As
Nabucco:
As Enrico Ashton in Lucia di Lammermoor:
“The vocal gems started arriving early, with Mark Rucker's scene-grabbing first appearance as Enrico, the ambitious conniving brother of Lucia. His baritone voice rang with thrilling edge to it. Much later, he rose to the occasion in his confrontation with Edgardo with one compelling high note after another.”
- The Portland Oregonian
“Baritone Mark Rucker (Henry Ashton) gave a strong, commanding performance, which included displaying his exciting upper vocal register.”
- Opera Canada
“Mark Rucker's Enrico was dramatically and vocally passionate.”
- Opera
“Lucia was preyed upon with able malevolence by baritone Mark Rucker. He set up his character well in the opening scene with his venomous aria ‘Cruda, funesta smania.’ Rucker’s sound had a biting malice, and when he opened up on his high notes in the cabaletta he was a formidable vocal presence. He also softened admirably for his duet with Lucia in Act 2.”
- The Orange County Register
As Germont in La Traviata:
“Mark Rucker brought inner turmoil to Germont, his singing lyrical and ardent. His precarious dignity lent poignance to the Act II confrontation with Violetta.”
- Opera News
“Perhaps the creamiest voice of all was Rucker's thick, deliciously napped and powerful baritone...his 'Di Provenzia il mar' was perhaps the performance's best vocal moment.”
- The Hamilton Spectator (Ont)
“Mark Rucker as Germont (had) a splendidly sonorous voice.”
- Opera Canada
As
Nabucco:
“Mark Rucker offered a commanding
portrayal of the title role. This Nabucco battled Hebrews and hubris in
dramatically persuasive fashion, all the while pouring
out a golden tone that maintained its evenness from top to bottom. The
baritone's incisive way of shaping a phrase reached a peak of Verdian
richness in "Dio di Giuda".”
- Opera News