Donald McIntyre

Donald McIntyre made his debut at Covent Garden in 1967, and sang at Bayreuth (from 1967), La Scala (2014), and the Metropolitan Opera (1975–96), debuting there as Wotan. His discography includes Pelléas et Mélisande (1969), Parsifal as Klingsor (1970) and Gurnemanz (1984), Lohengrin, Œdipus Rex (1976), and Handel oratorios. A highlight was his Wotan/Wanderer in Bayreuth’s 1976 Centenary Ring with Boulez and Chéreau, filmed in 1979–80. DVDs feature Der fliegende Holländer (1974), Elektra (1980, 1994), Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (1988), and Arabella (1994). Honoured OBE (1977), CBE (1985), and knighted (1992), he also won a Grammy in 1982.

Donald McIntyre at Bayreuth

1967

Lohengrin (Telramund)

1968

Lohengrin (Telramund)
Parsifal (Klingsor)

1969

Der fliegende Holländer (Der Holländer)

1970

Der fliegende Holländer (Der Holländer)
Parsifal (Klingsor)

1971

Der fliegende Holländer (Der Holländer)
Lohengrin (Telramund)

1972

Lohengrin (Telramund)
Parsifal (Klingsor)

1973

Das Rheingold (Wotan)
Die Walküre (Wotan)
Siegfried (Der Wanderer)
Parsifal (Amfortas)

1974

Tristan und Isolde (Kurwenal)
Das Rheingold (Wotan)
Die Walküre (Wotan)
Siegfried (Der Wanderer)

1975

Tristan und Isolde (Kurwenal)
Das Rheingold (Wotan)
Die Walküre (Wotan)
Siegfried (Der Wanderer)

1976

Tristan und Isolde (Kurwenal)
Das Rheingold (Wotan)
Die Walküre (Wotan)
Siegfried (Der Wanderer)

1977

Tristan und Isolde (Kurwenal)
Das Rheingold (Wotan)
Die Walküre (Wotan)
Siegfried (Der Wanderer)

1978

Das Rheingold (Wotan)
Die Walküre (Wotan)
Siegfried (Der Wanderer)

1979

Das Rheingold (Wotan)
Die Walküre (Wotan)
Siegfried (Der Wanderer)

1980

Das Rheingold (Wotan)
Die Walküre (Wotan)
Siegfried (Der Wanderer)

1981

Der fliegende Holländer (Der Holländer)

1987

Parsifal (Amfortas)

1988

Parsifal (Amfortas)

One of the finest monuments in sound ever to have been raised to the everlasting glory of music. (Claude Debussy on Parsifal)

"The thing about Wagner is that there can be no true success in any production of his operas, only degrees of failure. There is so much in these bloody pieces, all you can do is try to live up to them." (Keith Warner, The Guardian)

"I have never come across an audience with so much hatred, so much anger, such a thirst for revenge. They take everything personally. It makes you a little bit scared, and it's really quite terrifying." (Lance Ryan on the audiences at Bayreuth)

"People sometimes complain that Wagner operas are too long, that they get stiff and sore about 10.30 because they have rushed in to hear one of his works straight from work and are not properly prepared for listening to his music. The audience, as much as the artists, must be prepared for a performance."
(Benjamin Britten to Alan Blyth, Gramophone)

"I was bowled over. It was the year after Wieland Wagner had died; to be able to see his productions was a total knock-out. These bare stagings, where everything was done with lighting. The light changed with the music, and the shadows and patterns seemed as archetypal as the music itself. Nobody had done that on the stage before. I thought it was extraordinary and wonderful."
(Patrick Carnegy to The Guardian)

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