Matheus Pompeu debuts at the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino

"A vibrant and passionate Alfredo."
Salvatore Dell'Atti – GBOPERA

A long-awaited and very special debut: this was the first appearance of tenor Matheus Pompeu on Italian stages in the new production of La Traviata by G. Verdi at the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. The Brazilian tenor performed the role of Alfredo Germont on November 21st and 26th, as well as December 1st, 2024, achieving great success with both the audience and critics. The musical direction was led by the renowned Maestro Renato Palumbo, while the stage direction was handled by Stefania Grazioli. The cast also featured Russian soprano Julia Muzychenko as Violetta Valery and Korean baritone Min Kin as Giorgio Germont, Alfredo's father.

The critics highlighted the expressiveness of the tenor's singing, the beauty of his timbre, and his generous stage interaction:

"Matheus Pompeu builds an Alfredo Germont where expressiveness and remarkable interaction with his stage partners stand out, especially, of course, with Violetta. The beauty of his timbre and solid technique are also noteworthy." (Alicia Perris, OperaClick).

Regarding the emotion of singing in Italy for the first time in a theater with the importance and history of Maggio, Matheus emphasizes that it is also a great responsibility:

"Italians carry this opera in their DNA; you need to be very well-prepared and calm to give your best and reach the audience's heart," he remarked.

Once again Alfredo. Once again Traviata. The last time was in Rio de Janeiro, his native Brazil, in November 2023, in the acclaimed production conducted by Luis Fernando Malheiro with stage direction by Andre Heller-Lopes.

"I had already sung Alfredo at least four times, in Brazil, Spain, and Poland. It is not, as many think, an easy role. Sometimes the richness of the melodies can be misleading. It is a role with many nuances, and vocally, it lies in the tenor's passaggio region. Therefore, it requires great attention and deep psychological exploration to create a convincing character since, for me, this is the ultimate Verdi drama," the tenor states.

Check out the photo gallery below by Michele Monasta.