# Robert Merrill Question for Baritone Lovers



## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

I got him in a new really wonderful recording of Gioconda as an early Xmas present and I find his voice to be really beautiful and I greatly enjoy his singing. He does so so in contests here but never gets top marks. What do you baritone lovers think about him? I remember him as a handsome man who sang beautifully on Ed Sullivan as a kid. Are there any arias really identified with him and I will be sure to include him in them?


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## Op.123 (Mar 25, 2013)

Huge, gorgeous voice. Exceptional technique. Could be a fairly unremarkable musician.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Op.123 said:


> Huge, gorgeous voice. Exceptional technique. Could be a fairly unremarkable musician.


That is what I was getting the impression. I'll likely love his stuff as I am not the specialist many of you are. Thanks friend.


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## tsquare07 (Sep 22, 2018)

I would love to hear him more in jazz for some reason. This one sounds so beautiful. His voice is like fine wine


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## Bonetan (Dec 22, 2016)

I believe he had the most beautiful baritone voice on record. However he often used his voice in ways that bother the heck out of me. Shouting notes etc. Somewhat lacking as an artist as Op. 123 mentioned.

I enjoy 'per me giunto' and 'urna fatale' from him most.


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## Shaughnessy (Dec 31, 2020)

"Over the course of his long tenure at the Met, Merrill sang most of the leading roles in the standard repertory. After the sudden and shocking onstage death of Leonard Warren in 1960, he became in effect the "house baritone" at the Met, a position he enjoyed until the 1970s and the advent of Sherrill Milnes. His voice was firm, strong and distinctive, and he employed it with precision and spirit. He sang often and eagerly -- as Escamillo in "Carmen," Marcello in "La Boheme," in the title role of "Rigoletto," as Germont in "La Traviata," among many others -- and recorded prolifically, mostly for RCA Victor. In 1983 he returned to the Met to participate in an eight-hour centennial celebration that was telecast throughout the world.

In his invaluable study "The Grand Tradition," the British critic J.B. Steane called Merrill "indisputably America's principal baritone," although he admitted to finding his artistry somewhat generic. "His records are not stamped with the sort of individuality that lodges immediately in a listener's memory; they are simply the work of a very good opera singer and source of unfailing pleasure to the ear."



https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/2004/10/27/robert-merrill-the-mensch-of-the-metropolitan-opera/c3037c77-d011-44b1-b5d6-280659892c28/



"For 30 years, Robert Merrill, who has died aged 87, was a leading baritone at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, appearing with the company 787 times in 20 roles from his debut in 1945 (as Germont in La Traviata), to 1975. For such an accomplished artist, he strayed seldom from his base, content to ply his wares at a house that loved and respected his work. He had a smooth, even, warm voice which he deployed with intelligence through a large range of repertory, although he was never considered a very imaginative interpreter. 

Merrill was certainly worthy to join the long line of American baritones from Lawrence Tibett and Richard Bonelli in the 1930s (both of whom influenced Merrill when he attended the Met as a student) to Leonard Warren in the 1940s. He, like the others, boasted a large, warm instrument that projected to the furthest corners of first the old Met, then the new house in the Lincoln Centre. 

His authority on stage and well-schooled singing compensated for any lack of dramatic excitement. Most of his best roles are preserved on complete recordings - his voice took kindly to the microphone. His 1950 recording, with Jussi Björling, of the famous duet from Bizet's The Pearl Fishers has been one of the all-time bestsellers in the classical market."









Obituary: Robert Merrill


Baritone who found fame early.




www.theguardian.com





"I am reminded of a conversation I had many years ago with Daniel Ferro, at Juilliard, one of the world's outstanding voice teachers. He compared Merrill's technique to the automatic gear-shifting of an expensive luxury automobile. He said you never notice the shift between registers; it is so smooth that it is like a perfect, steady progression. I don't think it can be said better.

Such smoothness and exemplary legato immediately suggest Valentin as a near ideal French role for Merrill, and indeed he was superb in such repertoire. Here is the much-loved aria "Avant de Quitter ceux lieux" in a live 1955 performance: 



Spoiler: Faust: Act II: Avant de quitter ces lieux (Valentin) - Robert Merrill



















Robert Merrill: The Rolls-Royce of Baritones!


