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Donald McIntyre
Donald McIntyre
Donald McIntyre
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Sir Donald Conroy McIntyre CBE (22 October 1934 – 13 November 2025) was a New Zealand operatic bass-baritone who made an international career, based at the Royal Opera House in London from 1967. He was a versatile singer but became best-known for portraying Wagner characters, especially Wotan in the Bayreuth Jahrhundertring in 1976.

Key Information

Life and career

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Early life and education

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Born in Auckland on 22 October 1934, McIntyre was the son of Hermyn and George McIntyre.[1] His mother played violin, and he listened to music on radio and records.[2] He was educated at Mount Albert Grammar School, and went on to study at Auckland Teachers' Training College to be a teacher.[3] Simultaneously he took singing lessons with Hubert Milverton-Carva in Auckland.[3] and began to perform in oratorios.[2][4] At age 21, he first watched an opera performance and wanted to become an opera singer. His singing teacher got him a scholarship in England at the Guildhall School of Music in London;[1][2] he studied with Ellis Keeler, and with Clemens Kaiser-Breme in Essen.[3]

Opera career

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McIntyre made his formal stage debut as Zaccaria in Verdi's Nabucco at the Welsh National Opera in 1959.[3][4] He belonged to the ensemble of the Sadler's Wells Opera from 1960 to 1967, where he appeared in the title role of Verdi's Attila, as Kaspar in Weber's Der Freischütz and in bass roles of Mozart operas,[3] sung in English.[4] In 1964, he created the role of the Stranger in Menotti's Martin's Lie at the Bath International Music Festival. He joined the Royal Opera House in 1967, performing first as Pizarro in Beethoven's Fidelio. He took part in the world premiere of Bennett's Victory on 13 April 1970. He was successful as Jochanaan in Salome, Barak in Die Frau ohne Schatten, both by R. Strauss, as Scarpia in Puccini's Tosca, and in the title roles of Verdi's Rigoletto and Alban Berg's Wozzeck.[3]

Bayreuth

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Wolfgang Wagner watched McIntyre in London and engaged him for the Bayreuth Festival,[2] where he first appeared in 1967, as Telramund in Lohengrin.[3][5] He returned to the festival over twenty years, also in the title role of Der fliegende Holländer, as Klingsor and later Amfortas in Parsifal, as Kurwenal in Tristan und Isolde and as Wotan/Wanderer in Der Ring des Nibelungen.[3] A major accomplishment was his Wotan/Wanderer at Bayreuth in the Jahrhundertring (Centenary Ring) in 1976, celebrating the centenary of both the festival and the first performance of the complete cycle, conducted by Pierre Boulez and staged by Patrice Chéreau, recorded and filmed in 1979 and 1980.[3][4] He portrayed the character with "vocal greatness from the warm-hearted father to the heroic-ruler failure, always paired with the usuall outstanding stage appearance".[2]

International

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When Pierre Boulez conducted a recording of Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande in 1969/70, he engaged McIntyre among world stars for the dark role of Golaud.[2] He first appeared at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City in 1975, as Wotan in Das Rheingold, and performed there until 1996, appearing as Pizarro in Fidelio, as Sarastro in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte and as Orest in Elektra by R. Strauss.[3] He performed in the opening performance of the restored Zürich Opernhaus in 1984 as Hans Sachs in Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, a role that he repeated successfully at the Wellington Opera House. He appeared in 1989 at the Royal Opera House in Berio's Un re in ascolto, repeated in 1991 at the Opéra Bastille. He performed as Telramund at the Teatro San Carlos in Lisbon in 1991, and as Moses in Schoenberg's Moses und Aron in London in 1992, as Sachs at the Metropolitan Opera in 1992, as Gurnemanz in Parsifal at the Antwerp Opera in 1996, and as Trulove in Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress at the Théâtre du Châtelet.[3] He performed at La Scala in Milan as the Old Servant in Elektra in 2014, making the scene of recognising Orest a stunning moment.[2]

