nick Shadow, suavely plausible and quite endearing.”

  ****

  Rupert Christiansen, The Telegraph, 4 November 2018 

  “Toby Spence (as Tom) and Matthew Rose (as Nick Shadow – and, in a clever piece of dual casting, as the Keeper of the Madhouse) were superb. Spence brought vulnerability and gullibility to his Rakewell; Rose, a sinister flourish of menace. If you feel at the beginning of the opera there is something slightly reminiscent in this relationship to that of Mozart’s Don Giovanni and Leporello it has become transformative by Act III. The achievement of Spence and Rose was that they brought such wonderful symbiosis to their parts.”

  Marc Bridle, Opera Today, 7 November 2018

  “It certainly didn’t matter that only one of the four principals was as originally advertised – Matthew Rose as Nick Shadow, a role he also filled out impressively at Glyndebourne. Rose’s true bass makes the unveiling near midnight after a year and a day’s service cavernously awesome.”

  David Nice, The Arts Desk, 5 November 2018 

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  26 Sep 18 PUCCINI: La Boheme NY Times: 'A Thrilling La Bohème at the Met, Radiating Warmth'
  Metropolitan Opera

  “…The luxury cast also included Angel Blue as Musetta and the bass Matthew Rose as Colline… Mr. Rose turned in a splendid comic performance that deepened, near the end, into real dignity.”

  Corinna da Fonseca-Wollheim, New York Times, 26 September 2018

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  28 Jan 18 WAGNER: Das Rheingold LPO/ Vladimir Jurowski
  Royal Festival Hall, London

  ” It is difficult to imagine a greater pair of giants in Rose and Sherratt’s Fasolt and Fafner. Dressed in braces, ready for the payment for their work, they not only owned the stage individually but worked perfectly together musically.”

  Colin Clark, Seen and Heard International, 28 January 2018

  “It was the performance of the night, closely followed by the Fafner and Fasolt of two bass giants, Brindley Sherratt and Matthew Rose, whose accounts were cleverly differentiated – the one insidious and calculating, the other bluff and humane – and both wonderfully sung.”

  Par Mark Valencia, Bachtrack, 28 January 2018 

  “The giant pair of Matthew Rose and Brindley Sherratt also duly impressed as Fasolt and Fafner, the lovelorn brother genuinely moving, the sheer malevolence of Fafner at and after his death chilling indeed. ”

  Mark Berry, Opera Today, 29 January 2018 

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  16 Nov 17 HAYDN: The Seasons Philadelphia Orchestra / Yannick Nézet-Séguin
  Verizon Hall, Kimmrl Center, Philadelphia

  “Rose, the bass, is an old friend from his Curtis Institute years; his big voice never booms. His beauty of tone grows entirely out of what shade of expression he is going for.”
  David Patrick Stearns, The Inquirer, 17 November 2017

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  25 Sep 17 BELLINI: 'Norma'
  Metropolitan Opera, New York

  “Bass Mathew Rose brought significant impact as Oroveso, managing to combine beautiful singing in his two arias with the forcefulness to lead his men to action.”
  Richard Sasanow, Broadway World, 4 October 2017

  “Matthew Rose was a noble Oroveso, bringing a rough-grained bass to the role and showing keen lyrical instincts in his brief Act II aria, “Ah! Del Tebro.””
  Eric C Simpson, New York Classical Review, 26 September 2017

  “Matthew Rose, the bass who played Norma’s father, Oroveso, also elevated his performance as he went along, finishing with a very affecting leave-taking as Norma goes off to the funeral pyre”
  Anne Midgette, The Washington Post, 26 September 2017

  “Matthew Rose brought a touching rawness to Oroveso”
  Kim Feltkamp, Opera Wire, 26 September 2017

  “some very impressive singing from Matthew Rose”
  Mark McLaren, ZealNYC, 26 September 2017

   

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  06 Aug 17 WAGNER: 'Die Walküre' Royal Scottish National Orchestra / Andrew Davis
  Usher Hall, Edinburgh

  “Matthew Rose’s sinister, brooding bass added menace to the mysteriousness of the unarmed stranger as he tricked Siegmund into betraying that he is the enemy. The storytelling was superb, the final release of the magic sword and the elopement of the incestuous lovers into the emerging spring an electrifying climax.”
  David Smythe, Bachtrack, 7 August 2017

  “Matthew Rose’s powerful Hunding”
  Richard Morrison, The Times, 8 August 2017

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  01 Jul 17 ELGAR: 'The Dream of Gerontius' Orchestra of the English National Opera / Simone Young
  Royal Festival Hall, London

  “As so often, the bass, Matthew Rose, was outstanding, especially in the sonorously-voiced music of the Priest.”
  Richard Fairman, Financial Times, 3 July 2017
  
  “As the Priest (in the first part), the excellent Matthew Rose was simply huge of voice, resonant and imperious. No doubting Rose’s dramatic qualifications: his King Mark in the 2016 ENO Tristan was outstanding; and he was similarly outstanding throughout this particular evening.”
  Colin Clarke, Seen and Heard, 3 July 2017

  “Matthew Rose’s rich-toned priest and Patricia Bardon’s angel were both very fine indeed and gave wholly engaged renderings of their solos.”
  Martin Kettle, The Guardian, 2 July 2017

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  09 Jun 17 BRITTEN: 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' Director: Netia Jones / Conductor: Ryan Wigglesworth
  Snape Maltings

  “In the hands of Ryan Wigglesworth, the Aldeburgh Festival Orchestra captures the music’s sensuality, while the boys of the Chelmsford cathedral choir sing with panache. But why on earth are there no surtitles? In this muffled acoustic, Shakespeare’s text may as well be gibberish. Only one singer manages to communicate it: bass Matthew Rose, whose warm, endearing Bottom does more than any character to supply this show with much-needed drama.”
  Hannah Nepil, Financial Times, 14 June 2017

  “As Bottom, Matthew Rose’s grandly sonorous bass fleshes out a portrayal whose gentle humour sacrifices neither humanity nor pathos: indeed it is a mark of Jones’ sure touch that overtly comic scenes never lapse into slapstick.”
  George Hall, The Stage, 12 June 2017

  “Netia Jones’s techno-sophistry is used to enchanting effect in her imaginative production, with Matthew Rose’s Bottom a particular standout among a fine cast”
  Rian Evans, The Guardian, 12 June 2017

