Robert Merrill- Il balen- Trovatore 1957

[giampierone010]

Stupenda voce e stupendo cantante ...grazie

[gnativerson]

absolutely wondrous

[gallferi]

Einfach unglaublich ! ! !

[Isiscat7]

I was privileged to see Robert Merrill and Jan Pearce in Rigoletto many years ago - I still have that libretto and will never ever forget it - Merrill seems to transcend technique and absolutely owns whatever part he's singing. IMO this one is especially wonderful

[ChrisStockslager]

Does anyone have or know where I can find the lyrics to this piece? I want to audition for my college choir with it.

[Baritanist]

GLORIOUS OPEN THROAT TECHNIQUE as taught by DOUGLAS STANLEY. 

[55werther]

Gran Cantante, un Artista esplendido; La hermosura de su voz, la tersura, de

la misma, se consustancia con un gran talento tanto, interpretativo, como, mu-

sicalmente. Vedaderamente Magnifico.

[billyguns2]

Warren made the character and the music more interesting, but he didn't have Merrill's sound; Merrill's was probably the most sheerly beautiful voice of any baritone of I heard.

[Kushami17]

Sherill Milnes has a nicer voice but this is not bad. :)

[hiyadroogs]

@Kushami17 Only in your opinion!

[Kushami17]

@hiyadroogs I'm sure I'm not the only one. ;)

[ShawDAMAN]

@Kushami17 I'm a Milnes fan but I would never say he had a 'nicer voice.' Merrill had one of the 'nicest' baritone voices ever and he didn't have the technical foibles Milnes had- his timbre was always round and solid basically through out his entire career. Milnes on the other hand lost the richness of his timbre and frankly started sounding horrible rather prematurely.

That said, prime Milnes was (IMO) a better actor, and certainly more exciting with the high notes. Taste I guess.

[Kushami17]

@ShawDAMAN I respect that. Have you heard of Richard White?

[ShawDAMAN]

@Kushami17 hmm I don't believe so. a baritone you recommend I presume?

[Kushami17]

@ShawDAMAN Oh yes. For me he's the best. He did the voice of Gaston in Disney's Beauty and the Beast. But I have more serious stuff for him. If you're interested let me know so I can send you some links to videos here on YouTube. :) I don't think you'll be dissapointed.

[ShawDAMAN]

@Kushami17 AH. Interesting haha. Gaston is one of my favorite disney characters (for laughs that is- his boastfulness about himself tickles me, lol.) I recall the singing being good but being a die hard opera fan I never really listened to him from the standpoint of the connoisseur.. ;P feel free to share some links if you like.

[Kushami17]

@ShawDAMAN I've sent some links to you as a personal message. Let me know that you think. :)

[ShawDAMAN]

@Kushami17 thanks! will check it out

[zgopify]

All sobbing, overemotional and sloppy baritones around the globe, listen and learn.

[77Opera]

Sublime!!!

[lpizzella]

uno de los mas grandes baritonos que junto a otro gran baritono contemporaneo com leonard warren compartieron escenarios con el gran tenor jussi Bjorling quien no cantaba con cualquiera... maravilloso!!!!

[stevevandien]

Good grief. Rather than put our goods up against this otherworldly voice, most of us baritones would simply shut up.

[Erdrick345]

he certainly is one of the greats, along with Tita Ruffo, Ettore Bastianini, and Nicolae Herlea.

[goku12380]

Beautiful, a wonderful runner up to Bastianini

[mikem5151]

Lareto... make your colleagues aware.

[federic017]

una voce meravigliosa e un interprete di fama mondile . così si canta, CARI BARITONI DEL VENTUNESIMO SECOLO, UN SALUTO A TUTTI VOI..............

[Iareto]

He is the best. No one will ever be able to convince me that there was a manlier, more beautiful sound anywhere because there wasn't one at least on record. This is brilliant! Listen to those high notes! Oh my gosh. This man is my IDOL. And he is ANYTHING but overrated. I can't even begin to tell you how many young baritones in the university I attend aren't even aware of people like him. It's a real shame. BRAVO!!

[DarkPhantom788]

I agree with you, theese type of voices are very rare. I am a baritone myself (bass baritone/dramataic baritone) and I absolutely adore Robert's voice. It is so strong and resistent.

[StuartLou]

I heard Leonard Warren in this role many times- and, i have never been able to get that sound out of my ears/mind. Just as i heard him in Forza, Masked Ball, Rigoletto... When you 'grew up' with that sound (live) you're 'hooked'. But then, at the same time there was Milanvov and it's impossible to describe that sound "live" in the "old house". Yeah, yeah- i know all about it. UNLESS YOU WERE THERE- "Ya just don't "get it". As Maria Montez said (in the Cobra Woman).......... "I Have Spoken".

[snide76258]

Just glorious! Such an easy top, and perfect legato!

[tenorote]

when it comes to listening to voices like this, it's good to remember the adage: sometimes in opera it's ok to close the eyes and use the ears.

