Donald Maxwell | Opera Scotland

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Born Perth, 12 December 1948.

Scottish baritone.

Donald Maxwell's long international career is one of the most notable to have been enjoyed by a Scottish singer. He has also been very versatile, with several years performing the leading dramatic baritone roles. Subsequently he has sung at the same major houses in a range of comic and character parts.

His initial studies at Edinburgh University were in Geography, and he taught the subject 1971-76 while singing with several Scottish amateur groups. He studied singing privately with the famous Scottish tenor Joseph Hislop. In 1976 he joined Scottish Opera, making his debut as Morton in Mary, Queen of Scots. Over the next few seasons, he sang a host of short but significant roles including Paolo Albiani, Monterone, Masetto, Angelotti and Ned Keene. He later added Rossini's Figaro as well as Sharpless, Enrico Ashton and Zurga. In more recent years he has returned for performances of major roles, especially in operas by Janáček. He was also able to fit in short visits to Haddo, to sing Escamillo and Gremin.

In 1982 he made his debut with Welsh National, as Anckarström. and later sang Rigoletto, Jack Rance, Marcello, Don Alfonso and Count Almaviva. Two famous roles were Iago and Falstaff in Peter Stein's prestigious stagings of Verdi's last two operas. These were toured to La Scala Milan and New York, and the Falstaff production came to Edinburgh. A further collaboration with Stein was as Golaud in a production of Pelléas conducted by Pierre Boulez.

With ENO, from 1983, his varied repertoire included Yeletsky, Baron Prus, Figaro, Eisenstein and Wozzeck, as well as Peter in Hansel and Gretel and Leander in The Love for Three Oranges. His Covent Garden debut in 1987, as the English Archer in The King Goes Forth to France (Sallinen), was followed by performances as Donner and Gunther. International appearances include Buenos Aires, Tokyo, Paris and the New York Met.

He has enjoyed a close relationship over many years with the Buxton Festival, starting with the Ghost and Gravedigger in Hamlet (1980), and was for several seasons the festival director. He also became a well-known teacher, spending some time as principal of the National Opera Studio. His career as a character singer has included parts such as Hortensius in La Fille du Régiment at both Covent Garden and the Met, as well as Pooh-Bah in many performances of The Mikado at ENO. With Welsh National, recent performances have included Mirko Zeta in The Merry Widow and Somarone in Béatrice et Bénédict.

Roles in Scotland

Alfio the village carter: Cavalleria Rusticana 1973
Count Monterone: Rigoletto 1973
Rigoletto 1980
Count Almaviva a Spanish grandee: Nozze di Figaro 1974
Christian a sailor (Silvano): Masked Ball 1975
Don Carlo di Vargas: Force of Destiny 1976
Earl of Morton: Mary, Queen of Scots 1977
Herald: Otello 1977
Ghost of Sulla: Catiline Conspiracy 1978
Lentulus conspirator and senator: Catiline Conspiracy 1978
Paolo Albiani a goldsmith, initially a friend of Simon: Simon Boccanegra 1978
Simon Boccanegra 1979
Second Footman: Rosenkavalier 1978
Nightwatchman: Mastersingers of Nuremberg 1978
Foreman at the mill: Jenůfa 1978
Prince Yamadori: Madam Butterfly 1978
Prince Afron son of Dodon: Golden Cockerel 1979
Lazar Wolf the butcher: Fiddler on the Roof 1979
Kuligin a friend of Vána: Kátya Kabanová 1979
Masetto a peasant, engaged to Zerlina: Don Giovanni 1979
Figaro a barber: Barbiere di Siviglia 1980
Cesare Angelotti former Consul, now a political prisoner: Tosca 1980
Second Workman: Wozzeck 1980
Ned Keene apothecary and quack: Peter Grimes 1980
Sharpless U S Consul in Nagasaki: Madam Butterfly 1980
Stagehand: Makropulos Affair 1981
Enrico Lord Henry Ashton: Lucia di Lammermoor 1981
Zurga leader of the fishermen: Pearl Fishers 1981
Pearl Fishers 1982
Ipparco Climene's brother, ruler of Zacynthos: Egisto 1982
Harašta a poacher: Cunning Little Vixen 1982
Shishkov: From the House of the Dead 1987
Bass: Elijah 1988
Elijah: Elijah 1988
Angel of the Agony: Dream of Gerontius 1989
Priest: Dream of Gerontius 1989
Bass: Messa da Requiem 1991
Baritone: German Requiem 1992
Baron Jaroslav Prus Gregor's opponent: Makropulos Affair 1993
Sir John Falstaff a knight: Falstaff 1993
Peter: Kingdom 1994
Filip the Burgrave (a police official): Jacobin 1995
Escamillo a toreador: Carmen 1997
Don Alfonso a middle-aged bachelor: Così fan tutte 1998
Eumée a shepherd: Pénélope 2000
Baron Mirko Zeta Pontevedrian Ambassador in Paris: Lustige Witwe 2005
Prince Gremin a retired general: Eugene Onegin 2009
City Councillor: Adventures of Mr Brouček 2010
Würfl landlord of the Vikárka inn: Adventures of Mr Brouček 2010
Wonderglitter a patron of the Arts (Čaroskvoucí): Adventures of Mr Brouček 2010
Narrator: Prigione di Edimburgo 2011
Dr Bloom: American Lulu 2013
Baritone: Carmina Burana 2014
Benoit the students' landlord: Bohème 2016
Alcindoro a wealthy follower of Musetta: Bohème 2016
Antonio a gardener, Susanna's uncle: Nozze di Figaro 2016
Nozze di Figaro 2017
Voice of God: Noyes Fludde 2016
Hanezò a friend of Fritz: Amico Fritz 2016