  “The six Mechanicals were played pretty straight, with little resort to slapstick. This worked especially well for Matthew Rose’s Bottom, whose dry humour, even when adorned with donkey ears sprouting from his bowler hat, was wonderfully understated. Rose sang gloriously, his bass roaring and purring by turns, emitting an orgasmic yawn as Tytania entwined him in her arms.”
  Mark Pullinger, Bachtrack, 12 June 2017

  “From Rose to the quartet of lovers the singing is outstanding.”
  Anna Picard, The Times, 12 June 2017

  “The star of the show, however, was undoubtedly Matthew Rose, whose sweet bully Bottom is the most gently touching and drily funny I have ever seen. His diction and comic timing are both impeccable, and he never overdoes it for a second. What an artist he has become.”
  Rupert Christiansen, The Telegraph, 10 June 2017

  “Matthew Rose’s Bottom is at once the emotional and musical anchor of the production.”
  Alexandra Coghlan, The Arts Desk, 10 June 2017

  “Matthew Rose was no buffoon, though his sonorous bass conveyed the weaver’s sense of his own stature and worth; even when adorned with ass’s horn and tail, and stripped to stockings and suspenders, Bottom was more a figure of pathos than of ridicule, as he executed a nifty Morris dance to the fairies’ percussive accompaniment.”
  Claire Seymour, Opera Today, 10 June 2017

   

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  03 Jun 17 INTERVIEW In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Matthew Rose is top of the Bottoms
  The Times

  Anna Picard interviews Matthew Rose ahead of his performances at the Aldeburgh Festival
  Anna Picard, The Times, 3 June 2017

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  30 Mar 17 RECITAL Vlad Iftinka, piano
  Carnegie Hall, New York

  “Matthew Rose Makes an Impressive Recital Debut at Weill”
  Jose Andrade, ZealNYC, 30 March 2017

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  15 Feb 17 SCHUBERT: 'Winterreise' Gary Matthewman, piano; Victoria Crowe, visuals
  Wigmore Hall, London

  “Matthew Rose’s gloriously rich, dark bass makes a wonderful foil for the depth of emotion” … “Though originally for tenor, the cycle is often transposed, and Rose’s gloriously rich, dark bass makes a wonderful foil for the depth of emotion while maintaining beauty of tone throughout. Where some singers deliberately harshen to depict ‘The Crow’, Rose instead emphasises its wonderous strangeness. His interpretation swells towards its bleak conclusion.”
  Cara Chanteau, The Independent, 16 February 2017
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  20 Dec 16 STRAUSS: 'Der Rosenkavalier'
  Royal Opera House, Covent Garden

  “Matthew Rose’s Ochs, though, is the real star turn, sung almost elegantly, and managing to make a real person, if not at all a likable one, out of a character that is normally hammed up as a caricature. Genuinely funny moments are thinly scattered in this production but Rose’s timing is always a delight, and his flouncing departure after his third-act dismissal by the Marschallin was a real tour de force, with Nelsons extracting tremendous excitement out of the orchestra, just as he had conjured playing of gossamer fineness from it earlier in the same act.”
  Andrew Clements, The Guardian, 18 December 2016

  “Matthew Rose’s Baron Ochs…scores highly for playing the role straight and singing it so well.”
  Richard Fairman, The Financial Times

  “…there’s nothing OTT about the way Matthew Rose plays that character. Rose has come up with something bombastic but utterly believable, something comic, cynical, and a shade sinister, and his Ochs commands the stage with total authority.”
  Michael Church, The Independent, 19 December 2016

  “But if Fleming is the singer the audience is there to see, Matthew Rose’s Ochs is the one they will remember hearing. It’s hard to imagine a more beautifully or fully sung Baron. There’s no buffo blustering here, just lovely long lines and full tone, whose patrician elegant cuts neatly against the vulgarity and violence of his behaviour. Carsen has no interest in caricature, and this villain is all the more unsettling for his plausibility. There are few out-loud laughs in the Mariandel scenes, but that’s exactly as the director wants it, transforming a farce into something real, something more threatening.”
  Alexandra Coghlan, The Arts Desk, 18 December 2016

  “Baron Ochs (the excellent Matthew Rose) is all the more insidious for not being a mere country bumpkin: he and his cronies are in military uniform and their ogling and manhandling of the hapless Sophie are standard behaviour in this aggressively all-male environment.”
  Barry Millington, The Evening Standard, 19 December 2016

  “It helps that Matthew Rose sings the Baron. The British bass carries all before him these days, and his puffed-up Prussian, rubicund and ridiculous, is a joy in his ill-fated quest to pouch poor Sophie. He’s a military man in Robert Carsen’s production, and there’s a sinister edge to the macho platoon that hangs on his every Trumpish word; yet Rose embodies the buffoon with conviction, not caricature, and he sings the opera’s most exacting role with throwaway ease.”
  Mark Valencia, What’s On Stage, 21 December 2016

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  15 Dec 16 INTERVIEW Everything's coming up Matthew Rose's
  Matthew rose on Baron Ochs, Bottom and Brexit

  Jessica Duchen, JDCMB, 15 December 2016
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  29 Sep 16 MOZART: 'Don Giovanni'
  The Metropolitan Opera, New York

  “Matthew Rose made the most of his brief appearance as Masetto with his sonorous and warm bass.”
  Ako Imamura, Bachtrack, 28 September 2016

  “As Masetto, Matthew Rose filled out his role with blustering indignation.”
  Eric C Simpson, New York Classical Review, 28 September 2016
  
  “The partnership with Matthew Rose’s Don Leporello was a very pleasing combination. His famous Catalogue Aria was delivered in a light hearted, sometimes off-the-voice way as he told of the unbelievable number of Don Giovanni’s conquests. Leporello is a character who can really bring the opera to life, and Rose delivered a very strong vocal performance and brought much humour to the role, particularly when he disguised his self as Don Giovanni.”
  Oliver Brett, Bachtrack, 6 November 2016

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  09 Aug 16 BRITTEN: 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'
  Glyndebourne Festival Opera

  “Matthew Rose once again an endearingly good-natured Bottom, kept buoyant by his unquenchable optimism and a warmly resonant bass voice.”
  Rupert Christiansen, The Telegraph, 12 August 2016

  “Matthew Rose returns as Bottom – a loveable thunderer and
  blusterer rather than a complete buffoon in his handling – leading a troupe of fine mechanicals.”
  Alexandra Coghlan, The Arts Desk, 12 August 2016

  “Matthew Rose’s Bottom, funny and touchingly endearing, is
  about as good as it gets.”
  Tim Ashley, The Guardian, 14 August 2016