The popular American baritone Robert Merrill (Moishe Miller) was born in 1919, or thereabouts, in Brooklyn, the son of Polish immigrants. Me...




greatoperasingers.blogspot.com


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

In my opinion, the best thing he ever did was the duet with Björling from *Les pêcheurs de perles *on that RCA recording; I thought his was one of the handsomest baritone voices that I ever heard, but neutral in artistry.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

There are so many wonderful arias he did. Off the top of my head I am thinking of "Si puo" from Pagliacci and "Il balen" from Il trovatore.His "Pearlfisher's" duet with Jussi is totally exquisite and not to be missed. He was a winner.


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## Shaughnessy (Dec 31, 2020)

MAS said:


> In my opinion, the best thing he ever did was the duet with Björling from *Les pêcheurs de perles *on that RCA recording; I thought his was one of the handsomest baritone voices that I ever heard, but neutral in artistry.







Les pecheurs de perles (The Pearl Fishers) , Act I: Au fond du temple saint · Jussi Bjorling and Robert Merrill


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## PaulFranz (May 7, 2019)

Beautiful voice, and wonderful in popular stuff. One of the very few baritones I enjoy at all after the Golden Age. Tons of size. A million, billion, zillion times better than Warren.

That said, there's something distinctly lacking about him. He's not really anywhere near my mostest favoritest baritones, because I think he overdarkens. The sound just doesn't work right in Italian opera, which he specialized in. It lacks some of that slancio and brilliance. It's hard to explain. It's like he took a 50s crooner voice and then blew it up to enormous proportions. It doesn't sound like the giant Italians, and it doesn't sound like the other Americans. I think it's just a technical choice, but it basically puts him out of the tradition to my ears.

I don't think his basic operatic technique compares favorably to those of Lawrence Tibbett, Robert Weede, or Earnest Symmons.

Of course, he was a very boring interpreter as well...in opera. I really think his true calling was popular music. Some of his American songs are very well interpreted.

Now that I'm done talking smack, here's something transcendental:


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

Rudolf Bing (Intendant of the Metropolitan Opera 1950-1972) chastised him because he accepted an offer from Hollywood to star in the film “Aaron Slick from Pumpkin Crick.” To all effects and purposes not a hit.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Bing did not take lightly to his entourage breaking the opera line to star in Hollywood movies. It took Merrill a couple of down-on-his-knees to get him back in the fold. (that doesn't sound right does it!)


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

I got much that was useful to me out of all of your contributions!!!!! I will continue to love him in Gioconda  My contests were helped a lot.


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

Seattleoperafan said:


> I got much that was useful to me out of all of your contributions!!!!! I will continue to love him in Gioconda  My contests were helped a lot.


He was better in certain role, but not consistent - since I don’t follow baritones I couldn’t tell you which. If you like him, that’s enough! 😎


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## ScottK (Dec 23, 2021)

When I think of the most gorgeous pieces of singing I ever experienced live.... sheer vocal beauty at its highest, to my ear, I go to the early seventies and hear Pavarotti singing Una Furtiva Lagrima and Caballe singing D'Amor sul ali rosee .......dead tie and no one else in the race. Second place was the same night as Caballe, when Merrill sang his Il Balen! And he has no competition for that spot in my memory!

I'm glad I can't go back and check because I'm afraid the real thing would not be quite as euphoria inducing as I remember them to be. BUT.......and its an important "but"......growing up an hour and a half from the Met with an opera loving father, a lot of singers have had the chance to compete with the impression that those three made on me and no one has ever come close.


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## ScottK (Dec 23, 2021)

PS....and how was the Enzo on that recording...hmmmm??????......Buona Noooooooooootte


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

PaulFranz said:


> Beautiful voice, and wonderful in popular stuff. One of the very few baritones I enjoy at all after the Golden Age. Tons of size. A million, billion, zillion times better than Warren.
> 
> That said, there's something distinctly lacking about him. He's not really anywhere near my mostest favoritest baritones, because I think he overdarkens. The sound just doesn't work right in Italian opera, which he specialized in. It lacks some of that slancio and brilliance. It's hard to explain. It's like he took a 50s crooner voice and then blew it up to enormous proportions. It doesn't sound like the giant Italians, and it doesn't sound like the other Americans. I think it's just a technical choice, but it basically puts him out of the tradition to my ears.
> 
> ...


This expresses my feeling almost exactly. A handsome voice that pleases nearly all who hear it, including those with no interest in opera. My mother was one of those, and she loved Merrill, enthusing whenever he appeared on TV. I enjoyed his singing but always felt there was something "American" in his sound and personality that didn't inhabit quite the same world as the classic Italian (and even other American) baritones whose repertoire he shared. A "'50s crooner voice blown up to enormous proportions" is obviously hyperbole, but there's a kernel of truth in it. I can hear his voice in my mind evoking the wind sweeping down the plain more readily than pleading with a duke or chiding his son for cohabiting with a courtesan. That said, he did sing opera well, and we'd be fortunate to have him doing it now.


