Rene Kollo & Robert Merrill duet "Solemne in quest'ora"

From Verdi's La forza del destino. 1978

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Opera
• Verdi
• La
• forza
• del
• destino
• Alvaro
• Rene
• Kollo
• Carlo
• Robert
• Merrill

[Agorante]

Utter nonsense! Merrill was world famous long before the death of Bastianini or Warren. He was a very popular radio singer, He had a Victor contract for opera, he had a movie contract, he appeared on late night TV, he starred at the Met. He was number one on the pop charts with "The Wiffenpoof Song". Warren was senior to him at the Met and at RCA but he was a bigger star with the public and had a better voice (my opinion).

[LYRICTENORHIGHF]

but KOLLO has not the quality of THR GREAT ROBERT MERRILL. he is not the suited partner for him. He needs Bjoerling, Corelli, Gedda...

[basselyrique]

Enough to observe the amount of excessive job Kollo makes with his mouth (Merrill does not!) and you can tell without audio how they sound...

[deutschefach]

Renée is showing how many pops and clicks are possible when you sing on a closed down sound. He is actually using pushing on the tone and is rarely freely singing. One can not compare this to anyone else. It is off tune and throaty. Merrill is 61 and has been singing professionally for 33 years. Kollo is 41 and sounds much older than Merrill. Kollo has been singing professionally at this point since 1965 or for about 13 years. He is a star in name but his singing is at best 2nd rate. Sorry.

[VMDICKS]

This is not the very best rendition of this duet. Merrill and Tucker outdid every other duo in presenting this piece.

[123sonner]

Kollo held his own and did the most singing too.

[Nervenkratz]

@AulicExclusiva 100% agreed!

[99Gambo]

I would love to be able to sing like Rene Kollo, but he is not in the top cadre of tenors on this performance. But few are!

If I refer to the comment by Agorante. The Warren/Merill debate will go on - such is Opera! But one view is that Warren was a much more consistently excellent singer. But I do like Merill - there is something cheeky about him!

[laoniricArte1]

Muchas Gracias!!!* Onegin65 *

por el recuerdo de éstos Grandes Artístas!!!

Magníficos Ambos!!!

Bravo Bravissimo!!!****************

[flaze3]

spot on.

[Agorante]

Kollo was quite variable whereas Merrill was consistency incarnate. Kollo could be very good - see his Bacchus on DVD. Or he could sound watery and strained. I heard him once in a solo concert. He was awful before the intermission and then suddenly he seemed to have learned how to sing.

He started as a pop singer and moved into opera and operetta. He was fine musician, looked good and was popular. Alas his vocal technique was always shaky.

[tdeane34]

You don't use squillo. You either have it or you don't.