  “Rose possesses one of the most beautiful bass voices around
  today and his Bottom tickled the ear.”
  Mark Pullinger, Bachtrack, 12 August 2016

  “The supreme Rose, an alumnus of the 2006 revival, leads a
  splendid company of rude mechanicals”
  Mark Valencia, Whats On Stage, 12 August 2016

  “The “rude mechanicals” were led by the lovable Bottom of
  Matthew Rose, alert as ever to the comedy whilst singing with subtle phrasing and generous tone.”
  Melanie Eskenazi, Music OMH, 14 August 2016

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  09 Jun 16 WAGNER: 'Tristan and Isolde'
  English National Opera, London Coliseum

  “Matthew Rose was outstanding in every way in King Marke’s monologue.”
  Richard Fairman, Financial Times, 10 June 2016

  “Matthew Rose’s Mark was impeccably sung”
  Rupert Christiansen, Telegraphy, 10 June 2016

  “Craig Colclough’s Kurwenal was intermittently beautiful but always eloquent, as were Matthew Rose’s Marke and Karen Cargill’s Brangäne.”
  Barry Millington, Evening Standard, 10 June 2016

  “Matthew Rose shakes the foundations as “betrayed” King Mark.”
  David Nice, The Arts Desk, 10 June 2016

  “Matthew Rose’s expressive interjections at the ends of Acts II and III were sensitively and compassionately sung”
  Matthew Rye, Bachtrack, 10 June 2016

  “Matthew Rose glowed with wisdom and generosity as King Marke – a formidable, heartwarming performance.”
  Fiona Maddocks, The Observer, 12 June 2016

  “Into this nonsense strides the immensely imposing King Marke of Matthew Rose, who sings his long monologue here, and his shorter contributions in the last act, with a nobility and richness of tone that makes it obligatory to see this production, as nothing else does. He is clothed traditionally, and sings his lament straight out to the audience, a representative, presumably, of a faded era.”
  Michael Tanner, The Spectator

  “Matthew Rose’s lovely bass makes a deeply sympathetic King Marke”
  Cara Chanteau, The Indpendent, 14 June 2016

  “Matthew Rose’s King Marke was a paradigm of sorrowful nobility, magnificently sung.”
  Michael White, New York Times, 14 June 2016

  “Matthew Rose’s rendition of King’s Mark’s meditation on Tristan’s betrayal was immensely lyrical and moving and Craig Colclough sang Kurwenal never less than magnificently. The huge ovation that both Rose and Colclough received was no surprise and entirely deserved.”
  Raymond Davern, The Jewish Chronicle, 15 June 2016

  “but the most powerful performance of the evening was given by Matthew Rose as King Marke. Striding the stage like a wounded lion, Rose brought out every nuance of his wonderful Act 2 aria, perfectly capturing its mix of dismay and dignified sadness.”
  Owen Mortimer, Opera Now, 24 June 2016

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  24 May 16 PURCELL Songs Realised by Britten
  CD (Champs Hill Records)

  “Matthew Rose is outstanding in each of his tracks, authoritative and unfussy.”
  Richard Fairman, Gramophone Magazine, June 2016

  “…the magnificent bluster of Matthew Rose, who brings Britten’s version of Music for a While to a huge climax.”
  Nicholas Kenyon, The Guardian, 10 April 2016

  “the expressivity of…Rose’s No, resistance is but vain (1961) is impressive…”
  4* Anna Picard, BBC Music Magazine, June 2016

  “Clayton’s tenor and Rose’s rich bass especially impress”
  Guy Weatherall, Rheingold Publishing

  “The six vocalists in this new collection, with pianist Joseph Middleton, have lighter, less colorful voices, except for Matthew Rose’s resounding bass; this singer’s contribution is limited to four songs and one duet, each a highlight of the collection. … In a category of its own is Rose’s electrifying impersonation of Don Quixote in “Let the dreadful engines of eternal will,” a virtual compendium of the human psyche, from tender love to uncontrolled insanity. It’s a vocal tour-de force that encompasses every aspect of the singer’s art.”
  Robert Croan, Opera News, December 2016

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  15 May 16 SUNDAY TIMES INTERVIEW 'From his Bottom to the top'
  Matthew Rose, Britain’s hottest opera talent, talks about his rise

  Hugh Canning, The Sunday Times, 15 May 2016 (subscription required)
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  09 Feb 16 STRAUSS: 'Der Rosenkavalier'
  Lyric Opera of Chicago

  “Making his Lyric debut, British bass Matthew Rose was a superb Baron Ochs, a towering figure pursuing women with the ruthlessness of a hedge fund operator plotting a billion-dollar score. His powerful bass was agile and handled Strauss’s wide-ranging melodies with conversational ease. Even when bellowing like a dying man after a none-too-fierce duel in one of the opera’s comic moments, Ochs never slipped into caricature. Though an unrepentant cad, Rose’s Ochs was a fully drawn character.”
  Mirian di Nunzio, Chicago Sun Times, 9 February 2016

  “Another strong Lyric debut was that of British bass Matthew Rose as a younger-than-usual Ochs, who sang and played Sophie’s would-be husband as a provincial Falstaff with a scheming heart and wandering eye, convinced of his irresistible sexual charisma. I did miss the Viennese dialect that German-speaking basses bring to this role but found Rose’s unusual characterization interesting.
  The singer and the stage director refused to make a loutish buffoon of Ochs, which is usually how he’s portrayed: Vulgar and pompous he may be, but he still has noble blood in his veins (as he never ceases to remind us) and that’s how Rose played him. He really sang the role, as opposed to barking it, commanding the gallon-jug low notes for the baron’s drunken Act 2 waltz.”
  John von Rhein, Chicago Tribune, 9 February 2016

  “Bass Matthew Rose’s Ochs is a perfectly pitched bit of ham-fisted comic buffoonery, delivered with a sure and powerful voice. Convinced of his aristocratic bearing and fatal attraction to the opposite sex, Ochs is actually about as subtle as the lumbering bovine after which he is named, and Mr. Rose makes him every bit as comically repulsive as he needs to be. When Ochs is publicly humiliated in the final act and forced to accept the failure of his plans to marry Sophie for her fortune, Mr. Rose seems to physically shrink before our eyes as the character’s macho façade crumbles. It’s masterful.”
  Chuck Lavazzi, KDHX, 12 February 2016

