Sir Donald Conroy McIntyreCBE (born 22 October 1934 inAuckland) is an operaticbass-baritone from New Zealand.
McIntyre made his formal debut as Zaccaria inNabucco, at theWelsh National Opera, in 1959. In 1964 he created the role of the Stranger in the world premiere ofGian Carlo Menotti'sMartin's Lie at theBath International Music Festival. He has appeared atCovent Garden (from 1967, debuting as Pizarro inFidelio), theBayreuth Festival (from 1967), theTeatro alla Scala (the Old Servant inElektra, 2014), etc. He first sang at theMetropolitan Opera in 1975, as Wotan inDas Rheingold, and was seen at that theatre until 1996.
His discography includesPelléas et Mélisande (as Golaud, withGeorge Shirley andElisabeth Söderström, conducted byPierre Boulez, 1969),Parsifal (as Klingsor, opposite DameGwyneth Jones, 1970),Lohengrin as Friedrich von Telramund (conducted byRudolf Kempe),Œdipus Rex (conducted by SirGeorg Solti, with SirPeter Pears, 1976),Parsifal (as Gurnemanz, led by SirReginald Goodall, 1984), as well asHandel's oratorios,Messiah andIsrael in Egypt.
A major accomplishment was his Wotan/Wanderer at Bayreuth in theJahrhundertring (Centenary Ring) in 1976, celebrating the centenary of both the festival and the first performance of the complete cycle, conducted byPierre Boulez and staged byPatrice Chéreau, recorded and filmed in 1979 and 1980. Also on DVD are Sir Donald's performances ofDer fliegende Holländer (conducted byWolfgang Sawallisch, 1974),Elektra (as Orest, withBirgit Nilsson conducted byJames Levine, inHerbert Graf's production, 1980),Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (conducted by SirCharles Mackerras, 1988),Arabella (with DameKiri Te Kanawa, 1994), as well as anotherElektra (conducted by Levine, 1994).
McIntyre was appointed anOfficer of the Order of the British Empire in the1977 New Year Honours, for services to opera.[1] In the1985 Queen's Birthday Honours, he was promoted toCommander of the Order of the British Empire.[2] He was appointed aKnight Bachelor, for services to opera, in the1992 Queen's Birthday Honours.[3] He won aGrammy Award in 1982 for recording the role of Wotan/Wanderer.[4]