Personal life and death

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In 1961, McIntyre married Jill Redington; the couple had three children.[1] The marriage ended in divorce. In 2014, he married Bettina Jablonski.[6]

McIntyre died in Munich on 13 November 2025, at the age of 91.[2][4][5]

Honours and awards

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McIntyre was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 1977 New Year Honours, for services to opera.[7] In the 1985 Queen's Birthday Honours, he was promoted to Commander of the order.[8] In 1990, McIntyre received the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal.[1] He was appointed a Knight Bachelor, for services to opera, in the 1992 Queen's Birthday Honours.[4][9] Also in 1992, McIntyre was awarded an honorary Doctor of Music degree by the University of Auckland.[10]

He won a Grammy Award in 1982 for recording the role of Wotan/Wanderer, in the category Best opera recording.[11] In 1989, he was awarded the Fidelio Medal.[1]

In 2004, McIntyre received an Icon Award from the Arts Foundation of New Zealand, an honour limited to 20 living New Zealanders.[12]

Recordings

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His discography includes Golaud in Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande, alongside George Shirley and Elisabeth Söderström, conducted by Pierre Boulez, recorded in 1969.[13] He recorded Klingsor in Wagner's Parsifal, with Gwyneth Jones as Kundry, in 1970.[14] He recorded Telramund in Lohengrin, conducted by Rudolf Kempe,[15] took part in Stravinsky's Oedipus rex, conducted by Georg Solti, with Peter Pears in the title role, in 1976,[16] and performed as Gurnemanz in Parsifal, conducted by Reginald Goodall, in a 1984 recording.[17] He also recorded oratorios by Handel, Messiah[18] and Saul.[19]

Also on DVD are his performances of the title role of Der fliegende Holländer, conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch in 1974,[20] Orest in Elektra, alongside Birgit Nilsson in the title role, conducted by James Levine and directed by Herbert Graf in 1980,[21] Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, conducted by Charles Mackerras in 1988,[22] Arabella by R. Strauss, alongside Kiri Te Kanawa in the title role, in 1994,[23] as well as another Elektra, conducted by Levine the same year.[24]

References

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Further reading

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Donald McIntyre

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Donald McIntyre was a New Zealand operatic bass-baritone renowned for his commanding stage presence, vocal power, and deeply insightful portrayals of Richard Wagner's heroic roles, most notably as Wotan in Patrice Chéreau's landmark centenary production of Der Ring des Nibelungen at the Bayreuth Festival in 1976. Born on 22 October 1934 in Auckland, he trained at the Guildhall School of Music in London after initial studies in New Zealand and made his professional debut in 1959 as Zaccaria in Nabucco with Welsh National Opera. His career took him to major international stages, including regular appearances at the Bayreuth Festival from 1967 to 1988, where he sang key Wagnerian parts such as the Dutchman, Amfortas, Kurwenal, and Hans Sachs, as well as long associations with the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and the Metropolitan Opera, where he performed 16 principal roles between 1975 and 1996. McIntyre excelled not only in Wagner but also in a broad repertoire encompassing Mozart, Strauss, Debussy, and contemporary works, including creating roles in new operas by Richard Rodney Bennett and Luciano Berio. His participation in the provocative Chéreau Ring cycle, initially met with controversy but later hailed as a transformative influence on modern opera staging, stood as a pinnacle of his achievements and remains widely documented and celebrated. Knighted in 1992 for his services to music, becoming Sir Donald McIntyre, he continued performing into his eighties, including late appearances in Chéreau's Elektra productions. He died on 13 November 2025 in Munich at the age of 91.

Early life

Birth and family background

Donald Conroy McIntyre was born on 22 October 1934 in Auckland, New Zealand. As a New Zealand national, he spent his early childhood in Auckland, the country's largest city, before pursuing musical training.

Education and early training

Donald McIntyre initially trained as a school teacher at the Auckland Teachers' Training College after his secondary education. He later shifted focus to vocal studies in Auckland under Hubert Milverton-Carva, during which he gave his first public concerts in New Zealand. In 1958, McIntyre travelled to London to pursue advanced musical training at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where he studied voice with Ellis Keeler. This period marked the culmination of his formal education before entering the professional operatic world.