  “Matthew Rose, the towering bass who plays the heinous Baron Ochs, was threatening and appealingly dastardly. His Ochs lumbers rather than walks, and when he celebrates what he thinks is his crush’s acquiescence at the end of Act II, Rose manages to convey, breathtakingly, a terrible fragility at the heart of encrusted power.”
  Dan Wang, Bachtrack, 11 February 2016

  “A shout out as well to the young British bass Matthew Rose, in his Lyric debut as Baron Ochs … Baron Ochs may be a preening oaf, but Rose wins him our sympathies. I didn’t even begrudge him his drunken, lusty waltz of anticipation; I imagined his toes curling in delight.”
  Nancy Malitz, Chicago on the Aisle, 10 February 2016

  “But the star of the evening was Matthew Rose, who carried off Baron Ochs’ stupidities, bluster, impermeable self-absorption and absurd condescension to perfection. He provoked my immoderate laughter. He was a joy to watch. He acted the Baron’s moods, gestures and thoughts to Strauss’ music flawlessly. When he was shamed or threatened, his sanctimonious invocation of the “rights, privileges, and immunities of blue blood” provoked roars of mirth—or should have. Mr. Rose is an important artist of presence, power and subtlety.”
  New City Stage, 11 February 2016

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  11 Dec 15 HANDEL: 'Messiah' Philadelphia Orchestra/Yannick Nézet-Séguin
  Verizon Hall Philadelphia

  “Bass-baritone Matthew Rose, a Philadelphia presence during his Curtis Institute years, now commands a burnished voice with a clean silhouette one rarely hears in large instruments.”
  David Patrick Stearns, Philadelphia Inquirer, 14 December 2015

  “The audience was also in awe of Rose’s work, who is a Curtis Institute graduate and Royal Opera House plus Met Opera regular. Rose brought a powerful tone and during many of his arias, you couldn’t help but feel a legitimate chill run down your spine as he sang.”
  Bryan Byttler, phillymag.com, 12 December 2015

  “Bass Matthew Rose—trained at Curtis—really cleaned up, at once sonorous, grandly authoritative and expressive, totally imbued with the style, shakes and all. “The trumpet shall sound”—I’ve never heard anyone cope better live with the fearsome runs on the word “immortality”—rang out thrillingly, thanks also to totally secure playing by David Bilger”
  David Shengold, Opera News, March 2016

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  20 Sep 15 'Arias for Benucci' Arcangelo/Jonathan Cohen
  CD

  Sunday Times Album of the Week
  “his words are clear and his singing is full of character”
  Hugh Canning, Sunday Times, 20 September 2015

  “Energetic playing from a starry band supports sensitive singing from bass Matthew Rose, bringing a historical singer to vivid, contemporary life.”
  Caroline Gill, Sinfini Music, 30 September 2015

  “Francesco Benucci was the star comic baritone around whom Emperor Joseph II’s Italian opera company revolved, and therefore the man for whom Mozart wrote some of his choicest roles, notably Figaro. Matthew Rose gives us generous chunks of the Mozart-Da Ponte operas mingled with arias by Salieri, Sarti and Martin y Soler, which all sound strong, thanks partly to the energised playing of Arcangelo, under Jonathan Cohen’s nuanced direction. Rose is hugely impressive, his deep, robust bass-baritone flexible and expressive, even if it doesn’t have the insouciance that would come from having lighter high notes. In Guglielmo’s duet with Dorabella (soprano Katherine Watson), Rose is perhaps more avuncular than seductive, but he otherwise captures each character succinctly, from Mozart’s schemers to Salieri’s bloodthirsty King Axur to the very different self-importance of Sarti’s Frasconio, who leaps into falsetto as he imagines the women weeping over him. An apt tribute from one fine singer to another.”
  Erica Jeal, The Guardian, 15 October 2015

  “If there is any justice in this world this disc should be a bestseller and I urge readers to invest in it for the repertoire and for the magnificent singing.”
  Göran Forsling, MusicWeb-International

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  05 Jul 15 BRITTEN: 'The Rape of Lucretia'
  Glyndebourne Festival 2015

  “A magnificent ensemble of singers could not be bettered – a vindication, if such a thing was needed, of Glyndebourne’s extensive rehearsal period and superb working conditions. Christine Rice has never have done anything more deeply felt than her heart-rending Lucretia, caught between Duncan Rock’s struttingly macho yet weirdly vulnerable Tarquinius and the simple honesty of Matthew Rose’s Collatinus.”
  Rupert Christiansen, The Telegraph, 6 July 2015

  “caring nature of Collatinus as represented in Matthew Rose’s smooth bass”
  George Hall, The Guardian, 7 July 2015

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  22 May 15 DONIZETTI: 'Poliuto'
  Glyndebourne Festival 2015

  “The strong supporting cast is led by Matthew Rose, sounding cavernous as the priest Callistene.”
  Erica Jeal, The Guardian, 22 May 2015

  “The ever impressive British bass Matthew Rose as Callistene, high priest of Jupiter, led the assured supporting cast.”
  Fiona Maddocks, The Guardian, 24 May 2015

  “Matthew Rose makes an imposing High Priest of Jupiter.”
  Richard Fairman, Financial Times, 24 May 2015

  “star bass Matthew Rose chilling in his baleful focus as Callisthene, the High Priest of Jupiter.”
  Mark Valencia, Whats on Stage, 22 May 2015

  “Fine support comes from Matthew Rose’s High Priest”
  Alexandra Coghlan, The Arts Desk, 22 May 2015

  “I was particularly impressed with Matthew Rose’s singing”
  Robert Beattie, Seen and Heard, 23 May 2015

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  24 Feb 15 ARTICLE Top 10 Great Bass Voices
  Sinfini Music

  “I’ll stick my neck out and predict that the next world-class bass is already among us. Now in his late 30s, Matthew Rose is hardly a tyro, but he still gets referred to as ‘up-and-coming’ despite a CV that reads like a name-dropper’s charter.”
  Sinfini Music, 24 February 2015

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  15 Dec 14 SCHUBERT: 'Schwanengesang' Malcolm Martineau, piano
  CD (Stone Records)

  “…here, with the pianist Malcolm Martineau, with whom Rose first sang the cycle in 2004, he ensures clear textures, sensitivity to the words and a lightness and variety of touch.”
  Please click the link below to read the full review.
  The Observer, Fiona Maddocks, 11 January 2015

  “English bass Matthew Rose shows that a deep voice and low keys need not make for a gloomy experience in Schubert.”
  Richard Fairman, Financial Times, 2 January 2015

