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Malcolm MacKenzie's confident, commanding
Count di Luna raised the level of dramatic intensity
whenever he strode onstage. His musical performance
reached its apex in an "Il balen" of robust tone,
ardent address, arching phrases and genuine baritonal
squillo. -
Louise T. Guinther, Opera News Malcolm MacKenzie makes his Fort Worth
Opera debut by singing the role of the Count.
Visually, he is everything a villain should be: thin,
pale and goateed. Musically, he backs that up with a
deep, rich baritone. Far too often, it is easy in
opera to make the bad guy a tintype cliché; MacKenzie
easily moves beyond that stereotype and makes the role
of the Count quite human, with his conflicts and
doubts roiling beneath the surface. –John Norine
Jr., Theaterjones.com Malcolm MacKenzie was a stentorian
Germont, singing with a steely beauty that matched the
character's resolve. - Joanne Sydney Lessner, Opera
News Malcolm MacKenzie brought his hardy
baritone voice and dramatic authority to the role of
Alfredo’s father, Germont. – Anthony Tommasini,
NY Times The Act 2 confrontation between the
desperately ill heroine and her lover’s father,
Giorgio, is the work’s dramatic linchpin and in that
role baritone Malcolm MacKenzie was outstanding. His
plea to Violetta to spare his family’s respectability
was splendid, wringing every tender morsel from a
beautifully sung “pura sicomme un angelo.” His
subsequent duet with Dunleavy was moving, and his
famous recollection of home to his son was filled with
warmth of color and tone. – Stephen G.
Landesman, Press & Sun-Bulletin Baritone Malcolm MacKenzie was both tough
and likable as Sharpless, the American Consul. One
sensed his moral dilemma. - David Gregson, Opera
News [As Sharpless] His voice is warm
and beautiful, and he knows how to act with it. Many
audience members, on their way out of the theater,
voiced their choice of his work as the most memorable
of the evening. – San Diego Union Tribune Of all the robust and impressive voices
in this performance, the most definitive was that of Sharpless,
Malcolm Mackenzie. His sound seems to grow each time
we hear him and, currently, his vocalism is a wave of
ringing intensity. – Maria Nockin, mvdaily.com Equal to the warmth and tireless lyrical
persuasion of MacKenzie's voice was the depth of his
characterization, a palpable empathy for Butterfly
that never touched on condescension or pity.
Let’s hope that General Director Ian Campbell has
signed him up for lots of return appearances in
upcoming seasons. - Kenneth Herman, San
Diego Arts Baritone Malcolm MacKenzie is marvelous
as Sharpless, the American Counsel. (Sharpless. What a
politically nasty name that is!). MacKenzie makes a
morally positive, highly masculine impression vocally
and dramatically, and you actually like the guy. He
goes a good distance toward assuaging our collective
guilt. – Operawest.com One-time Operalia finalist, Malcolm
Mackenzie made a splendid Zurga. His singing was
robust and secure while his proficient acting helped
make up for some of the flaws in the libretto. As the pivotal Zurga, Malcolm Mackenzie's
prolific baritone and wonderful amplification allowed
him to vividly personify a good man tortured by
jealous rage. Yet his boom never overpowered the other
singers or orchestra. - VoiceofSanDiego.org While Zurga does not get the girl, he
does deliver most of the drama in this opera and
MacKenzie was more than up to that task, singing the "O
Nadir, tendr'ami" with a soul searing
intensity. - Classicalvoice.org Baritone Malcolm MacKenzie, a company
regular, gave one of his most potent and clear tonal
performances to date. His no-nonsense portrayal of the
Count gave it the right gravitas to allow much humor
to take flight. - Sacramento Bee If one were updating Carmen, one might
cast Malcolm MacKenzie's Escamillo as a NASCAR racer:
he had the right charismatic, slightly coarse flair
and a burly voice to match. – Anne Midgette,
New York Times
In this particular production the vocal
honors went to Dorabella, sung with velvet tones by
Priti Gandhi, and Guglielmo strongly interpreted by
Malcolm Mackenzie. Gandhi has an easily produced lyric
mezzo soprano voice with a luscious middle register
and Mackenzie has a warm, robust baritone sound which
he used with great skill. Both are experienced at
stagecraft and they brought their characters to
vibrant life. – Operajaponica.org |
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Copyright © 2009 Malcolm MacKenzie |
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