Opera career

Early career and debut

Donald McIntyre made his professional operatic debut in 1959 as Zaccaria in Verdi's Nabucco with the Welsh National Opera. This marked his transition from student training to professional performance in the United Kingdom following his relocation from New Zealand. In 1960, he joined Sadler's Wells Opera as a principal bass-baritone, remaining with the company until 1967 and performing more than thirty roles during this period. His repertoire at Sadler's Wells showcased versatility across styles and eras, including Mozart's Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro, Kaspar in Weber's Der Freischütz, the title role in Verdi's Attila, Guglielmo in Così fan tutte, and Pennyback Bill in the first British staging of Kurt Weill's Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny in 1963. These engagements established him as a reliable ensemble artist in British opera during the early 1960s.

Royal Opera House and European breakthrough

McIntyre made his debut at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in 1967 as Don Pizarro in Beethoven's Fidelio, marking the start of a long and significant association with the company. Later that same year, he achieved a strong early impact with his portrayal of Barak in Richard Strauss's Die Frau ohne Schatten, establishing himself as a formidable presence in the house. Over the subsequent years, McIntyre became a regular and highly regarded principal at Covent Garden, performing a broad repertoire that included notable Wagnerian roles such as Wotan in Die Walküre during productions in 1970 and 1974. He also appeared as Klingsor in Parsifal in 1971 under Reginald Goodall and as Kurwenal in Tristan und Isolde. His consistent work at the Royal Opera House spanned decades, with the company honoring his contributions in later years. Parallel to his Covent Garden engagements, McIntyre performed at other major European opera houses, including the Vienna State Opera and the Bavarian State Opera in Munich, broadening his continental presence during this period. This phase of his career represented a significant European breakthrough, elevating his reputation across leading venues and paving the way for further prestigious invitations.

Bayreuth Festival and Wagner specialization

Donald McIntyre's long association with the Bayreuth Festival established him as one of the preeminent Wagner interpreters of his era. He debuted at Bayreuth in 1967 as Friedrich von Telramund in Lohengrin and went on to appear more than 40 times at the festival between 1967 and 1988. His performances encompassed a range of key Wagner roles, highlighting his specialization in the composer's demanding dramatic baritone and bass-baritone repertoire. The highlight of his Bayreuth career was his assumption of Wotan/Wanderer in the 1976 centenary production of Der Ring des Nibelungen, directed by Patrice Chéreau and conducted by Pierre Boulez. Known as the Jahrhundertring, this staging controversially relocated Wagner's myth to a stylized 19th-century industrial world and marked a radical reinterpretation of the cycle. McIntyre delivered a dramatically compelling and vocally authoritative portrayal that was central to its polarizing impact and enduring legacy. McIntyre continued singing Wotan in revivals of the Chéreau/Boulez production through 1980. The performances from this period were filmed and later widely distributed. (See Film and television work.) Beyond the Ring cycle, McIntyre excelled in other Wagner roles at Bayreuth, including the Dutchman in Der fliegende Holländer (from 1969), Amfortas in Parsifal (including in 1973 and his final festival appearance in 1988), Klingsor in Parsifal (from 1972), and Kurwenal in Tristan und Isolde. These engagements underscored his versatility and authority across Wagner's major baritone parts over more than two decades at the festival.