  “his potential Wagnerian bass comes into its own in Kriegers Ahnung (Warrior’s Foreboding) and the great Heine settings Der Atlas and Der Doppelgänger”
  Sunday Times, 11 January 2014

  “he ensures clear textures, sensitivity to the words and a lightness and variety of touch.”
  Fiona Maddocks, The Observer, 11 January 2015

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  14 Nov 14 PUCCINI: 'La Bohème'
  Metropolitan Opera, New York

  “Alession Arduini and Matthew Rose were also excellent as Schaunard and Colline, respectively. The two were a tremendous joy to watch, but were also a major reason why the fourth act tragedy was so touching. It is often hard to remember that this is not just a tragedy of lost love for Rodolfo and Mimi. When the other characters have such real relationships with one another onstage in the Café Momus, the viewer is reminded that this opera is also about friendship and the loss of it. Thus Colline’s famous aria “Vecchia zimarra” had greater profundity. Rose sang the passage with his fascinating bass which resounded through the theater in a way few other singers could do in this aria. It was moment of unreal pathos.”
  David Salazar, Latin Post, 26 November 2014

  “Back at the garret, the opening of Act IV found English bass Matthew Rose (Colline the philosopher) and Italian baritone Alessio Arduini (the musician Schaunard, in his U.S. debut) at their dancing, dueling best. With less capable Bohème casts, all too often, Colline and Schaunard seem to get the shaft, but both Rose and Arduini proved hard to ignore once on stage.”
  Logan K Young, Classicalite, 19 November 2014

  “Matthew Rose, whose “Vecchia zimarra senti”, deep and exact, was heartily applauded.”
  Thibault Courtois, Opera Online, 2 December 2014

  “To complete the impeccable group of Bohemian friends, ready to give up all their belongings, even to take literally the coat off their back, was the magnificent bass Matthew Rose as Colline, who gave an unforgettable and touching version of the famous aria “Vecchia zimarra.”  His physical presence making him quite noticeable, Rose has the gift of a marvelous voice and obviously of a great technical training, since his performance was flawless.”
  Tiziano Thomas Dossena, Brooklyn Downtown Star, 3 December 2014

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  13 Sep 14 MOZART: 'Don GIovanni' Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra
  Marcus Center For The Performing Arts, Milwaukee

  “Matthew Rose matched that portrayal beautifully, bringing a colorful sound, huge dynamic and winning character to the role, along with some delightful physical comedy.”
  Journal Sentinel , Elaine Schmidt, September 14, 2014

  “The cast is quite simply world class, and showed its pedigree and experience throughout the evening. The true standouts: Rose’s Leporello, sung with command and acted with brilliantly disheveled roguery;”
  Milwaukee Magazine, Paul Kosidowski, 15 September 2014 

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  26 Aug 14 BEETHOVEN: 'Missa Solemnis' (Prom 54) Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique, Sir John Eliot Gardiner
  Royal Albert Hall, London

  “Matthew Rose was suitably foreboding in the bass solo of the troubled Agnus Dei.  … the Agnus Dei began in imposing, almost Wagnerian fashion with the powerful Rose accompanied by dramatic stopped horns.”
  David Fay, Bachtrack, 27th August 2014

  “Beethoven uses his four soloists very much like a semi-chorus and Lucy Crowe, Jennifer Johnston, Michael Spyres and Matthew Rose made a very fine ensemble indeed. The four formed a finely balanced quartet, whilst each had distinctly characterful individual voice, with Lucy Crowe plangent and radiant, Jennifer Johnston straight toned and highly communicative, Michael Spyres fine grained Italianate sound and Matthew Rose’s wonderfully trenchant delivery. Each had impressive solo moments, but it was the way their ensembles came together in a highly expressive and fluid way which impressed, full of beautifully shaped phrases and firm toned line.”
  Robert Hugill, Plant Hugill, 27 August 2014

  “It certainly helped that the soloists – Lucy Crowe, Jennifer Johnston, Michael Spyres, and Matthew Rose – constituted a dream team”
  Michael Church, The Independent, 29 August 2014

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  11 Aug 14 ARTICLE 'After Hours'
  BBC Music Magazine

  Musicians and their hobbies
  “Playing golf fits rather nicely into my schedule as an opera singer. While I’m away doing a production, there are a lot of days in between performances where I can get in a round. Recently in Bordeaux, for instance, I managed to play golf two or three times a week. Wherever you go in the world, you can find a nice course to play on, and there are also like-minded people in opera I play with – Bryn Terfel, in particular, is a very keen golfer…..”
  BBC Music Magazine, September 2014

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  05 Jul 14 DONIZETTI: 'Maria Stuarda'
  Royal Opera House, Covent Garden

  “Matthew Rose was, as always, absolutely first-class as the simpatico Talbot.”
  Rupert Christiansen, The Telegraph, 6 July 2014

  “Matthew Rose presents an authoritative Talbot.”
  Barry Millington, The Evening Standard, 7 July 2014

  “Matthew Rose’s resonant, crypto-Catholic Talbot”
  George Hall, The Guardian, 6 July 2014

  “Matthew Rose’s Talbot is perhaps the better foil for DiDonato however – matching her depth of timbre, and contributing to the quietly devastating impact of the confessional aria.”
  Alexandra Coghlan, The Arts Desk, 6 July 2014

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  10 Apr 14 BACH: 'St Matthew Passion' Academy of Ancient Music/Richard Egarr
  Concertgebouw, Amsterdam

  “Matthew Rose’s Christus was simply immense. His luscious, noble cantabile gave Christus rich emotional and dramatic heft.”
  Rosemary Carlton-Willis, Bachtrack.com, 13 April 2014

• More info  
  26 Mar 14 BACH: 'St John Passion' Academy of Ancient Music/Richard Egarr
  CD

  “Among British singers, perhaps no bass has come nearer to perfection in his portrayal of Christ than Gwynne Howell. Making even the somber authority of his singing a component of an affecting vulnerability, bass Matthew Rose rivals Howell’s heroic but refreshingly human performance. Mr. Rose is a Christ who sounds genuinely hurt by the accusations he faces, and there is an acutely emotive suggestion of weariness in his performance. This is a Christ unafraid to express doubt, fear, and uncertainty—and, thus, one of very personal charisma and relevance. In ‘Stecke dein Schwert in die Scheide,’ Mr. Rose’s Christ seems stung by Peter’s violence: his admonishment is disquieted rather than scolding. Throughout the performance, Mr. Rose looks beyond the obvious qualities of Bach’s characterization of Christ, bringing an individual interpretation that proves fascinating. Vocally, not one note of Christ’s music is beyond Mr. Rose’s capacity, and he encounters no technical challenge that he is not capable of meeting. When the voice must move, Mr. Rose reveals considerable flexibility, and his lower register is rich and unforced. Critically, however, he creates a thoughtful, winningly masculine Christ who ultimately is all the more extraordinary for in so many ways being just another man. He is the perfect musical and dramatic partner for the Evangelist of James Gilchrist.”
  Joseph Newsome, Voix des Arts, 26 March 2014

