The Great Voices 10 - Robert Merrill

Hello friends and welcome to another episode of the Great Voices. Today, Robert Merrill, the charismatic, possessor of one of darkest, richest, mightiest baritone voices to ever grace the operatic stage and who holds performance records for six different roles at the Metropolitan Opera, where he became a beloved favourite over the course of a remarkable thirty-one years. On December 15, 1945, he stepped onto the stage of the Met for the first time as Giorgio Germont in La Traviata. Critics praised his “baritone voice of considerable volume, with round tones that increased in amplitude as they mounted the scale to a ringing top” and also remarked that he had a “handsome stage presence and acted with ease and dignity.” for the opening night of the 1950, which ushered in the tenure of Rudolf Bing at the Met’s General Manager, Robert was chosen to sing the pivotal role of Rodrigo, Marquis of Posa in a new production of Verdi’s Don Carlo. Robert and Jussi Bjoerling, who would go on to record an album of duets, including their legendary version of the Pearl Fishers duet, joined forces for an epic friendship duet in Act One. On Saturday, May 29, 1976, the curtain closed on his career at the Met after a performance as Renato in Ballo. In all, Robert had sung 789 times for the company both at the Met and on tour. Today, he still holds the Met records for performances in an astounding six different roles, di Luna, Rodrigo, Amonasro, Don Carlo in Forza, Renato in Ballo and the role in which he made his 1945 debut, Giorgio Germont, which sang and amazing 132 times. He is also second on the list for Escamillo and third for both Valentin and Rossini’s Figaro. Simply put, Robert Merrill was indispensable. Huge, rich and round, Robert's voice was the human equivalent of a Medieval cathedral’s pipe organ with all of the stops pulled out. Mighty, Marvellous, Magnificent Moishe Miller, Robert Merrill, most certainly one of the Great Voices.