Michael Devlin (born November 27, 1942, in Chicago, Illinois) is an American opera singer who is internationally known as a bass-baritone and singing-actor.
Contents |
The protégé of the great Norman Treigle, Devlin began his career with the New Orleans Opera Association, where he debuted in a small role in La bohème (with Audrey Schuh as Mimì), in 1963. His next appearance was as Spalanzani in Les contes d'Hoffmann (a performance now available on Compact Discs, from VAI), with Beverly Sills and Treigle, in 1964. He was subsequently seen in Werther (opposite Giuseppe di Stefano), Carmen, Ariadne auf Naxos, Aïda (as Amonasro, with Marisa Galvany) and, in 1999, returned for The Ballad of Baby Doe (as William Jennings Bryan).
At the City Opera, Devlin first sang the Hermit in Ginastera's Don Rodrigo, conducted by Julius Rudel and staged by Tito Capobianco, in 1966. Further appearances there included L'amour des trois oranges (as Léandre), Giulio Cesare (as Nireno, later the title role), The Crucible (opposite Chester Ludgin), Bomarzo, Nine Rivers from Jordan (world premiere, by Weisgall), La bohème (as Colline), Le coq d'or (with Karan Armstrong), Lucia di Lammermoor, Manon, Œdipus rex, Le nozze di Figaro (in the title role), Mefistofele (with Harry Theyard), Louise, Carmen, Maria Stuarda, Susannah, Così fan tutte, Les contes d'Hoffmann, Faust (in Frank Corsaro's production) and Pelléas et Mélisande (as Golaud). He returned to the company in 2000, for The Mother of Us All, portraying Daniel Webster.
Devlin made his Metropolitan Opera debut in 1978 as Escamillo in Carmen. His other performances at that venue have included Hänsel und Gretel (as Peter), Les contes d'Hoffmann (as the Villains, opposite Plácido Domingo), Die Fledermaus (as Dr Falke), Bluebeard's Castle (with Jessye Norman), Salome (as Jokanaan), Samson et Dalila (as Abimélech), Faust, and Wozzeck (as the Doctor). He has also often appeared at the New York City Opera, as well as with companies in Chicago, Amsterdam, Salzburg, Verona, Madrid, London (Salome at Covent Garden), Paris, Prague, San Francisco (Il prigioniero), etc.
Works in his discography include Handel's Giulio Cesare (as Nireno, conducted by Rudel), Ginastera's Bomarzo (with Salvador Novoa), Haydn's L'infedeltà delusa (conducted by Antal Doráti), Rameau's Dardanus (with Frederica von Stade, conducted by Raymond Leppard), and Schönberg's Moses und Aron (as the Ephraimite, conducted by Pierre Boulez).