Morris has become the most noted Wotan of the turn of the century, known for his acting as well as a musical approach that emphasizes the legato, even lyrical parts of the role. His voice has a strong upper extension that allows him to tackle such baritone roles and Scarpia in Puccini's Tosca and Mozart's Don Giovanni to critical acclaim.
Appropriately enough, his two main teachers were a baritone and a bass. Morris, a native ofRead more Baltimore, first studied with Forrest Barrett, and then won the first voice scholarship that the University of Maryland offered. However, at the advice of his mentor (and distant in-law), Rosa Ponselle, who recognized his potential but did not think that she herself would be the best teacher for him, he instead enrolled at the Peabody Conservatory, and continued his studies with Frank Valentino there. After some time there, he continued his studies at the Philadelphia Academy of Vocal Arts with Nicola Moscona.
He first performed on stage with the Baltimore Civic Opera Company, and advanced in 1967 to the Baltimore Opera, making his debut there as Crespel in Offenbach's The Tales of Hoffmann. In 1970, he had his first Metropolitan Opera audition, though he turned down the subsequent offer to join their Opera Studio. Moscona, who himself had had a long Met career, persuaded the management to re-audition Morris for the regular company, and this time he was offered a contract for 1971, and he made his debut as the King in Verdi's Aida. He made his Glyndebourne Festival debut as Banquo in Verdi's Macbeth.
In 1976, again at the Baltimore Opera, he created the role of King Alfonso in Pasatieri's Ines de Castro. He began to study Wagnerian roles, first Wotan in Die Walküre and the Dutchman, and made his Vienna State Opera debut as Wotan in 1984. In 1985, he took on the role of Wotan for the entire Ring cycle in San Francisco, to great acclaim, and followed that success in many other productions worldwide.
He recorded the complete Ring cycle with James Levine on DG (445 354), and an aria recital disc on EMI (49287) gives selections from Verdi as well as two selections from The Flying Dutchman and Die Walküre. Read less
Label: Emi Classics For Pleasure
Catalog: 28377
Release Date: 10/28/2008
Number of Discs: 1
Composer:
Richard Wagner
Performer:
Eva Martón,
Johannes Ritzkowsky,
Siegfried Jerusalem,
Dame Kiri Te Kanawa
...
Conductor:
Bernard Haitink
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
Label: Warner Classics
Catalog: 19479
Release Date: 05/27/2008
Number of Discs: 14
Composer:
Richard Wagner
Performer:
Christine Hagen,
Jane Eaglen,
Eva-Maria Bundschuh,
Theo Adam
...
Conductor:
Bernard Haitink
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra,
Bavarian Radio Chorus
Recommendation
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Catalog: 427665
Release Date: 12/14/2007
Number of Discs: 2
Composer:
Hector Berlioz
Performer:
Philip Langridge,
Anne Sofie von Otter,
James Morris
Conductor:
James Levine
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra,
Berlin RIAS Chamber Chorus,
Ernst Senff Chamber Choir
Recommendation
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Catalog: 427359
Release Date: 09/11/2007
Number of Discs: 1
Composer:
Richard Wagner
Performer:
James Morris,
Hildegard Behrens,
Jessye Norman,
Gary Lakes
Conductor:
James Levine
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
Label: Emi Classics
Catalog: 97307
Release Date: 07/31/2007
Number of Discs: 6
Composer:
Ludwig van Beethoven
Performer:
Eric Heidsieck,
Paul Tortelier,
Stephen Kovacevich,
Siegfried Rudolf Frese
...
Conductor:
Herbert von Karajan,
Wolfgang Sawallisch,
Riccardo Muti,
Jeffrey Tate
...
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Philharmonia Orchestra,
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra,
Nash Ensemble
...
Label: Arthaus Musik
Catalog: 101109
Release Date: 06/26/2007
Number of Discs: 5
Composer:
Giuseppe Verdi,
Ludwig van Beethoven,
Claudio Monteverdi,
Igor Stravinsky
Performer:
Reni Penkova,
Max René Cosotti,
Ugo Trama,
Bernard Dickerson
...
Conductor:
John Pritchard,
Bernard Haitink,
Raymond Leppard
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Glyndebourne Festival Chorus,
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Recommendation
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Catalog: 435872
Release Date: 06/19/2007
Number of Discs: 1
Composer:
Igor Stravinsky
Performer:
Jan-Hendrik Rootering,
Donald Kaasch,
James Morris,
Jules Bastin
...
Conductor:
James Levine
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Chicago Symphony Orchestra,
Chicago Symphony Chorus
Recommendation
Label: Emi Classics
Catalog: 58699
Release Date: 10/17/2006
Number of Discs: 2
Composer:
Richard Wagner
Performer:
Julie Kaufmann,
Kurt Rydl,
Marjana Lipovsek,
Silvia Herman
...
