Verdi - Celeste Aida - Francesco Merli

Francesco Merli 1887-1976, was a a leading tenor of the world stage in the twenties and thirties, He made his debut at la Scala in 1916. He had a perfectly tuned dark heroic tenor voice, innate musicality, clear diction and aristocratic style. He excelled in the heavier roles such as Radames, Otello, Calaf, Andrea Chenier and Manrico. But never indulged in heavy verismo mannerisms. Indeed some may find his Canio, for example, to be too much of a gentleman.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Verdi
• Celeste
• Aida
• Merli
• Francesco
• Tenore
• bel
• canto

[mrjoe1955]

This is truely great singing!!!!! The sound is what is missing today Squillo!!!! Merli was disrespected by the met sang 1 season can you believe it?? I don"t what a mistake he is truely one of the greatest of All time

[CzarDodon]

Yes 'squillo' (ringing) seems to be a feature that is easy to identify among the great singers of the 'old school'; I would like to mention another quality here that is essential, but often overlooked- 'morbidezza', nothing to do with being morbid or morbose lol, it means softness or smoothness, the feeling that the sound easy and warm, without effort or hardness: a guarantee that the singer can modulate and colour the voice from ff to pp, something not all singers with just squillo can do.

[hiyadroogs]

Incredible singing. The lower voice is rich resonant & clear toned without a trace of artificial darkening, while as other commentators have noted, the upper voice has focus & squillo. A great dramatic tenor. With none of the shouty woofing & barking of today!

[mrjoe1955]

I agree !!! In two words anoma and squillo missing in most singers today unfortunatly, but as long as they look good, I quess??

[giampierone010]

splendido interprete...buon anno

[MrSkylark1]

THIS is SINGING. The VOICE TEACHERS (?) ACCOUSTICALLY CHALLENGED today, haven't the vaguest ideao of what constitutes the "ART OF SINGING."

[vanzofaust]

This is fabulous. In terms of ease of vocal production and vocal magnificence, he sounds like the dramatic tenor equivalent of lyric tenor Pavarotti. thanks for posting!

[luizmerli]

meu tio avô!

[65attila]

@paulostroff99

Thank you for sharing this tremendous tenor with a glorious voice and

wonderful dramatic sense. This is a frist class of an aria which us difficult to sing and often butchered.

CzarDodon thank sfor posting.

John

[paulostroff99]

awesome!  TY

[sidelis]

Vecchia scuola quando si cantava con la propria voce. L'attuale deriva guttural-gastro-intestinale forse si può spiegare con la prevalente diffusione elettronica della voce ancorché con l'imperante sotto cultura del canto. Sono stato più volte testimone di prestazioni SCANDALOSE che con mia sorpresa nelle riproduzioni risultavano decenti. Grazie per il post (si dice così?) che mi ha fatto conoscere un Grande Tenore da cui ripartire. M.C. Annaloro

[31122051]

BRAVOOOO !!!

[Cantormatis]

Wonderfully even sound. trumpet like forte with a ton of ring, and a wonderfully rich middle of great warmth.

[vpo2g2]

After this, it's hard to listen to the dreck singing today.