[halavey]

Sure the fans of lesser Baritones have to flame him so ignore them he may have been no actor but the voice was terrific and the most beautiful of all. Yes de luca was beautiful but Merrill even though some say was not emotionally involved as far as voice was the most beautiful. Verdi Baritones also had the great Warren another favorite of mine. Seems like Bjorling and Merrill have many comments made that are similar, both had very beautiful Voices. They where not great actors--so what.

[operacaster]

no nuances???? are you kidding? it's full of stuff. this is one of the damn hardest baritone arias there is. at least for a real baritone without a mic. i find it a tad on the fast side but it's greatly sung.

as for the cadenza... it's the one most baritones, at least at that time were doing. goes to the high G. most of those cadenzas are very similar. but that's the same on i sang and i was coached on it by a bunch of the best coaches in nyc and the met of that genre.

[thoger59]

A wonderful voice, an excellent interpretation with piano nuances. Absolutely topclass. Merrill is with right one of the best baritones of the 20.century.

[AfroPoli]

Nice voice, but no nuances, all the same volume and not the original cadenza. Powerful voice but poor interpretation. Overrated.

[halavey]

yes opera beauty it is most beautiful of all baritones as far as beauty goes #1 your profile description of him is correct.

[leadoffeohippus]

I think De Luca was pretty close in beauty, no?

[GermanOperaSinger]

Allegedly, but are we willing to bet on that? The acoustic recordings we have of prime de Luca are not good enough to judge him (I am aware I said we can judge Caruso on acoustic recordings but we must realize acoustic captures higher overtones better, so baritones and bassi sound mediocre due to their lower placement). As far as I can tell the only baritone who came close to Merrill for beauty was Armenian/Soviet Pavel Lisitsian, but Merrill was still No. 1 by a good margin (in my opinion).

[legatofancier]

Easily the most beautiful baritone voice of his time. It was not only a very big voice in the house, but it carried with astonishing ease. Not the greatest interpreter by any means, but innately musical all the same. Also heard MacNeil live a number of times. Of course in later years MacNeil's vocal problems diminished the size and quality of his voice. At their best, I would hate to live on the difference in the size of their respective voices.

[lastofdmelocchians]

It's impressive how he gets away w/singin' SO open on certain notes. It has 2 do w/a certain perfect placement. 2 me, that's really what seperated Merrill from the others...that amazing head voice/resonance!!! But, havin' said all that, I still feel Tibbett 2 have THE most gorgeous Baritone voice of 'em all! He had it all: Incredible range, size, technique, phrasing, color & of course...2nd 2 none stage acting worthy of Chaliapin! His MULE & WAGON song is great:) No baritone 2day can pull it off

[FoggyRoad81]

I completely agree with you about the open quality to Merrill, the best example being his legendary finalmente! during Invano Alvaro from Forza, it's stunning.

[pearlmuth3]

By the way his Firestone two videos are on one DVD by Kultur video and has some terrific arias and songs like Because and you"ll never walk alone. He also sings with Raskin. the soprano.

[pearlmuth3]

For me and I saw Merrill many times he had the most beautiful baritone of them all IMO but Warren in Verdi especially seemed more emotional and into the role but he was not really as lyric so they are very different but both my Favorites for different reasons.

[madisonelectronic]

@pearlmuth3 I really like pearlmuth3. We traded emails. Does anyone know what happened to him??? His account is closed. I am afraid I will get bad news. His knowledge was encyclopedic.

[mozzrt]

@madisonelectronic He and I traded PMs too. He was the signature 'Halavey' also, so he was here just a few months ago. Merrill was a great favorite of his. Small wonder, when you listen to this! Merrill hadn't the most velvety or the most booming or fullbodied voice, but his singing was the best, he had great style, clarity and taste. If Milnes or Warren sung a more splendid note here and there, what do I care, I'm interested in the whole aria, so Merrill GodBlessYou.

[ShawDAMAN]

I wonder if Verdi copied from Donizetti- the ending to this aria is almost identical to the ending of "Tombe degli avi mei" from "Lucia di lammermoor." Anyways great singing

[tklogan11809]

Verdi lifted a lot of music from Donizetti, the instances are endless.

[ShawDAMAN]

It seems that way, yes... he he.

[BorisGodunov]

Actually, the cadenza commonly used in this aria was not the one written by Verdi--his does not go as high, but rather goes down to a low A. This is a cadenza traditionally interpolated by baritones. A nearly-identical one is interpolated by basses in "Infelice! e tuo credevi" in Ernani.

[pearlmuth3]

Yes Blakemooney. I heard Merrill many times in opera and in concert here and in Calif. He had the most beautiful voice of any baritone I ever heard. Warren had a different kind of voice anyhow not as lyric, it was a dramatic darker sound and as jan peerce told me "Warren was the best verdi baritone on stage" that was the opinion of Peerce. I never heard Warren on stage but from what I can tell he had great emotion, power and a smooth creamy sound. Live he "felt" the role. I can't compare.

[asp3750]

I saw Warren in NewOrleans in the 50s. I was not particularly impressed. Rather too smooth and oblong for my taste. Merrill's voice had much more metal without being obtrusive. IMHO Merrill's voice is just as beautiful as Warren's, but frankly, more 'manly' for lack of a better term. I guess it's all in what you prefer, eh?

