Sir Donald McIntyre (photo above as the Flying Dutchman) has passed away at the age of 91. A native of Auckland, NZ, he made his operatic debut in 1959 as Zaccaria in NABUCCO at the Welsh National Opera. He went on to sing on the opera world’s greatest stages: at Covent Garden, La Scala, Bayreuth, and The Met (among others).
Sir Donald gave 120 performances at The Met, debuting there in 1975 as the RHEINGOLD Wotan (and singing in WALKURE and SIEGFRIED as well). His other Met roles were Pizarro in FIDELIO, Telramund, Orestes, Kurwenal, the Speaker in MAGIC FLUTE, Klingsor, Shaklovity in KHOVANSCHINA, Hans Sachs (a veritable triumph), the Doctor in WOZZECK, Count Waldner in ARABELLA, and Dr. Kolenaty in THE MAKROPULOS CASE (his last Met role, in 1996). At other opera centers, he took on the Dutchman, Debussy’s Golaud, and Wagner’s Gurnemanz.
In 1976, Sir Donald was chosen by Pierre Chéreau and Pierre Boulez to sing Wotan/The Wanderer in the mind-blowing Centenary RING at Bayreuth. The production, ferociously booed at its premiere, received a 90-minute ovation at its final presentation five seasons later. McInyre won an Emmy in 1982 for the recording of the Cycle.
In 1985, the much-loved singer was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.
M. Chéreau called on Sir Donald once again when he staged ELEKTRA for the Aix-en-Provence Festival in 2013. This was to be Chéreau’s final production. Esa-Pekka Salonen conducted. Sir Donald was cast as the Old Servant, and another veteran – Franz Mazura – played the role of Orestes’ Tutor. The sight of McIntyre emerging from the dingy palace and kneeling at the feet of Orestes was one of the most moving moments of the production.
Now Sir Donald’s in Valhalla, with so many other great Wagnerians from his (and my) era. Ruhe! Ruhe, Du Gott!
Here are three of my favorite souvenirs of the McIntyre career:
As Wotan in the finale of DAS RHEINGOLD here.
Wotan’s fury…from Act II of the Chéreau WALKURE here.
As Hans Sachs: the “Wahnmonolog” here.
Oberon's Glade 