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  12 Mar 14 INTERVIEW 'Brief encounter with British Bass Matthew Rose'
  Matthew Rose talks to Keith McDonnell as he prepares for the world premiere of a new song cycle by Martin Suckling

  Keith McDonnell, Whats on Stage, 12 March 2014

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  22 Mar 14 MENDELSSOHN: 'Elijah' Blackheath Halls Orchestra & Chorus
  St John's Smith Square, London

  “Matthew Rose, as well as being a driving force behind the project, took on the role of Elijah and was suitably authoritative, with extremely clear text and subtle shaping of the recitative sections.  … Once again, Rose was heartbreaking in the masterpiece “It is enough”
  It can be said that tonight’s performance lived up to the Times’ review of the première – “a triumph”.”
  Emily Owen, Backtrack.com, 25 March 2014

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  18 Feb 14 PUCCINI: 'Turandot'
  Royal Opera House, Covent Garden

  “Ailyn Pérez sings with caressing warmth and stylishness as the self-sacrificing slave girl Liù, and Matthew Rose (Calaf’s father, Timur) shows all the makings of a future Wotan in his big, rich sound.”
  METRO, Warwick Thompson

  “Matthew Rose was, as always, excellent as Timur”
  Rupert Christiansen, The Telegraph

  “Matthew Rose was an incredibly young-sounding Timur, and it was instructive to hear the role sung with such virility”
  Keith McDonnell, What’s On Stage

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  14 Dec 13 ADAMS: 'El Niño'
  Royal Festival Hall, London

  “the grand rhetoric of Matthew Rose’s eloquent bass”
  George Hall, The Guardian, 16 December 2013

  “Matthew Rose, the bass, was now the dominating soloist”
  Richard Fairman, Financial Times, 16 December 2013

  “The constant exception was the bass Matthew Rose, clear as a bell for Joseph’s suspicions over Mary’s mysterious pregnancy, followed by touching trembles of wonder once the penny dropped”.
  Geoff Brown, The Times, 16 December 2013

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  23 Nov 13 BRITTEN: 'Albert Herring'
  Barbican Centre, London

  “The cast list for this performance was amazing … Matthew Rose, now the leading bass of his generation as Superintendent Budd.”
  Michael tanner, The Spectator, 30 November 2013

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  27 Nov 13 HANDEL: 'Acis and Galatea'
  Wigmore Hall, London

  “Matthew Rose…delivered the beefy villain’s music with a fine balance of heft and poise.”
  Erica Jeal / The Guardian/ 28 November 2013

  “From his first utterance, ‘I rage, I melt, I burn’, Rose filled the auditorium with a rich and profoundly satisfying sound.

  Both fearsome and grotesque, in this opening accompanied recitative and throughout the opera he conveyed the essential complexity of the role: are we supposed to laugh at the lovelorn ogre whose gauche compliments and endearments fail to impress, or to protest at his vicious, petulant cruelty which shatters the lovers’ harmony? Probably both; and, in the following aria, ‘O ruddier than the cherry’, Rose conveyed the immensity of the Cyclopean monster’s burning love for Galatea and his fiery hatred for Acis.

  Ian Wilson’s delightfully sprightly recorder obbligato reminded us of Ovid’s humorous depiction of Polyphemus as a ferocious goliath who plays an outsized set of shepherd’s pipes! Polyphemus is the dramatic catalyst, disrupting the Elysian bliss, and Rose’s ferocious interjections in the peaceful duet, ‘The flocks shall leave the mountains’, brutally shattered the lovers’ calm avowals of constancy and steadfastness.

  Curnyn and his performers were justifiably radiant as they acknowledged the appreciative and heartfelt applause. This was a fantastic, engaging performance with not a single weak link. A fabulous evening.”

  Claire Seymour / Opera Today

  “Matthew Rose had stepped in at the last minute to take on Polyphemus, and there is no finer giant around today, as those who heard him sing the role at Covent Garden will know.  You can’t help but sympathize with this hopeless lover, whose compliments never quite hit the mark, and ‘O ruddier than the cherry’ was gruesome perfection.”
  Melanie Eskenazi / Music OMH / 28 November 2013 

  “Stepping in at short notice, Matthew Rose thundered splendidly as Polyphemus.”
  Richard Morrison / The Times / 29 November 2013

  “Matthew Rose strode in at short notice to sing the giant Polyphemus (I heard him in the role at Covent Garden in 2009). He is suitably tall and with a magnificent, cavernous voice.”
  Kate Kellaway / The Observer / 1 December 2013

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  11 Oct 13 BRITTEN: 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'
  Metropolitan Opera, New York

  “The mechanicals, too, were excellent, particularly the rich-toned, thoughtful bass Matthew Rose as Bottom”
  Zachary Woolfe, New York Times, 13 October 2013

  “Matthew Rose’s booming bass and keen comedic sense made Bottom’s efforts to take over all of the parts in the rustics’ play, his antics when wearing a donkey’s head, and his playing of Pyramus a tour de force from start to finish.”
  David M Rice, Classical Source, 13 October 2013

  “More bombastic but no less impressive is Matthew Rose as Bottom. He dances and whirls about the stage as a donkey and sings with vibrant vocal power. His insertions of donkey sneezes during some lines brought the audience to hysteria every single time without fail and his final scene in the “play” performance is some of most incredible comic timing showcased at the Met opera in years.”
  David Salazar, Latino Post, 12 October 2013

  “In the role of Bottom, Matthew Rose sang with an integrity that’s rare in comic roles and did the gag humor in ways that accomplished what Britten missed.”
  David Patrick Stearns, Operavore, 13 October 2013