Conductor:
Bernard Haitink
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
Recommendation
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Catalog: 000707009
Release Date: 09/12/2006
Number of Discs: 1
Composer:
Giuseppe Verdi
Performer:
Jean Kraft,
Sherrill Milnes,
Renata Scotto,
Placido Domingo
...
Conductor:
James Levine
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra,
Metropolitan Opera Chorus
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Catalog: 000460209
Release Date: 11/22/2005
Number of Discs: 2
Composer:
Richard Wagner,
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart,
Charles Gounod,
Richard Strauss
...
Performer:
Renée Fleming,
Dame Kiri Te Kanawa,
Jerry Hadley,
Bryn Terfel
...
Conductor:
James Levine
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra,
Metropolitan Opera Chorus
Label: Oehms
Catalog: 508
Release Date: 11/17/2005
Number of Discs: 2
Composer:
Richard Wagner,
Ludwig van Beethoven
Performer:
James Morris,
Linda Watson,
Birgitta Svendén,
Ben Heppner
Conductor:
James Levine
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Munich Philharmonic Orchestra
Label: Oehms
Catalog: 509
Release Date: 08/01/2005
Number of Discs: 12
Composer:
Richard Wagner,
Ludwig van Beethoven,
Charles Ives,
John Harbison
...
Performer:
Ben Heppner,
James Morris,
Linda Watson,
Birgitta Svendén
...
Conductor:
James Levine
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Munich Philharmonic Orchestra,
Munich Philharmonic Choir,
Bamberg Symphony Chorus
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Catalog: 000345509
Release Date: 01/11/2005
Number of Discs: 2
Composer:
Richard Wagner
Performer:
René Pape,
Thomas Allen,
Matthew Polenzani,
Karita Mattila
...
Conductor:
James Levine
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra,
Metropolitan Opera Chorus
Recommendation
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Catalog: 000210709
Release Date: 04/13/2004
Number of Discs: 1
Composer:
Giuseppe Verdi
Performer:
Renée Fleming,
Richard Croft,
James Morris,
Placido Domingo
Conductor:
James Levine
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Metropolitan Opera Chorus,
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Catalog: 073036
Release Date: 11/12/2002
Number of Discs: 1
Composer:
Richard Wagner
Performer:
Jan-Hendrik Rootering,
Birgitta Svendén,
Ekkehard Wlaschiha,
Christa Ludwig
...
Conductor:
James Levine
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Catalog: 073043
Release Date: 11/12/2002
Number of Discs: 7
Composer:
Richard Wagner
Performer:
Gary Lakes,
Matti Salminen,
Jessye Norman,
Hildegard Behrens
...
Conductor:
James Levine
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra,
Metropolitan Opera Chorus
Recommendation
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Catalog: 073049
Release Date: 11/12/2002
Number of Discs: 2
Composer:
Richard Wagner
Performer:
Christa Ludwig,
Jessye Norman,
Gary Lakes,
James Morris
...
Conductor:
James Levine
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Catalog: 073037
Release Date: 11/12/2002
Number of Discs: 2
Composer:
Richard Wagner
Performer:
Heinz Zednik,
James Morris,
Siegfried Jerusalem,
Ekkehard Wlaschiha
...
Conductor:
James Levine
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
Label: Naxos
Catalog: 8669001-02
Release Date: 10/22/2002
Number of Discs: 2
Composer:
Edward Thomas
Performer:
James Morris,
Victoria Livengood,
Jeffrey Lentz,
Jerry Hadley
...
Conductor:
George Manahan
Orchestra/Ensemble:
London Symphony Orchestra
Recommendation
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Catalog: 471678
Release Date: 10/08/2002
Number of Discs: 14
Composer:
Richard Wagner
Performer:
Marilyn Mims,
Marita Napier,
Hildegard Behrens,
James Morris
...
Conductor:
James Levine
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
Recommendation
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Catalog: 445295
Release Date: 09/10/2002
Number of Discs: 2
Composer:
Richard Wagner
Performer:
Mark Baker,
James Morris,
Ekkehard Wlaschiha,
Siegfried Lorenz
...
Conductor:
James Levine
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
Recommendation
Label: Decca
Catalog: 470382
Release Date: 03/12/2002
Number of Discs: 2
Composer:
Thomas Augustine Arne,
John Tavener,
Charles Gounod,
Carl Orff
...
Performer:
Sarah Walker,
Stephen Doughty,
Bryn Terfel,
James Morris
...
Conductor:
Roger Norrington,
Stephen Cleobury,
Richard Bonynge,
Charles Dutoit
...
Orchestra/Ensemble:
London Philharmonic Choir,
London Philharmonic Orchestra,
Cambridge King's College Choir
...