Thomas Potter Select Reviews

As Bass Soloist in Beethoven's 
NINTH SYMPHONY:
"Bass Thomas Potter got the singing off to a fine start with a stirring O Freunde, and he and his soloist colleagues - soprano Laura Whalen, mezzo-soprano Jennifer Roderer and tenor Michael Hendrick (replacing an indisposed Thomas Studebaker) - went on to make a suitably joyous impression, weaving in and out of the powerhouse choruses."
          … John Fleming - St. Petersburg Times [St. Petersburg, Florida]
"All of the soloists handled their parts with stimulating assurance. Bass Thomas Potter's "O freunde" rang out powerfully, an arresting first entrance of the voice into the proceedings."
          … Buddy Jaudon - The Tampa Tribune [Tampa, Florida]
As Baron Scarpia in Puccini's TOSCA:
"The great surprise of the evening was baritone Thomas Potter, called in to substitute for a young Brazilian, intimidated by the responsibility of this role.  In his biography, they forgot to mention that Potter studies voice with the distinguished singer and teacher, Virginia Zeani, and studied acting and voice with none other than Nicola Rossi-Lemeni – two heavyweights of the opera world who would not be engaged in the development of an unworthy artist.  None could surpass Thomas Potter’s creative dominion in a territory that well fits him as the opera's antagonist (Scarpia is the most complex role of the baritone repertoire).  From his very first entrance, powerful and frightening, even laymen in the audience knew that they were witnessing a superior talent.  Potter's voice is sonorous, luminous, with a gorgeous timbre; he sang with perfect, forceful, explicit inflections, and dominated the two acts in which he appears with remarkable vocal personality.  As an actor, he was the only one who balanced Helium Eichbauer's deprived scenes with a modern, contained, and natural interpretation.  The dining table scene, under the influx of his interpretation, acquired luxurious tonalities of refined taste.  His facial expressions impressed the public that they were in front of a born actor who possesses at the same time contention and dramatic intensity.  He was subtle even in his approach to the beginning of the 2nd Act.  In the final scene of the 2nd act (Scarpia’s death), Potter and Casolla represented with the eloquent, dramatically accurate nuances of a suspense film where the public sees the abyss and not the individual."
          … Maria Teresa Dal Moro – 'Jornal de Hoje' [São Luís (MA), Brazil]
"From a temple-destroying Nabucco on the lake stage at the Bregenzer Festspiele, to a church-raiding Scarpia in St. Gallen: the Pavarotti-approved American Thomas Potter plays the Police Chief with polite, but affected behavior. He is a deliciously stylish wolf in a flawlessly appropriate guise. Potter's fastidiously forward and free baritone voice follows the dramatic essence of the role with precision. Although Puccini gave Scarpia no actual big aria to sing, he did give him an intense presence, which Thomas Potter understands how to portray with intelligence, sensitivity, and intuition."
          … Roger Gaston Sutter – 'Ostschweizer' [Switzerland]
"The King of the performance was Thomas Potter.  The American was a magnet for one’s eyes and ears.  With his baritone voice he could portray whatever the scene required: brutal inflexibility, devilish flattery (when it concerned the possession of Tosca’s body), and cynicism (shattering Cavaradossi’s ideals of freedom).  Potter as Scarpia was a bigoted bastard — one who unscrupulously abuses his presumed power.  One can report nothing but praise here."
          … Gerhard Hellwig – 'Südkurier' [Switzerland]
"The young American baritone Thomas Potter completely succeeded with his antagonistic Scarpia: his face epitomized triumph and malice, avarice and a lust for power.  In the aria 'Ella verrà', his full, metallic, yet smooth-toned baritone voice radiated brilliantly, just as it did throughout the role with uncommon power.  He also successfully characterized everything from the deeply human to the internally demonic."
          … Margrit Zaczkowska – 'Appenzeller Zeitung' [Switzerland]
"TOSCA brought them in by the bus-full from all over the region: the theater was full from top to bottom with a serious, critical, and passionate audience.  This is an opera public that can not be fooled, and if they made a triumph of the Scarpia, it was with full knowledge of the facts.  It must be said that Thomas Potter, in his role, outclassed the remainder of the cast with his 'presence' and his remarkably placed voice, with which, and without effort, he expressed hatred, desire, tyranny, and cruelty.  Thomas Potter composed a complex character, not a lecherous brute.  It is undoubtedly because of Scarpia’s poise, his excellent behavior, and his calculated cynicism, that the torture scene, hard to bear for today’s listeners, does not cause horror."
