A commanding presence on the operatic scene, the bass-baritone Keel Watson, who has died suddenly aged 59, could modulate effortlessly between an imperious Wotan, the ruler of the gods in Wagner’s Ring of the Nibelung (Regents Opera), and an amusingly indolent Caterpillar, dressed in shimmering green robes, in Will Todd’s family opera Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (Opera Holland Park). In both, his excellent diction, sonorous tone and exceptionally engaging stage presence served him in good stead.
The genial Hans Sachs was another Wagner role that suited him well, but he was also as convincing as a terrifyingly irascible King Philip in Verdi’s Don Carlo as he was a likable Papageno in The Magic Flute. He came to prominence in a series of appearances in the late 1990s, most notably in Mark-Anthony Turnage’s chamber opera The Country of the Blind, in which he played the part of the duly authoritative Elder of the remote, visually challenged Andean community of the title in the staging by ENO Contemporary Opera Studio at the 1997 Aldeburgh festival.
His Iago in Graham Vick’s trailblazing, community-centred Othello (as Verdi’s work was designated for this production) in a derelict factory on an industrial estate in Birmingham (2009) was another success.
He made his Royal Opera debut in 2000 as the Bosun in Billy Budd under Richard Hickox and in the following couple of decades put in some well-received appearances both at home and abroad, including a Porgy in Lisbon, a splendidly portentous chaplain, Raimondi, in Lucia di Lammermoor at Opera Holland Park (2012), a hyperactive yet subtly empathetic Falstaff for Fulham Opera (2014) and a supercilious Usher in a BBC Proms performance of Trial by Jury at Alexandra Palace, north London (2018).
He sang roles with Welsh National Opera (including Don Basilio in The Barber of Seville, 2021), and appeared with ENO as Dr Bartolo in The Marriage of Figaro (2018), Aye in Akhnaten (2019) and the Bonze in Madam Butterfly (2020); in the month before his death he was delivering a hilariously ferocious Private Willis in Iolanthe at the Coliseum and was due to appear later in ENO’s season as the Mayor in Jenufa.
Watson was born in Greenford, west London, the son of Frank, a paint-mixing specialist, and his wife, Calda, who worked at Beechams pharmaceutical company. After Hounslow Manor school, he studied trombone with Roger Brenner at Trinity College of Music (now Trinity Laban) and singing with Elizabeth Hawes and aspired to be a professional brass player until a vocal role in an opera gave him a change of perspective. “I realised my singing was better than my trombone playing so I changed my plans”, he said.
In addition to a wide stage repertory he appeared as the Second Armed Man in Kenneth Branagh’s filmed version of The Magic Flute (2006) and sang the role of Harasta in an animated version of The Cunning Little Vixen, broadcast by the BBC in 2003.
To the roles of Wotan/Wanderer and Hans Sachs he brought breadth of tone and gravitas, compelling attention as much by his vocal charisma as his stage presence. With an economical raised eyebrow or a magisterial wave of the hand he allowed the action to unfold around him without obviously drawing attention to himself. He also sang a magnificent Flying Dutchman for Fulham Opera in 2015.
In May of this year, by which time he was on dialysis, his Wotan for Regents Opera (as Fulham Opera had been renamed) at Freemason’s Hall in London was somewhat compromised in that he was clearly struggling with both breath control and memory; yet so engaging a performer was he that even such faults seemed strangely endearing. The previous year he had been an imposing Commendatore in Scottish Opera’s Don Giovanni.
A big-hearted, amusing man, he was kind and supportive to his colleagues, as popular and highly regarded within the profession as he was with audiences.
He is survived by a daughter, Amalia, and son, Solomon, from a marriage that ended in divorce. He is also survived by his partner, the Danish mezzo-soprano Ingeborg Børch, who appeared alongside him as Wotan’s consort Fricka, and their son, Bjørn Ole.
• Keel Harvey Watson, born 9 August 1964; died 8 November 2023
• This article was amended on 17 November 2023. Watson is survived by three children, not two as an earlier version said.
