Robert Merrill "Largo al factotum" Il barbiere di Siviglia

[ykaiilah]

Robert PWNS!!! What a voice!!!! BRAVO!!!!

[Mooorhe]

I wonder what Rossini would think of this orchestration...

[sopranosd]

This is great - - such speed and resonance, and so many vocal colors. It's so funny to hear him talk with his heavy New Yawk accent, and then hear this beautiful singing.

[AnryK2690]

So so so funny! So amazing! He is a pure genius. I couldn't imagine that this aria could be sung like this. Great!

[TaidhOSullibhan]

I never saw and Heard such a good performance of "Largo al factotum" !!! Bravissimo.

You really needn't subtitles, you understand by his singing and acting.

[tonixerez]

Increible Merriill, a mi entender es uno de los grandes.

Gracias por este documento

[baricoop]

hahahahahaha! Never thought I'd hear largo quite like this...but heck, I'll listen to anything if Bob Merrill sings it!

[italomelomane]

Italian is Terrible !!!

Study please !

[Mooorhe]

He can't.

He's dead.

[italomelomane]

@Mooorhe true, you're right and not yesterday.... hihihi

[rodrigodeoli]

What's wrong with his hands??? I didn't get it... BUT, I think I could live with these hands if the VOICE would come together to me...

[JustDandyCandy]

I just love his everything!!!!!

[crstioherz]

Grande Robert Merrill, independiente de los malos comentarios en contra de el, lo considero uno de los mejores junto con Gobbi, Milnes, Taddei, Wixell, Cappuccilli

GRANDE MERRILL

[serenade00007]

He's trying his shit to do hand movements. They never work.

[MGDANCEMG]

forget the hands--listen to the voice

[herminestover]

If you had seen him in full costume at the Met, you would see how well his hands and all of his body movements work and you would have to ask your self, how does he do all this and also SING at the same time.

[serenade00007]

Worst video.

[spinahc]

che brutta questa versione!!!

[01jocooper]

What's with the retarded music?

[Instinctive]

For better Merrill, search YouTube for 'merrill' and 'herodiade'.

[Vukish]

lol, your "old boys club" can have whatever opinions you want, but to tell you the truth, I think it is musical politics that is blinding (or should I say deafening you) to mastery of Hampson. Oh well though, to each their own. Myself, I hope I never have to hear another Merrill performance. :P Pardon me while I go listen to Hampson's video. :D

[stevevandien]

This is Merrill at perhaps a hair less than his very best, which would have been about 10--15 years before this clip. Still superb here, and a LESSON for any baritone who would attempt this aria:). We have NO baritones in Merrill's class today.

[sjw18930]

Even if we had any baritones who could sing as well as he could, they couldn't do this as well as he did. He *owned* this.

[Vivaldicellist]

Milnes beat him on this Aria.

[MGDANCEMG]

i didn't realize there is competition between gods

[sjw18930]

It just doesn't get any better than this. And probably never will.

[blakemooney]

That's a silly waste of electrons. Why? Because people have ears, as inferior as our hearing is when at its best our ears tell us plenty if we're listening. When some one or two poorly trained voices get by it could be politics doing this. I've always said Hampson was an excellent politician, always working the leadership. He wouldn't dare do this in front of a knowledable crowd of lovers of Verdi's music or the Met filled with middle-aged or older customers. A storm would ensue.

[rossmcl177]

I like Merrill very much. I also like Hampson. I like Nucci, Pons, Quilico, Milnes and many others. Why is it necessary for some to have passionate arguments here about which one is best and how the others are all bad? Why not just enjoy them all? Well that's what I think anyway. lol

[CharlotteinWeimar]

Have you heard a great performance by this singer live, without a mic? If so please post an objective description to add to the wonderful YouTube archive before the memory is lost for ever. Recordings don't tell everything. Quality, size of voice, character, integrity, movement & the effect on an audience need describing too.

How I wish I could have been there to hear Farinelli entrance an audience with the power of a single note, but we do at least have Charles Burney's marvellous account.

[crstioherz]

Robert Merrill Eccellente video è il migliore.

