Robert merrill biography
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Toscanini also invited him to perform in his final opera broadcast, Un Ballo in Maschera, in 1954.
His annual coast-to-coast recital tours included performances at the Hollywood Bowl, Wolf Trap, and participation in a 1985 memorial concert for Jussi Björling at the Stockholm Opera.
He also sang Bloch's Sacred Service in Hebrew at St.
Patrick's Cathedral, and performed at ceremonies marking the Statue of Liberty Centennial. He was married to the former Marion Machno, a concert pianist and Juilliard graduate who frequently accompanied him in recital. From then on, Merrill was considered a well-known performer, and his reputation continued to grow.
Later Career and Personal Life
Merrill continued to sing as a baritone for a long time, even making a small singing appearance in the 2003 film "Anger Management." In 1952, Merrill married Roberta Peters, but they later divorced.
si ben mioPopularity: Opera: Trovatore, IlComposer: VerdiAct: 3.07Type: ariaVoice: tenorLanguage: ItalianRoles: Manrico
Robert Merrill
| American opera singer, baritone Date of Birth: 04.06.1917 Country: USA |
Content:
- Biography of Robert Merrill
- Early Career
- Rise to Fame
- Later Career and Personal Life
- Death and Legacy
Biography of Robert Merrill
Robert Merrill was an American opera singer and baritone.
He was the son of tailor Abraham Miller, originally Milstein, and his wife, Lillian (née Balaban), Jewish immigrants from Pultusk, Poland, near Warsaw. In 1945, Merrill made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera, singing the role of Germont in "La Traviata." That same year, he collaborated with Jeanette MacDonald on a recording of selected excerpts from the operetta "Up In Central Park," recording two duets for the album.
Merrill was inspired to pursue professional singing lessons when he saw the baritone Richard Bonelli singing Count Di Luna in a performance of Il Trovatore at the Metropolitan Opera, and paid for them with money earned as a semi-professional pitcher.
In his early radio appearances as a crooner he was sometimes billed as Merrill Miller.
ROBERT MERRILL
Acclaimed by critics as "one of the great natural baritones of the century," Robert Merrill truly became a legend in his own time. His paternal grandparents were Berl Milstein and Chana (née Mlawski), both from Pultusk, Poland.
His mother claimed to have had an operatic and concert career in Poland (a fact denied by her son in his biographies) and encouraged her son to have early voice training: he had a tendency to stutter, which disappeared when singing.
His gravestone is adorned with an image of a raised curtain, symbolizing the stage, and there are several small stones on top, following Jewish tradition.
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He was also the recipient of the Handel Medallion, New York's highest cultural award, as well as an Honorary Doctorate of Music degree from Gustavus Adolphus College.In addition to opera, Mr. Merrill recorded music of the Broadway stage, including Porgy and Bess, Show Boat, Carousel, and Fiddler
on the Roof. They had two children, David and Lizanne. Both of those broadcasts were eventually released on both LP and CD by RCA Victor. A special thrill for him was performing William Schuman's Casey at the Bat, with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center.
He retired from the Metropolitan Opera in 1976, returning once to sing at the Centennial Gala in 1983.
He was born as Moishe Miller in the Williamsburg area of Brooklyn, New York to parents Abram Miller and Lillian Miller. His ranking as an important NBC performer is evidenced by his inclusion in NBC's 1947 promotional book, NBC Parade of Stars: As Heard Over Your Favorite NBC Station, displaying Sam Berman's caricatures of leading NBC personalities.
More Arias, Duets and Ensembles performed by Robert Merrill
Nr.Title scenePopularityOperaComposerActTypeVoicesLang.Roles
Merrill made his Met debut in 1945 as the elder Germont in Verdi's La Traviata, and shortly thereafter Arturo Toscanini invited him to perform this role in his historic broadcast with the NBC Symphony Orchestra. He authored three books, Between Acts, Divas, and an autobiography written in collaboration with Sanford Dody.
His enthusiasm for baseball was well known, and for a period he pitched for a semi-pro team to help pay for singing lessons.
In his free time, Merrill enjoyed playing golf and was beloved by his friends for his incredible sense of humor.
While singing at bar mitzvahs and weddings and Borscht Belt resorts, he met an agent, Moe Gale, who found him work at Radio City Music Hall and with the NBC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Arturo Toscanini. His second marriage to Marion Machno was more successful, and they had two children together, David and Lisan.
He received the National Medal of Arts in 1993.
Merrill was born Moishe Miller, later known as Morris Miller, in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, New York. Mr. Merrill died on October 23, 2004, at his home in suburban New York City.