Francis Maclennan

Maclennan studied voice first at home in Bay City, then in New York City, in London with George Henschel, and in Berlin. In 1902/03, he was a member of the touring Moody Manners Opera Company, his debut took place at Covent Garden in Rosalba by Emilio Pizzi. He spent the next seasons with various touring groups in the US. He met soprano Florence Easton, who became his wife.

They were both hired by the Berlin Hofoper in 1907; they had excellent success and stayed until 1913, then they sang in Hamburg until 1915. Maclennan made guest appearances at Covent Garden (1909) and in Dresden (1915).

Upon their return to the USA in 1915, Maclennan and Easton separated. He sang on in Chicago until 1917, then he taught voice in New York.

Maclennan was above all a Wagnerian; for instance, he sang in the Parsifal production that the Savage Opera Company performed around the USA. He was further Tristan, Loge, Siegmund, Siegfried, Lohengrin and Tannhäuser. But he also sang Gounod's Faust, Turiddu, Pinkerton, Renaud (Maia by Leoncavallo), Königssohn (Königskinder by Humperdinck), Duca, Radames, Leontes (Ein Wintermärchen by Goldmark), Rodolfo or Roméo.

Reference 1: Kutsch & Riemens, reference 2, reference 3
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