Macmillan's "St John Passion", Glasgow, September 2011
After the awesome performance of James MacMillan’s St John Passion on Thursday night by the BBC SSO with chief conductor Donald Runnicles, baritone Mark Stone as a superlative Christus and the two choirs of the London Symphony Chorus and the BBC Singers, I emerged from the City Halls into Candleriggs drenched in sweat (only partly due to the claustrophobic conditions in the packed auditorium) physically shattered, emotionally moist-eyed, intellectually uplifted and spiritually humbled.
Bach's "St Matthew Passion", National Theatre, Sept 2011
He was supported by a strong quintet of soloists, most impressively tenor Benjamin Hulett (whose effortlessly smooth yet characterful arias were as fine as I’ve ever heard them) and bass Mark Stone – who, apart from being the only performer to even acknowledge the existence of one half of the audience, sang and acted with sincerity and grace.
Britten's "War Requiem", La Scala, Milan, Sept 2011
Flessibilità quasi virtuosistica nell'articolare la contrapposizione tra grande e piccola orchestra (benissimo diretta da Ruben Jais), tra la severa struttura corale che parla latino e la molteplicità espressiva - ironica amarezza, allucinita desolazione, rabbiosa rivolta - dei versi inglesi, cui il tenor Barry Banks e il baritono Mark Stone rendono giustizia piena, parecchio superiore alla prova invece assai più interlocutoria del soprano.
Elvio Giudici, Il Giorno, 13 September 2011
"The complete Delius songbook - Volume 1", Stone Records, July 2011
Hats off, then, to baritone Mark Stone – best known as a suave Eisenstein (Die Fledermaus) – for compiling a two-CD Delius songbook, the first volume of which contains a few surprises. With fresh-minted accompaniments from Stephen Barlow, Stone proves an expert guide – not just by uncovering little-known manuscripts, but by investing Delius’s songs with verve and variety of mood, in part through his intelligent diction.