[crstioherz]

Robert Merrill Excellent video is the best. I agree with Iareto

[tjallew]

Love it thanks Onegiun65, Howe beautiful and humorist touch in the dramatic thanks

MAISTRO Merrill....

[Vukish]

What a pathetic ass! Thomas Hampson is much better.

[Iareto]

Hampson isn't good enough to clean the dust off of this man's shoes. Tom's a good artist, but Merrill is the best baritone voice of all time.

[Bobballsy]

"Pathetic ass"? Look who's talking. I can't wait to hear your video response to this video.

[Vukish]

lol, sorry guys, but Merill is just pretty pathetic. :P I never said I could do better. :P

Want a good video response? Sure, I will give you one. It is not anything as fine as this, but it is pretty kewl music. :P

[blakemooney]

vukish, you ass, you and a million angels from baritone heaven will never equal MERRILL! Forget it! You're under too much stress these days and MERRILL is singing away high above us just to keep brain-deaders from making childishly stupid remarks like yours. Glad you like Hampson but he's not in the same league--opera is momentarily confused by what it takes to produce a great Verdi singer and the flashy do-dah of the present singers.

[Vukish]

I never said that I could sing as well, but I can tell a good singer from a mediocre one. Hampson is so energetic, so into the part, that you can feel the character with every note. His every inflection like the stroke of an artist's brush, all contributing to the final masterpiece: the character of Figaro. Merrill just has no life at all, and his voice is so weak. I am not attacking you, just stating my opinion. Please be so kind as to do the same.

[cameratamaestro]

It may be your opinion but it is not shared by vocal historians who consider Merrill's tone to be among the finest ever. Hampson is a very light, lyric voice and is not in the same league as Merrill. When Hampson tried to sing Simone Boccanegra at the Met it was a laughable joke.

[cameratamaestro]

I just have to comment on your statement that Merrill's voice is "so weak." Did you ever see Merrill live? Your channel says you are 20 years old, so I doubt very seriously that you saw Merrill. Merrill had a big voice, far far bigger than Hampson's little, prissy, lyric baritenor voice.

[Vukish]

lol, yes, I am 20 years old, and no, I have not seen Merrill live. If the videos I have seen on Youtube are any indication though his voice is mediocre and he uses VERY poorly (better than I could do, but not good enough for this standard of music by a long sea mile). He sounds like a retard, barely pronounces his words, and puts no life into it. Hampson has the best baritone voice out there.

[cameratamaestro]

It is one thing to have an opinion. It is quite another to air it in public when it goes against all vocal historians. A wise person would not do that. According to all vocal historians and most great singers, Merrill had the most beautiful of baritone instruments. Then to make an official pronouncement that "Hampson has the best baritone voice out there"--when no critic, historian, or great singer would agree--shows that you are not only 20 years old, but foolish. Keep your opions if you like.

[Vukish]

No matter how 'perfect' his voice is, what counts most to me is how he uses it, which he does not do very well IMHO. Hampson on the other hand (no matter what vocal historians think about his voice) at least uses his very well. When he talks about the ladies he does not sound like a dirty old man. :P

[sjw18930]

Hampson better than Merrill? HA HA HA HA HA! Blake, why argue with this child?

[bloydaage]

May not the best clip of Merrill. Over the peak here. You have to read "lareto"s comment over again. Hampson is fantastic in his way, but just a fart in the wind side by side to Merrill!

[MirokuKazekage]

agreed

[blakemooney]

Hampson diligently searches for a voice.. He bought an encyclopedia set to read up on things and decided after a few pages that he would make a great opera singer. He read some more and sure enough---he began to sing! Someone heard him and just 3 days later he was flying to NY and the Met! It's not clear what he was doing or who he saw but soon he was singing and the rest is history. Some say the weight of the books ruined his chances but in a bizarre twist of fate--he's out there. Ugh!

[LardoDiColonnata]

I listen it a couple of time.

The string are in... and this make all more strange...

With the string (in backgrond) the style is the one of the Brass Army Band...