          … S.I. – 'Midi Libre' [Sete, France]
"In my opinion, the cast – all three singers played their roles with sincerity and sobriety – was dominated by the baritone and tenor.  Thomas Potter's Scarpia reigned imperiously on the stage, extremely well served by a rich and extremely 'present' voice.  He played the role with insidious nonchalance, which is appropriate."
          … Aurore Busser – 'Nice Matin' [Cannes, France]
As MacBeth in Verdi's MACBETH:
"Thomas Potter… was majestic in the title role.  He was evil personified, murdering his enemies before they had a chance to strike.  And his rich baritone voice was a pleasure to listen to.  Obviously, he was the center of attention."
          … Charles Epstein – 'Critic’s Corner' [Indianapolis]
"In the 1866 revision of Macbeth, the anti-hero gets his 'Pietà, rispetto, amore' but dies quickly, without 'Mal per me'.  Thomas Potter’s hefty-voiced thane had lots of grit and bite, along with a subtle balance of character strengths and weaknesses."
          … Charles H. Parsons – 'Opera News'
"Baritone Thomas Potter unleashed what seemed to be unlimited vocal resources as Macbeth. "
          … Charles Staff – 'Indianapolis Star'
As Renato in Verdi's
UN BALLO IN MASCHERA:
"... the opera really ignited only when it finally united Richard with Amelia and Renato in Act II. In this latter role, Thomas Potter sang unimpeachably throughout the performance yet seemed disconnected with the character early on, though he delivered a scorching 'Eri tu' in the final act."
          ... John Crook – 'Opera News'
As Ford in Verdi's FALSTAFF:
"... the opera really ignited only when it finally united Richard with Amelia and Renato in Act II. In this latter role, Thomas Potter sang unimpeachably throughout the performance yet seemed disconnected with the character early on, though he delivered a scorching 'Eri tu' in the final act."
          ... John Crook – 'Opera News'
As Conte di Luna in Verdi's
IL TROVATORE:
"More than correct, the North American, Thomas Potter accurately personified the treacherous Count di Luna both vocally and dramatically. Even his physical look helped to illustrate a specific personality type. After hearing his 'Il balen del suo sorriso', one could appreciate his full voice, of a somewhat metallic timbre, a good 'Verdi Baritone', who knows how to fulfill the demands of the high tessitura without distorting his graceful singing line."
          … Ramón Maria Serrera – 'ABC' [Seville, Spain]
"The baritone, Thomas Potter, interprets the role of the Count with considerable authority, thanks to a full vocal range, rich in Harmonics, much appreciated by Verdi, from which the expression 'Verdi Baritone' comes."
          … Arsis – 'Le Télégramme' [Brest, France]

"Thomas Potter's Luna was powerfully sung, with vibrant high notes and suave legato, 
especially in "Il balen." "
          … Edmund LeRoy – 'Opera News' [online exclusive]
As Jochanaan in Strauss' SALOME:
"But the real star of this Salome was Jochanaan (John the Baptist), sung by Thomas Potter, a 1986 Pavarotti Competition winner.  His imposing baritone had true Straussian resonance…"
          … James Roos – 'The Miami Herald'
"Thomas Potter conveyed the spirituality and haughtiness of Jochanaan through rock-solid vocalism."
          … Tim Smith – 'Opera News'
"Jochanaan [was] sung with magnificent and fierce power by young American baritone Thomas Potter…"
          … Veda Graves – 'Palm Beach Mirror'
As Baritone Soloist in Walton's
BELSHAZZAR'S FEAST:
"Thomas Potter has a rich, voluminous voice, and when he sang from a box to the left of the stage his comments as an outside observer of the events, he did so with great authority.  In the long a cappella passage, "Babylon was a great city", which describes the fine wares that had built the corrupt city's prosperity, Potter made his voice resound throughout the hall."
          … Lauro Machado Coelho - O Estado de S. Paulo [São Paulo, Brazil]