The Well-Rounded Wotan : James Morris on Wagner, Variety, and the Beauty of Changing Your Mind
After 22 years in the role of Wagner’s Wotan at the Met, bass-baritone James Morris recently hung up his eye patch for good—at the Met, anyway. Knowing when to say when is just one example of the practicality with which Morris forges his career. He allowed his Italian training to educate his German singing, bringing a legato to Wagner that has made him legendary. Although Wotan remains, perhaps, his best known role, Morris has sagely made sure it is not his only role—a decision that has kept him singing all roles with more ease. And while many of his decisions have been carefully calculated, singing Wagner couldn’t have been more of a surprise.