:-S

[LardoDiColonnata]

Orchestra... isn't an orchestra, but a brass band... No strings.

Weird, but funny...

Merril was great, even if his italian accent is not perfect at all :-(

[MIGUEL2005LIMA]

no strigs ..and seems like no director too.

[piasecznik]

and 3:03 wrong text. And orchestra is... incredibly bad. Merrill is mediocre.

[Wintterson]

I heard him for the first time in '71, and I still get the goosebumps every time I hear his 'Factotum'. What a beautiful voice.

[vampireratt]

Robert Merrill tackles a very difficult aria with an orchestra that is murdering Rossini

[FlyingTiger5]

It actually wouldn't surprise me if this came from the old Dean Martin show, back in the 60's. Two reasons: 1) That's a standard show orchestra trying to play that, and 2) Dino was Italian - why not have "regular-guy" Bob Merrill on the show? It sounds perfectly in character, to me. (Used to watch the show. You never knew who was going to turn up!)

[Toscarpia]

personne n'a remarqué que c'est un ton en dessou de l'original.

Ainsi tout les barytons peuvent le chanter!

[pearlmuth3]

THIS REALLY LOOKS LIKE THE 60's so you can figure his age, great voice but as you say band and tempo is terrible but does he sing even under these conditions, they had time constraints besides.

[bassclefb]

Man, you cats gotta step down from your elitist podiums... At least there once was a time when they would broadcast this stuff live. Who cares if it's a wind band or kazoo orchestra? Any exposure to the arts is good exposure. Take it for what it's worth... you just watched 4 minutes of history.

[runbambirun]

You're absolutely right. I was just about to say something stupid when I read your post and listened till the end. You stopped me from making a complete tool of myself, again.

Enjoyed this.

[ykaiilah]

@bassclefb I agree 100%

[ladysnapey]

Do you know when this was recorded?

[TrovadorManrique]

arg! la orquesta es para morirse de terror!! no he podido oir más...

[wysiwyg248]

OMFG, what is this... David Letterman's marching band?

I agree with Asmorit comment...

The "che belLA piacere" was nice touch indeed LOL

[gallferi]

What's that supposed to mean: "D.L.'s marching band"?

[wysiwyg248]

It means what kind of joke is this?

A great voice with such music?

[gallferi]

Hi, After reading your comment and ASMORIT'S, it became appearent to me that I was sooo taken by Merrill's voice and the fact that I myself sang with him, that I've totally disregarded the orchestra. YOU GUYS ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT! I wouldn't even "insult" D.L'man's m.b. - this orchestra sounds more like "Boomtown, Anystate Junior College ROTC Symphony Orch."

[evangelion53]

What if it is "Boomtown, Anystate Junior College ROTC Symphony Orch"? Boy, is your face going to be red.

[gallferi]

Yes, what if it is? GENIUS! Why should my face be red, and who the hell are you anyway?

[evangelion53]

LOL. It's called sarcasm. But oh, "Who the hell are you anyway". You really burned me there.

[gallferi]

Yeah, it's a whole tone down. Still magnificent high F's! His language...? well, I enjoyed his "che bella piacere" and towards the end as all fell apart, one just smiles: that's Bob! Had a great pleasure of being his Sparafucile in Florida,('78)and working with him for a week. Found him extremely pleasant. What can you say about a guy, who turns to you in the hotel elevator and with all the people present, says:"you have a helluva voice boy!" Bless his memory!

[hightenor123]

It is also a whole step lowered

[steainsy]

yeah he sounds great. I think the main problem with the orchestra is that they loose timing with Merrill at times, at some parts the band sound was fun I thought. They were obviously going for a more accessible sound for the audience, I don't hold it against them. Merrill's pronunciation was sometimes a little questionable, but overall I enjoyed this, his great voice made it very watchable.

[Asmorit]

How to ruin perfectly fine music? Just listen to this orchestra. Awful! They degrade the great Robert Merrill's performance to the level of any cheerleader act at a football game.

[primobaritono]

Um... Bob sounds great, but the orchestra sounds like a big band lol.