Robert Merrill- Hamlet Drinking Song 

What quality!! I would like to hear a baritone today even getting close to this!!

Simply one of the greatest baritone voices in the history of recorded sound! That's really saying something! What richness and focus!

The voice quality is astounding!

Great singing - I think Merrill here is inspired by Titta Ruffo's legendary performance of this piece.

While I wouldn't have phrased it quite like Mr. Carbia, neither would I have called him what Ms. Stearns called him, in effect Mr. Carbia is correct. I've been a professional musician for 47 years. I've sung this aria frequently during that time. There are 3 bad entrances made here, and some rhythmic liberties as well. Mr. Merrill was not noted for being a stellar musician. He also had memory problems, as happened at 0:36 here and often at the Met. Sometimes what came out was "interesting" - the right number of syllables, but linguistically questionable. It happened in English as well. Those, by the way, are not criticisms - rather reflections on what I heard and what was known. It is the flaw that makes the diamond, rather than the perfection. All that being said, was there ever such a gloriously beautiful sound? His recordings with Bjoerling are the best that were ever made, and all the recordings by RCA and his long career as a leading baritone at the Metropolitan are testament to his reliability, his popularity, and the operatic metal of his singing. This is a beautiful recording, for all its faults.

Εκπληκτικος βαρυτονος.θαυμαστη ομοιογενεια φωνης,εξαιρετο στηριγμα και εκφραστικωτατη σκηνικη παρουσια.

gorgeous sound

Brilliant. Easily my second favorite ever. (I admit a partiality to the amazing John Charles Thomas) But damn near peed myself at the beginning. He can just never remember words. Hysterical! But gorgeous. =)

Folks, I am an opera-ignoramus (not knowledgale)...but my ears are happy when his mouth is busy. That's it.

Dear Robert!I know you're not criticizing him for being "boring,routine..languages". I agree with you about the burly manly buzzy sound, especially since I was his Sparafucile in Florida in 1978. May I say a nice thing about a departed colleague: He, after a Rigoletto rehearsal, (when naturally all recognized him in the hotel elevator)turned to me and said:"You have a helluva voice, boy!)Coming from him, made me feel damn good.

What a beautiful voice! An amazing baritone! He makes it look so easy! WOW! But his French diction could have used some more study, and, what is it he sings at 00:36???? LOL!!!!!

Si canta così! Grandissimo.

The American singer of this generation had an incredible voice placement, and no doubt Merril had one of the best beautifull voices, but after listening to Tita Ruffo it is possible to see the extra pronunctiation more bittting on the open vowels that make his voice so brilliant, heroic and present. I enjoy Merril so much, and I like more Ruffo than Merril.

Perfekte Gesangstechnik.

He could be boring, routine and yeah his languages weren't great but what a voice, what a big,burly, manly, buzzy sound. I remember the first time I heard him, it was like a river of sound gushing towards us. Do they make em like that anymore?

Not a linguist but what a great voice!!!!0:36 LOL

@Bigman240 Hahahaha!!! He did a good job of covering it though-- I wouldn't have noticed it if I weren't learning this.

@Apollogranforte Hahahaha!!! These comments are great!

@jackylen57 Il parlait en francais! On ne se voit pas!

dommage que ce ne soit du français et pas toujours les notes

Apropos, they DON'T make them like that any more.

@Apollogranforte It's french.

Jolie voix mais sa diction en français laisse à désirer! Merci Jackylen

@stevevandien No more because the impressarios and vocal teachers have no concept of the Art of Singing.

He had an excellent voice, but he was musically clueless.