Brian Bannatyne-Scott
Artist Reviews
"The shimmering, electric voice of Brian Bannatyne - Scott"
"Brian Bannatyne-Scott's voice embodies what the wine writers would describe as a perfect balance of fruit and grip"
"Brian Bannatyne-Scott made a noble Ghost and an earthy Gravedigger with his own Edinburgh lilt"
"Brian Bannatyne-Scott presented a Commendatore that was calm and chilling"
"Hero's laurels go to the magnificent Brian Bannatyne - Scott as La Roche"
"Brian Bannatyne-Scott's Wotan is a majestic performance, magnificent in Die Walkure in his expressive delivery of the text as he changes from hen-pecked husband to tyrannical and eventually anguished father. His Narration and Farewell to Brunnhilde were commanding sung."
"Elijah was sung by bass Brian Bannatyne-Scott, who produced a beautifully rich, sonorous tone and a wide range of expression which kept the drama alive throughout"
"Brian Bannatyne-Scott gave a splendid account of Mussorgsky's Songs and Dances of Death, resolutely in control and authoritative, always musical, projecting dark nights of the soul and body by colour and weight of tone without histrionics"
Biography
Scottish bass Brian Bannatyne-Scott’s is much in demand on the opera and concert platform. Among his recent operatic engagements are Foltz Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Arkel Pelleas et Meslisande for Garsington Opera, Ghost of Hamlet’s Father, Player King and Gravedigger in Brett Dean’s Hamlet for Glyndebourne on Tour, Swallow Peter Grimes with Opera de Monte-Carlo and Doctor The Exterminating Angel for the Royal Danish Opera in Copenhagen. Other recent appearances include Simone Gianni Schicchi for the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and Opera North, Bottom A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Pacific Opera Victoria and Snug A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Aix-en-Provence Festival and the Beijing Festival.
International operatic appearances include the title role of Falstaff for Pacific Opera Victoria (Canada) and Theater Bielefeld, Arkel Pelleas et Melisande for Opera du Rhin and Opera Holland Park, Hubbard in the French premiere of John Adams’ Doctor Atomic at Opera National du Rhin in Strasbourg, Father Thanks to my eyes for Festival d’Aix-en-Provence and La Monnaie, the Old Hebrew Samson et Dalila for Grand Théâtre de Genève, The Ghost of Hector Les Troyens with Sir Colin Davis at La Scala, Milan, La Roche Capriccio for Theater Bielefeld and Pacific Opera Victoria, Baron Ochs Der Rosenkavalier for Theater Bielefeld, Varlaam Boris Godunov, Snug Midsummer Night’s Dream, Geronte Manon Lescaut and Swallow Peter Grimes for Opera North, Sarastro Die Zauberfloete for Opéra de Nantes, Peachum Die Dreigroschenoper for the London Philharmonic, Opéras de Caen and Rouen, Der Tod Der Kaiser von Atlantis for Théâtre de la Monnaie and Festival d’Aix-en-Provence and Monterone Rigoletto, Commendatore Don Giovanni, Pogner Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg and Grand Inquisitor Don Carlo for English National Opera.
Brian Bannatyne-Scott’s concert career has taken him throughout Europe, and to Brazil, Argentina, Canada, Israel, Singapore, the Philippines and Japan. He has performed regularly with Trevor Pinnock and The English Concert including his debut at the Salzburg Festival as Polyphemus Acis and Galatea, Aeolus and Cold Genius King Arthur in Berlin, Halle, Opera Garnier Paris, the Teatro Colon Buenos Aires and at the London Proms, Bach B Minor Mass in Turin and Cremona and the St. Matthew Passion at the National Arts Center, Ottawa. With Marc Minkowski and Les Musiciens du Louvre, he has performed Messiah in Grenoble and Paris and with The King’s Consort and the Salzburger Bachchor he has sung Bach Christmas Oratorio as well as Christus in Arvo Pärt’s Passio on may occasions with the Hilliard Ensemble. He continues to sing oratorios throughout the UK.
Brian Bannatyne-Scott’s extensive discography includes Purcell’s King Arthur and Handel’s Messiah on DG Archiv, Benjamin Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream on Philips, G.F. Handel’s Tolomeo on Mondo Musica, L’Incoronazione di Poppea on EMI and Bach’s St. Matthew Passion with the Dunedin Consort directed by John Butt on Linn Records.
For oratorio and concert repertoire please scroll down:
| Oratorio and concert rep | |
| Composer | Work |
| Bach J. S. | B Minor Mass only at Baroque Pitch |
| Christmas Oratorio (preferably at Baroque Pitch) | |
| St John Passion Christus or Arias (preferably at Baroque Pitch) | |
| St Matthew Passion Christus or Arias (preferably at Baroque Pitch ) | |
| Various Cantatas preferably at Baroque Pitch | |
| Beethoven | Mass in C |
| Missa Solemnis | |
| Symphony No 9 | |
| Brahms | Ein Deutsches Requiem |
| Britten | War Requiem |
| Bruckner | Various Masses |
| Te Deum | |
| Elgar | The Apostles |
| The Dream of Gerontius | |
| Handel GF | Acis and Galatea |
| Aci, Galatea e Polifemo | |
| Belshazzar | |
| Chandos Anthems | |
| Coronation Anthems | |
| Israel in Egypt | |
| Jeptha | |
| Judas Maccabeus | |
| Messiah | |
| Samson | |
| Saul | |
| Semele | |
| Haydn J | All Masses |
| The Creation | |
| Mahler | Symphony No 8 |
| Mendelssohn | Elijah |
| Mozart W A | Mass in C Minor |
| Requiem | |
| Vespers | |
| Purcell H | Come ye Sons of Art |
| Dioclesian | |
| Hail Bright Cecilia | |
| King Arthur | |
| The Fairy Queen | |
| Timon of Athens | |
| Rachmaninov | The Bells |
| Rossini | Stabat Mater |
| Verdi | Requiem |
| Walton | Belshazzar’s Feast |