REVIEWS ARCHIVE 2024
René Gallimard in Huang Ruo's M. Butterfly
BBC Symphony Orchestra / Barbican, 2024
Both Mark Stone as Gallimard and Kangmin Justin Kim as Song Liling appeared in the original production in Santa Fe, and reprised their roles in the Barbican Hall. Stone, with his secure baritone that could feel overwhelming powerful one minute and extremely sensitive the next, gave a high engaging performance as the obsessive and obsessed diplomat, and his final scene could not have felt more emotive. (Music OMH)
As Gallimard, Mark Stone sings with imposing heft and immaculate diction. His journey from ambassadorial sang-froid to emotional collapse wrings the heart. (The Guardian)
As the diplomat, Mark Stone conveyed appropriate naivety, infatuation and (after realising he has been betrayed) suicidal anguish with plenty of vocal clout. (The Times)
Baritone Mark Stone and countertenor Kangmin Justin Kim provide extraordinarily detailed interpretations that explore, in its essential ambiguity, the relationship between Gallimard, a French diplomat posted to Beijing, and Song, a Chinese opera singer, whose long love affair lies at the heart of the piece ... It’s hard to imagine performances of the two central roles more subtle, more emotionally complex or more credible – both physically and vocally – than the interpretations delivered here. We see inside the heart and soul of two people and their interaction is profoundly involving. (The Stage)
The storyline is tangled, switching between Beijing post-Cultural Revolution and the 1986 Paris imprisonment of René Gallimard (a commanding Mark Stone) for suspected espionage. (The Telegraph)
Almost the whole opera is shouldered by the two main characters: Mark Stone was tireless as the unfortunate René Gallimard (Financial Times)
The opera opens with French diplomat René Gallimard in prison for espionage. English helden baritone Mark Stone sang this role back in its world premiere, so it’s no surprise that he was in total command on the Barbican Hall stage (Arts Hub)
Mark Stone, also revisiting his Santa Fe role, sang Gallimard ... his voice grew in stature as his character’s despair increased. The final confrontation where Song proves to Gallimard that he is a man was powerfully done (Bachtrack)
Alberich in Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen
Longborough Opera, 2024
Mark Stone's Alberich was a vocal and histrionic tour de force, the dark centre of the drama, his performance filled with passionate declamation, generous sound and pinpoint intonation. (Opera)
As Alberich, Mark Stone's baritone is so overwhelming and commanding that his performance would be an asset to any production in any major opera house in the world. Stone also captures the all embracing nature of Alberich’s obsession (Music OMH)
Mark Stone's Alberich was often fearsome, but he, too, revealed flashes of humanity. With a powerful baritone, he was a worthy foil for Jones’ Wotan (Classical Voice North America)
The small cast had no weak links, but at their head was the surprisingly sympathetic Alberich of Mark Stone. (Midlands Music Reviews)
Mark Stone’s wily Alberich reeks of opportunism and disappointment, his mahogany baritone contrasting well with the reedy tenor of Adrian Dwyer’s prancing Mime and Mark Le Brocq’s slippery Loge (Opera Today)
With his powerful baritone Mark Stone is a multi-faceted Alberich (Music OMH)
A cast impressively led by Paul Carey Jones (Wotan) and Mark Stone (Alberich) (Guardian)
The Rhinemaidens, bedecked in glamorous evening gowns (costumes by Emma Ryott), are tricked out of their precious gold by Alberich, the scruffy and avaricious Lord of the Nibelungs (excellent characterisation from Mark Stone). (The Stage)
Mark Stone in typically good form (Music OMH)
At its heart, however, is a trio of remarkable performances. Mark Stone is the villain Alberich, a powerful bass whose voice astutely points up the text’s colours and nuances; Paul Carey Jones as Wotan carries the show with superhuman effort and unfailing conviction; and tenor Mark le Brocq is articulate, precise and sardonic as Loge, the wily demi-god of fire. (iNews)
Outside the dragon’s den, there’s an awkward family reunion underway between the feuding Niebelung brothers Mime and Alberich (strongly voiced by Mark Stone) (The Stage)
The Protector in Benjamin's Written on Skin
Deutsche Oper Berlin, 2024
Almost every word of the sung English text is understandable even for a German-speaking audience. And the baritone Mark Stone in the role of the Protector does not have to bring a toxic male Prigozhin type to the stage, but can do so - sometimes with artfully falsettoed high notes - as well as portraying the despair of his usurped power with his voice and performance. / Der gesungene englische Text ist sogar einem deutschsprachigen Publikum nahezu wortverständlich. Und der Bariton Mark Stone in der Rolle des Protectors muss auch keinen toxisch-männlichen Prigoschin-Typ auf die Bühne bringe, sondern kann - teilweise mit kunstvoll falsettierten hohen Tönen - in seiner usurpierten Macht auch Ohnmacht in Stimme und Darstellung legen. (Berliner Morgenpost)
The cast of singers was magnificent: countertenor Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen as First Angel/Boy impressed with his soft, gentle voice, which blended perfectly with soprano Georgia Jarman as Agnès. Dominant as the Protector Mark Stone with his distinctive baritone, the smaller roles were also harmoniously cast. Marc Albrecht realized Benjamin's score competently and expressively, giving the music decisive accents. / Grandios die Sängerbesetzung: der Countertenor Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen als First Angel/Boy überzeugt mit seiner weichen, sanften Stimme, die sich perfekt mit dem Sopran Georgia Jarmans als Agnès mischt. Dominant als Protector Mark Stone mit markantem Bariton, auch die kleineren Rollen waren stimmig besetzt. Marc Albrecht realisierte die Partitur Benjamins kompetent und ausdrucksstark, gab der Musik entscheidende Akzente. (Klassik begeistert)
Mark Stone sings a pithy, gnarled Protector with a baritone of the same quality, leaving nothing to be desired in terms of acting and music. / Einen markigen, knorrigen Protector singt Mark Stone mit ebensolchem Bariton, darstellerisch wie musikalisch keinen Wunsch offenlassend. (Der Opernfreund)
Mark Stone sang/played the Protector, Georgia Jarman played Agnès and Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen played the angelic boy - all three spectacularly well!!! / Mark Stone sang/ spielte den Protector, Georgia Jarman die Agnès und Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen den engelgleichen Jungen - alle drei spektakulär gut!!! (Kultura-Extra)