Major roles and international performances

Donald McIntyre's international opera career was marked by his versatility as a bass-baritone, performing a wide range of major roles across German, Italian, French, and English repertoires at prestigious houses worldwide. While renowned for his Wagner interpretations, he maintained an active and diverse schedule beyond that specialization, including significant engagements at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden from 1967 onward, where he debuted as Pizarro in Beethoven's Fidelio and took on parts such as Barak in Die Frau ohne Schatten, Jochanaan in Salome, Golaud in Pelléas et Mélisande, Escamillo in Carmen, Orest in Elektra, Scarpia in Tosca, and Nick Shadow in The Rake's Progress. He also participated in premieres and important productions at Covent Garden, creating Axel Heyst in the world premiere of Richard Rodney Bennett's Victory (1970) and singing Prospero in the British premiere of Luciano Berio's Un re in ascolto (1989), which he later repeated at the Paris Opera Bastille in 1991. At the Metropolitan Opera in New York, McIntyre debuted in 1975 as Wotan in Das Rheingold during a complete Ring cycle and delivered 120 performances through 1996, portraying a variety of roles including Pizarro in Fidelio, Orest in Elektra, the Speaker in Die Zauberflöte, Shaklovity in Khovanshchina, Count Waldner in Arabella, Dr. Kolenatý in The Makropoulos Case, and Hans Sachs in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. His guest appearances extended to other major venues such as the Vienna State Opera, La Scala in Milan, Hamburg State Opera, and Bavarian State Opera in Munich, where he performed both Wagnerian and non-Wagnerian works including the title role in Hindemith's Cardillac and Balstrode in Britten's Peter Grimes. McIntyre's broad repertoire also featured early successes in Verdi, beginning with his professional debut as Zaccaria in Nabucco at Welsh National Opera in 1959, and extended to Mozart roles such as Guglielmo in Così fan tutte at Sadler's Wells Opera, as well as later portrayals like Gurnemanz in Parsifal with Welsh National Opera. This diversity underscored his dramatic stage presence and vocal command across operatic styles and eras.

Later career

In the years following his final regular appearance at the Bayreuth Festival in 1988 as Amfortas in Parsifal, Donald McIntyre maintained a selective performing schedule at international opera houses while gradually reducing his commitments. He continued to appear with The Royal Opera until 1991, taking on roles such as Wotan in Der Ring des Nibelungen and other Wagnerian and non-Wagnerian parts. McIntyre's later engagements included the creation of Prospero in the British premiere of Luciano Berio’s Un re in ascolto at Covent Garden in 1989, which he reprised at the Paris Opera Bastille in 1991. He performed at the Metropolitan Opera until 1996 in various roles. In 2004, he sang Wotan at the Longborough Festival Opera, and he also undertook Gurnemanz in Parsifal in New Zealand as well as the Speaker in Schoenberg’s Gurre-Lieder with the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal and in Greece. In 2005, McIntyre made a notable return to Covent Garden, stepping in at short notice to sing Wotan in Das Rheingold from the orchestra pit after Bryn Terfel became indisposed. He continued singing into his seventies, though stage appearances became increasingly infrequent in the 2000s as he advanced in age. No formal teaching positions or regular masterclasses are documented in major sources as part of his later professional activities.

Film and television work

Filmed opera productions and broadcasts

Donald McIntyre's portrayal of Wotan and the Wanderer in Patrice Chéreau's centenary production of Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen at the Bayreuth Festival was filmed in 1980 and remains his most prominent contribution to filmed opera. Conducted by Pierre Boulez, the production—known as the Jahrhundertring—was released on DVD and Blu-ray, preserving McIntyre's commanding interpretation alongside a cast including Gwyneth Jones as Brünnhilde. The filmed version was also broadcast on television in Britain and the United States in single-act instalments, extending the staging's innovative influence to global audiences. This recording has been widely regarded as a landmark in opera on screen, with McIntyre's fluid yet authoritative presence evident throughout the tetralogy. McIntyre appeared in additional televised opera productions, notably singing Orest in a 1994 Metropolitan Opera performance of Richard Strauss's Elektra, which was released as a TV movie and featured a cast including Hildegard Behrens in the title role. Other filmed credits include roles in broadcast recordings such as Cardillac (1985) and Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (1988). These appearances, primarily through television broadcasts and home video releases, document his versatility beyond Wagner in the medium of filmed opera.

Awards and honours

Personal life

McIntyre married Jill Redington in 1961, and the couple had three daughters. The marriage ended in divorce. In 2014 he married Bettina Jablonski. He is survived by his second wife and his three daughters.

Death

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