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## ScottK (Dec 23, 2021)

PaulFranz said:


> Beautiful voice, and wonderful in popular stuff. One of the very few baritones I enjoy at all after the Golden Age. Tons of size. A million, billion, zillion times better than Warren.
> 
> That said, there's something distinctly lacking about him. He's not really anywhere near my mostest favoritest baritones, because I think he overdarkens. The sound just doesn't work right in Italian opera, which he specialized in. It lacks some of that slancio and brilliance. It's hard to explain. It's like he took a 50s crooner voice and then blew it up to enormous proportions. It doesn't sound like the giant Italians, and it doesn't sound like the other Americans. I think it's just a technical choice, but it basically puts him out of the tradition to my ears.
> 
> ...


That is gorgeous!!!


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## BalalaikaBoy (Sep 25, 2014)

I really don't care what kind of acting he did with his body. He told us everything we needed to know with his voice. Beautiful timbre, commanding presence, natural, open-throated power. He's everything you could ever ask for in a baritone.


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## ewilkros (8 mo ago)

Here are some suggestions for possible contest titles I don't think you've used before, all from RCA 78s from the late 1940's with Merrill, cond. Jean Paul Morel, except the Falstaff, whch is from the 1963 complete recording under Solti--shouldn't be hard to find competition. (In fact I think RCA had done most of these with John Charles Thomas in the 1930's).

Meyerbeer--L'Africaine--Adamstor, roi des vagues profondes [In Italian] (c Jean Paul Morel) 11-9384





Thomas--Hamlet--Oh vin, dissipe la tristesse (c Jean Paul Morel) 11-9291


Spoiler: Hamlet











Massenet: Hérodiade--Vision fugitive (c Jean Paul Morel) 11-9291


Spoiler: Hérodiade











Massenet: Thais--Te souvient-il du lumineux voyage (with Dorothy Kirsten, 1947) c Jean Paul Morel 11-9792


Spoiler: Thais











Leoncavallo: Zazà--Zazà, piccola zingara (c Jean Paul Morel) 12-0450 


Spoiler: Zaza











Verdi: Falstaff--È sogno, o realtà? c Solti, 1963


Spoiler: Falstaff












Falstaff, Act II: È sogno o realtà?


Provided to YouTube by NAXOS of AmericaFalstaff, Act II: È sogno o realtà? · Georg Solti · Orchestra of the Rome Opera House · Robert MerrillVerdi: Falstaff℗...




www.youtube.com







+ there are some fun pictures on Operatic — ROBERT MERRILL


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

ewilkros said:


> Here are some suggestions for possible contest titles I don't think you've used before, all from RCA 78s from the late 1940's with Merrill, cond. Jean Paul Morel, except the Falstaff, whch is from the 1963 complete recording under Solti--shouldn't be hard to find competition. (In fact I think RCA had done most of these with John Charles Thomas in the 1930's).
> 
> Meyerbeer--L'Africaine--Adamstor, roi des vagues profondes [In Italian] (c Jean Paul Morel) 11-9384
> 
> ...


I checked and had him down for the Hamlet aria. Gosh, he was handsome!


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## BalalaikaBoy (Sep 25, 2014)

Woodduck said:


> This expresses my feeling almost exactly. A handsome voice that pleases nearly all who hear it, including those with no interest in opera. My mother was one of those, and she loved Merrill, enthusing whenever he appeared on TV. I enjoyed his singing but always felt there was something "American" in his sound and personality that didn't inhabit quite the same world as the classic Italian (and even other American) baritones whose repertoire he shared. A "'50s crooner voice blown up to enormous proportions" is obviously hyperbole, but there's a kernel of truth in it. I can hear his voice in my mind evoking the wind sweeping down the plain more readily than pleading with a duke or chiding his son for cohabiting with a courtesan. That said, he did sing opera well, and we'd be fortunate to have him doing it now.


I was never bothered by the "sounded American" part. If someone has decent diction and good vocal technique, a little bit of an accent or more culturally-specific phrasing seldom negatively effect the performance for me.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

BalalaikaBoy said:


> I was never bothered by the "sounded American" part. If someone has decent diction and good vocal technique, a little bit of an accent or more culturally-specific phrasing seldom negatively effect the performance for me.


Fair enough. Merrill certainly outclasses our recent crop of "Italian" baritones.


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