Robin Donald

Donald Robin Smith (born 26 March 1942) is an Australian operatic tenor who was known professionally as Robin Donald. He is the son of arguably Australia's operatic tenor voice Donald Smith. He performed leading operatic tenor roles in major opera houses in Britain (Sadler's Wells Theatre and the London Coliseum Theatre), Europe (Théâtre Royal de La Monnaie), Australia (Sydney Opera House), and in Christchurch New Zealand, where he sang Florestan in the opera Fidelio for the New Zealand Broadcasting Commission, during a professional operatic career spanning over 35 years.

Career

Donald Robin Smith was born in Bundaberg, Queensland in 1942, the son of the tenor Donald Smith and Thelma Joyce Lovett. Robin Donald's initial studies in music, stagecraft and languages began with the Queensland Conservatorium of Music in Brisbane.

A natural tenor from birth like his famous father, he performed in 1963 in his first opera with the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust Opera Company at Her Majesty's Theatre in Brisbane, in Gounod's opera Faust. He also gained some of his initial stage performing experiences, as a principal tenor with the Brisbane Gilbert & Sullivan Society and the Queensland Light Opera Company (QLOC), in the musicals Iolanthe, The White Horse Inn and No No Nanette.

Robin Donald began his solo professional international operatic career in England in 1966, as a principal tenor with the Sadler's Wells Opera Company (which later became the English National Opera). Prior to this, he had studied music, acting and stagecraft with The London Opera Centre. During this time he also performed with the Opera Centre's touring company Opera For All, performing the roles of The Duke in Verdi's Rigoletto, Nemorino in Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore, and Basilio in Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro. While at the Opera Centre, Robin also studied and sang with with the New Zealand soprano Kiri Te Kanawa in their production of Così fan tutte.

Robin made his professional operatic debut in London with Sadler's Wells Opera Company at the Coliseum Theatre in 1968, in the role of Rodolfo in Puccini's La bohème. After singing and touring for some 10 years as a principal tenor with Sadler's Wells, in a variety of major tenor roles, as well as performing in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Greece, Robin returned to Australia initially in 1973, to perform as part of the opening of the Sydney Opera House, in the Australian Opera's productions in the role of Rinuccio in Puccini's Gianni Schicchi, and in Wagner's Tannhäuser.

He then returned to England to fulfill contracts there with Sadler's Wells Opera, in the role of Des Grieux in Massenet's Manon (with Valerie Masterson), and for performances with the Welsh National Opera Company' as Rodolfo in their production of "La bohème" (with Josephine Barstow). He then returned again permanently to Australia in 1974, with his wife Jeni and son Brent, to accept a contract with the Australian Opera Company (now Opera Australia). He performed and remained with that company singing a variety of principal tenor roles for over ten years.

One of Robin Donald's major tenor roles during this period included singing Turridu in Mascagni's Cavalleria rusticana, while his father tenor Donald Smith performed his famous role as Canio in Leoncavallo's Pagliacci on the same bill. These performances at the Sydney Opera House were acclaimed at that time as the only known occasions when a father and son operatic tenors had ever appeared together on the same 'double bill' in these operas, anywhere in the world.

During this period, both Robin Donald and Donald Smith also went on to perform on many other occasions together, in other operas, including Wagner's The Flying Dutchman (where Robin sang either of the tenor roles of The Steersman and Eric), and Puccini's La fanciulla del West. They also performed together the famous series of "Smith & Son" concerts in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide.

Recordings

• Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor - Opera Australia (1986), Richard Bonynge conductor. (Arthaus Musik DVD 100242)
• Donizetti: Lucrezia Borgia - Opera Australia (1977), Richard Bonynge conductor. (Opus Arte DVD OAF4026D)
• Verdi: Il trovatore - Opera Australia (1983), Richard Bonynge conductor. (Arthaus Musik DVD 100276)

Sources

• Kutsch, K. J. and Riemens, Leo, Grosses Sängerlexikon, Francke, 1987, Vol. 1, p. 768. ISBN 3-317-01638-8
• Murdoch, James, A Handbook of Australian Music, Sun Books, 1983, p. 46. ISBN 0-7251-0419-8
• Rich, Maria F., Who's who in Opera, Arno Press, 1976, p. 141. ISBN 0-405-06652-X

External links

• Archived 2009-10-27 at the Wayback Machine