  “But the standout performances belong to the rustics, particularly Matthew Rose as Bottom and Barry Banks as Flute.  The comedic role of Bottom, and the group of men as whole, verge on the ridiculous at times in terms of their physical comedy, but if anyone was bothered, surely Rose’s gorgeous bass voice would have more than made up for it.  Rose never languishes in his sound however, as when Puck transforms him into an ass, he deftly infuses his voice with the occasional screeching and braying sounds and just the right amount of physical acting.  In the final scene where the men put on their play for the royals, Flute and Bottom opposite each other as star-crossed lovers is a comic highlight.”
  Sophia Vastek, The Classical Review, 13 October 2013

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  10 Aug 13 ELGAR: 'The Dream of Gerontius'
  Gloucester Cathedral

  “Matthew Rose, in ringing voice as the Priest and Angel of the Agony”
  Hugh Canning, The Times, 11 August 2013

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  08 Jun 13 MOZART: 'Die Entführung aus dem Serail'
  Garsington Opera

  “Best of all, Matthew Rose seethes and rages to brilliant comic effect as Osmin, a glum bodyguard straight out of Men in Black.”
  Richard Morrison, The Times, 11 June 2013

  “Matthew Rose makes a marvellously lugubrious bloodhound of Osmin, turning ‘O wie will ich triumphieren!’ into a showstopper.”
  Rupert Christiansen, The Telegraph, 08 June 2013

  “The excellent Matthew Rose, playing Osmin – truculent, brutish, baleful – also handles himself well in a part with some very tricky moments, testing both his range and nimbleness.”
  Kimon Daltas, The Arts Desk, 08 June 2013

  “Osmin is a part which sounds as though it had been written for Matthew Rose, so wonderfully does his voice plumb its depths and his characterization reach its absurdities.”
  Melanie Eskenazi, Music OHM, 10 June 2013

  “Matthew Rose as Osmin, the disgruntled bodyguard fighting for Blonde’s attentions sang as he always does — masterfully, with a deep rich tone and a magnificent presence.”
  Melinda Hughes, Spears, 10 June 2013

  “The bass Matthew Rose is a wonderfully sonorous and malevolent presence as Selim’s henchman Osmin, who even kicks a member of his security detail in the groin.”
  George Loomis, New York Times, 18 June 2013

  “Matthew Rose commands the stage whatever his role, and his Osmin, trailing a string of dopey henchmen, ranged from menacing bass to whiney tenor when confronted by Blonde’s resistance.”
  Amanda Holloway, Opera, August 2013

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  18 May 13 MOZART: 'Die Zauberflöte'
  Royal Opera House, Covent Garden

  “Matthew Rose… is a moving, unusually convincing Sarastro”
  Michael Tanner, The Spectator, May 2013

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  12 Feb 13 SCHUBERT: 'Winterreise' Gary Matthewman, piano
  CD: Gramophone Magazine Recording of the Month (April 2013) / BBC Radio 3's CD of the Week (27 April 2013)

  “Written for tenor voice, often sung by a baritone, it acquires – literally – added depth in this beautiful reading by the Grammy-winning British bass Matthew Rose, who sings it mostly a fourth lower that its original key.  Schubert himself called them ‘terrifying’ songs and confessed to his own emotional exhaustion at having written them.  Rose and Matthewman, while in full, expressive form, convey that sense of being utterly wrung out.”
  Fiona Maddocks, The Observer, 10 February 2013

  “Matthew Rose’s new recording has low-voice novelty value, if nothing else.  Fortunately it has lots more, including emotional intensity, drama, mesmerising variety and subtle accompanying.  The bass sound provides a thought-provoking weight and darkness too.”
  Warwick Thompson, Metro, 22 March 2013

  “C’est un volume de grande qualité et de belle facture que présente Stone Records avec une nouvelle interprétation du Voyage d’hiver de Schubert par la basse britannique Matthew Rose, accompagné par son jeune compatriote, le pianiste Gary Matthewman. La voix à l’assise solide, dotée d’une rondeur et d’une épaisseur confortables, donnant l’illusion de la facilité, déploie dès le numéro 1 (« Gute Nacht ») un timbre envoûtant sans que soient négligées l’articulation ni la diction, claire et compréhensible. Certains passages établissent une véritable osmose entre le piano et la voix (comme le début de « Der greise Kopf », nº 14, ou encore « Die Krähe », nº 15, très doux, intime, comme chuchoté). Les transitions sont particulièrement réussies au sein des morceaux qui font intervenir des changements de climat, la virtuosité du pianiste épousant la richesse des nuances vocales, avec de très beaux effets de contrastes (particulièrement dans « Rast », nº 10, et au service de la dimension dramatique du nº 11, « Frühlingstraum »).  Les deux talentueux interprètes donnent le meilleur d’eux-mêmes dans la douceur alliée à la fermeté, pourtant capable de suggérer la fragilité (nº 6 par exemple, « Wasserflut », avec des graves magnifiques). La souplesse et la ductilité de la voix de Matthew Rose font merveille dans « Irrlicht » (nº 9), avec un effet renforcé par la transposition pour basse des notes graves qui marquent les mots tiefst (« les plus profondes »), Felsengründe (« ravins), hinab (« vers le bas »), et encore dans « Einsamkeit » qui clôt la première partie du cycle.  Si le réconfort vient de ce qui enveloppe les passions, les couve et finalement les étouffe, la vie pourtant résiste sans cesse tout au long du cycle dans ces agacements d’un piano nerveux et tenace, obstiné dans le soutien qu’il apporte à une voix qui s’arrache constamment au cocon protecteur des notes graves pour exhaler sa plainte dans le medium et l’aigu. Encore trop vivant pour achever le voyage, pense-t-on par moments, et pour céder complètement à l’attrait vertigineux des profondeurs.”
  Fabrice Malkani, Forum Opera, 12 April 2013

  “Like Hans Hotter, Matthew Rose leaves one with a sense of a vast burden of suffering determinedly endured against appalling odds.”
  Richard Wigmore, Gramophone (Recording of the Month), April 2013

  “I can’t name another singer who is more expressive and who invests the words with greater weight and meaning than Rose…The voice is powerful and dark but very smooth, and it never loses support or turns weedy on the lowest notes. Dramatic points—and there are plenty of them-are made less through varying the timbre of the voice than they are through variations in dynamics and by agogic (i.e., durational) accents. It may sound like a contradiction in terms to call Rose’s performance both poignant and chilling, but his ability to express heartbreak and horror simultaneously makes this, for me, the most compelling Winterreise I’ve ever heard. This may be Rose’s debut recording, but he’s no stranger to the opera stages of La Scala, Covent Garden, and the Met. His partner in this enterprise, Gary Matthewman, is an indescribably sensitive accompanist, responsive to every inflection in vocal line and making more of his part than many a veteran pianist in this extraordinary cycle. This gets my highest possible recommendation: five gold stars.”
  Jerry Dubins, Fanfare

