Reportedly, Robert Merrill was asked to create the role of Sky Masterson in the original 'Guys and Dolls' but his Met contract would have made it impossible to accept. John Raitt also turned it down.
Enrico in LUCIA is one of the greatest operatic roles written for baritone, and Merrill's performance of "La Pietade In Suo Favore" is a vocal and dramatic tour de force. (I think that Enrico is just as mad as Lucia is, if not moreso!)
The speaking voice is Merrill. I’m almost sure the singing voice is not him. 1) The technic is good, bit the timbre does not sound like Merrill. 2) This singer correctly pronounces “Surrientuh” the Neapolitan way, but Merrill in his TV appearance uses the Italian “SurrientO” which is not authentic. Why would he have it?
What a vocal family. The young son had a wonderful set of pipes, the and they sang greatly as a group. Mellill always said family before fame and it shows.
One of the earliest operatic recordings that I purchased as a very young man was an LP of duets featuring Bjoerling and Merrill. I thought that “Au fond du Temple” by the two of them was pretty much the most beautiful thing I had ever heard….still do 40 years later.
For over 40 years ive luved watching and listening to so many different colored movie musicals from the 1940s and 1950s all starting with The Wizard Of Oz 1939.
Robert Merrill...one of the nicest people I've ever met. he had an incredibly winning smile and engaged me, a fan, in enthusiastic conversation as if I were an old friend ...seemingly as remarkably fine a man as he was likely the greatest operatic baritones in the world...
Anyone know if Merrill actually sang this in C# instead of C? This recording is in C# which I find quite odd, but I know that sometimes things happen to the pitch of older recordings
How in heavens name was this a dreadful piece of music? I think it was absolutely amazing and I would love to hear some of the the so called opera stars today, sing it half as well!
Были голоса, были оркестры. Зрители- слушатели наслаждались, а конкуренция на эстраде выносила к ним новые имена. Мы, на пространстве СНГ, живем в болотной тиши, где все лягушки квакают одинаково. Россия полна талантов, но их не пускают, давая кормиться посредственностям.😢😢😢
He certainly refined his technique over the next few years , but even in 1936 the robust, virile tone was already there. One of the most beautiful baritone voices the Metropolitan ever presented!
Manuguerra was fantastic. I feel so lucky that I was at his last Met performance. In his late sixties as Rigoletto. He was scheduled to return the next season as Tonio but did not.
I remember when they played the audio of this before every yankee game in the 60's and 70's. WPIX would play it on the TV also, no commercial break. Brings back a lot of memories.
I enjoyed Robert Merrill in leading roles at the Metropolitan Opera from 1967 until he retired. I consider his the most beautiful baritone voice I ever heard there. I never heard his night club act until now. His manner with an intimate audience is as as free and relaxed as his singing. What a great entertainer he was! And what a delightful sense of humor!
All I can say is that I am very grateful to Mrfourstring and others who put videos of the many great voices of the past onto You tube. Names I might not have heard of and especially their voices. Thank you for bringing them to my attention. I am not going to criticise any of these singers, I will just enjoy the compilations.
I saw Merrill in Don Carlo at the Met when I was 15. He was great! Opera became my passion because I thought opera was always so fantastically sung… now I realize that isn’t the case!?😂😂😂😂😂😂
00:00 Rossini: Barbiere di Siviglia "Largo al factotum" 04:42 Bizet: Carmen "Toreador Song" 10:20 Verdi: La Traviata "Di Provenza il mar" 14:32 Verdi: Otello "Vanne! la tua meta gia vedo" 19:15 Verdi: Il Trovatore "Il balen del suo sorriso" 22:38 Verdi: Rigoletto "Cortigiani vil razza, dannata" 26:52 Puccini: Tosca "Te Deum" 31:00 Verdi: Un Ballo in Maschera "Alzati! ... Eri tu" 36:48 Verdi: Don Carlo "O Carlo, ascolta" 40:30 Puccini: La Boheme "O Mimi, tu piu non torni" 44:45 Verdi: La Forza del Destino "Morrir! Tremenda cosa" 52:05 Verdi: Aida "Ciel! mio padre" 1:00:10 Giordano: Andrea Chenier "Nemico della Patria" 1:04:40 Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor "La pietade in suo favore"