[Leporello001]

I must say, This is good baritone

[bwerth]

As usual, the voice is incredible, but this is one of the most poorly phrased Il balen's that I have heard. Merrill was usually a better musician than this shows.

[missverdi]

Merrill is the best!

[pearlmuth3]

His voice was bigger later of course, very big heard him several times but so was mac neil and warren who had huge sounds but merrill so beautiful, the most beautiful baritone for me and more lyric, different voice from warren, like de luca and Ruffo, different or bjorling and tucker very different. apples and oranges.

[pearlmuth3]

I met him a few times and he was about five nine and was heavier then 150 pounds more like 160 and as a kid was fat but was into yoga and staying fit he was not skinny at all, good build and a big voice especially later but I never heard Warren live, Mac Neil was very big voiced also, heard him in house. Merrill most beautiful sound of any baritone.

[blakemooney]

I saw only Merrill but I agree completely that there was better sound in the baritone voice. Sounds arbitrary when there are giants in this wonderful voice as there are in the tenor voice but Merrill's tone had to get you if you were present or close to the speakers on a record player. Does anyone know if he ever sang on any of the Bing Crosby shows on radio? What a SOUND that would have made if the right songs had been sung together!

[operafan85]

My favorite baritone!

[pearlmuth3]

He souded great when i heard him in 71/73 and 1968 always the most beautiful and in voice.

[troppofiato]

Arguably the most lush, beautiful baritone sound ever. Others might have had more dramatic and musical insight but no one can touch him for sheer beauty of timbre.

[lpvcrcd]

Did have beautful rich lush sound Perfectly produced and a larger than some people may think. I heard him live in 1970? and he still sounded marvelous 25 years after his debut! probably lost out on a lot of plum verdi performances to Warren who happened to overlap Merrill's career by 15 years.

[Chiliarches]

Yes, it is unfortunate in many ways, though it probably depends on the opera.

[baritonoguapo]

I have heard from two reliable sources who have been in the opera business for many years that Merrill was the biggest voice they had ever heard live. And one of those guys was sitting in the front of the Met auditorium when Vickers and Nilsson sang together in Walkure. Not bad at all from a guy about 5'8" who reportedly weighed under 140 lbs.

[MarieLamb]

As the late Bobby Short sometimes said, "Not to die for, but to LIVE for!" My favorite of all male singers; there is no contest. I was lucky enough to hear him in person late in his career, and he was still very, very good! And today, June 4th, is Merrill's birthday, so celebrate and listen to THAT VOICE!

[ElliePearl]

Bravo!

[Lenaopera]

Opera-sucks,but singer is great!!!!!!!!!!!

[gallferi]

Unglaublich, unbelievable, hihetetlen! And to imagine that I was his Sparafucile in Florida! What an honor!!!

[pearlmuth3]

Merrill voice was more beautiful then Bastianini especially on the top, most beautiful baritone ever and Warren the greatest Verdi Baritone of them all.

[lpvcrcd]

Merrill greater than Ettore [IMHO also] but both had a nice rich sound. Mr Merril's phrasing, intonation and freedom of vocal production were first rate! Probably a shame he sang at a time when Warren was considered to rule the Verdi roles all over the WORLD! Kind of a Ruth-Gherig thing!

[blakemooney]

Yes but when I bought baritone recordings and if not too pressured by those around me--such as Ruffo and Warren fanatics--I virtually felt compelled--driven--to grab the Merrill recording and then get home to play the whole record over and over. But I shared this obsessiveness with lots of young and old people back in St. Louis in the 40's and 50's. Then I moved to New Orleans and shared it with newer fanatics. Always, the lineup top was held by Merrill then Warren and Tibbett.

[o37tmx]

In the early 1970's I heard Tucker and Merrill singing in Minneapolis in the Met Touring company production of Aida. At that time I had the impression that Merrill's voice had acquired an almost out of control "fatness". This clip indicates a similar quality in 1957. No matter. Toscanini said of a very young Merrill auditioning for Traviata in the late 40's, "out of you I will make a father". A grand voice; and, Bravo, Verdi!

[cantante47]

A little hurry. But no matters, a great voice

[grizzlybaritone]

What an absolute legend.

[KavalierOpera]

One of the best that has ever lived doing what he does best!!

[b4dcl0wn]

Nobile e legato!!!

[adalezan]

Magnifique, une aisance vocale splendide... un exemple

[robertwbecker]

He owned this one. Thanks for this post with Merril in his Prime! What a sound, a little bit always the same, but what a sound!

[matthewtilley1985]

Merrill's is a easily as good a voice as Bastianini. And Merrill has a better technique

[lpvcrcd]

You are right about Merrill!! Bastianni was very good but we talk of tibbett, warren, J.C.thomas and Merrill!! Vocally they are are in another stratosphere than Ettore.

[Chiliarches]

Not so sure about J.C. Thomas, but Merrill...yeah he was something special. Love him to pieces.

[Orbazzano]

Grandissimo! Che voce!!!

[pabloricciardi]

IMAGINE BASTIANINI...