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  19 Feb 12 SCHUBERT: 'Schwanengesang' Joseph Middleton, piano
  Pembroke College, Cambridge

  “By chance I had been to a recital by [Matthew Rose] in Cambridge of Schubert’s ‘Schwanengesang’, the most impressive account I have heard of that difficult non-cycle for a long while.  Rose is a true bass, who surely has a great future in the black Wagner roles, among others.”
  Michael Tanner, The Spectator, 03 March 2012

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  30 Mar 12 VERDI: 'Rigoletto'
  Royal Opera House, Covent Garden

  “Matthew Rose brought suave musicality to Sparafucile, making him more than the standard rumbling thug.”
  Hugo Shirley, Opera, June 2012

  “There was superb in-depth casting in the roles of Sparafucile and Maddalena: Matthew Rose was, as always, an electrifying presence.”
  Michael Tanner, Spectator, 14 April 2012

  “Matthew Rose shone in the murky role of Sparafucile.”
  Fiona Maddocks, Observer 15 April 2012

  “Matthew Rose, fondling his knife with psychopathic intensity, gives really ominous weight to Sparafucile’s deep dark lines.”
  Richard Morrison, The Times, 01 April 2012

  “Christine Rice’s seductive Maddalena and Matthew Rose’s morose Sparafucile are both near ideal.”
  Rupert Christiansen, The Telegraph, 02 April 2012

  “Matthew Rose as the assassin Sparafucile and Christine Rice as his sister Maddalena also deserve honourable mention.”
  Barry Millington, Evening Standard, 02 April 2012

  “As Sparafucile, Matthew Rose brings his typically authoritative deep voice to the role.”
  Colin Anderson, The Opera Critic, 30 March 2012

  “Matthew Rose was a suitably menacing Sparafucile.”
  Jim Pritchard, Seen and Heard, 31 March 2012

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  18 Jun 12 BRITTEN: 'Billy Budd'
  English National Opera

  “Rose embodies the Mephistophelean ‘spirit of negation’ – the star of the show.”
  Hugh Canning, The Sunday Times, 24 June 2012

  “The triumph was Matthew Rose’s utterly compelling Claggart, sung with immense strength, colour and penetration, and superb in his Iago-like soliloquy explaining to himself why Budd in all his beauty must be destroyed. In fact, Alden’s directing of Rose’s Claggart was as virtuoso as anything he has done… a real tour de force.”
  Tom Sutcliffe, Opera Now, September 2012

  “Matthew Rose’s Claggart was strongly sung on ink-black tone.  The last sentence of his monologue, launched pianissimo, was properly spine-chilling.”
  Rodney Milnes, Opera, August 2012

  “[Claggart was] brilliantly acted and sung by the bass Matthew Rose — decades younger than James Morris, the venerable artist who sang the role in the Met’s revival in May — the master-at-arms was pale and wide-eyed, seemingly shellshocked by the trauma of his own secrets. He emanated the anger that arises out of great frustration. Restrained and intense, Mr. Rose’s performance was as powerful and troubling a representation of the enervating effects of the closet — effects demonstrated by the resolute aloofness of Britten’s opera — as Heath Ledger’s in ‘Brokeback Mountain’.”
  Zachary Woolfe, New York Times, 03 July 2012

  “The most provocative interpretation was that of Claggart, the corrupt master-of-arms, played by Matthew Rose, winner of the 2012 Critics’ Circle exceptional young talent award. Delivering his vocal lines with unsnarling warmth of tone, he added complexity to the role, pacing back and forth in obsessive straight lines and suggesting a terrible, bottled-up hatred. For the first time you could believe that Claggart himself once possessed a similar, Billy-type “handsome sailor” beauty before life, in some unspoken way, betrayed him… Rose’s Claggart alone is worth the ticket.”
  Fiona Maddocks, The Observer, 24 June 2012

  “In an impressive cast, no one is finer than Matthew Rose. As Claggart, one of his biggest roles to date, he present a chilling study in evil, dressed in a long leather coat and all the more powerful for his moon-faced impassivity. He sculpts the words with his dark bass-baritone.”
  John Allison, The Sunday Telegraph, 24 June 2012

  “[Matthew Rose] brought vocal power and ominous shadings to his performance.”
  Anthony Tommasini, New York Times, 25 June 2012

  “Matthew Rose lends Claggart the impassivity of a sphinx, the physique of a wrestler and the snarl of a devil.”
  Andrew Clark, Financial Times, 20 May 2012

  “On stage Matthew Rose was the star of the show: a granitic monster of a Claggart, vocalised with chilling authority.”
  Rupert Christiansen, The Telegraph, 20 June 2012

  “…the master-at-arms John Claggart, dominates the stage, especially as chillingly sung by bass Matthew Rose…[his voice] so well-focused and perversely beautiful in tone that we hang on his every word.”
  Mike Silverman, Associated Press, 24 June 2012

  “Matthew Rose’s Claggart is terrifying – not for any obvious malevolence, but for the contained cruelty that his impassive presence projects, delivering his credo towards the end of the first act while fondling the neckerchief he has taken from Budd.”
  Andrew Clements, The Guardian, 19 June 2012

  “Matthew Rose’s Claggart projects a chilling magnificence that steals the show, sung with dark but incisive clarity.”
  Michael White, The Telegraph, 19 June 2012

  “Matthew Rose’s Claggart is a terrific achievement from this rising bass (winner of the Critics’ Circle award for exceptional young talent).”
  Richard Morrison, The Times, 20 June 2012

  “Matthew Rose’s indomitably cruel Claggart.”
  Edward Seckerson, 19 June 2012

  “Praise be for Matthew Rose, the pasty-faced nasty who was last night the saving grace of the leading roles…Rose is a perceptive actor with a richly expressive bass voice, and conveyed his malignant character (a Iago, if you like) with a still concentration in his body and sudden, arresting contortions of his mouth. The performance of the night.”
  Ismene Brown, The Arts Desk, 19 June 2012

  “Matthew Rose gives a terrifying account of that meaty role; on the whole he is quiet, almost drugged, and he paces the stage slowly to creepy effect. Rose’s voice is now richer than ever, so his evil ‘Credo’ has every colour and a vast dynamic range.”
  Michael Tanner, The Spectator, 30 June 2012