Robert Merrill and Nicola Martinucci - Forza del Destino

[@kennethwayne6857]

I was there that evening. Beautiful memories! I made a huge effort to get a ticket, solely because I needed to hear Merrill. Finally got one and was not disappointed.

[@craigmann591]

Even at this late date Robert Merrill is still the vocal master of all he surveys

[@Catalogue2]

Tremendous singing, and tremendous voice.

[@jojojo943]

To those who would disparage Martinucci, please go to his outdoor Celeste Aida in 1981, at Verona, I believe. You won't hear it better sung.

[@Catalogue2]

This is miked badly. An unfortunate function of more modern times than the old tube mikes they used in the 40's, planted out in the house or hanging from the grid. Martinucci sounded like a silver-toned beast in real life. And Merrill's artistry is immortal, unimpeachable.

[@gabriellabellochio7518]

Che meraviglia!!❤

[@Agorante]

I'm surprised. I thought Merrill couldn't surprise me anymore. I expected that by this stage in his very long career he would be just surviving. No. He's triumphing. The voice is large, colorful, easy and sweet. I've always liked Martinucci, and he's good here, but Old Bob gives him a singing lesson.

[@marcandreg.4394]

Waouh !!!! Merrill is awsome the voice is intact. 😲

[@vladimirsolodovnikov945]

Да...! Старые мастера ,это другой мир ...! Мартинуччи....!! И скатились до ...хитрого Доминго !

[@gabriellabellochio7518]

Meravigliosi.😊

[@Ancilla43]

Martinucci grande!!!!!

[@homagetogreathistoricalsin9711]

Merrill is very impressive in this performance for a man his age.

[@CarlosDaniel-yu9zd]

Great Merril and your powerful voice!

[@ddevicente]

Are you people serious?? Both of them are/were great singers, respected by their peers. Just because they are not your favorite singer ________x doesn't mean they're lacking in some way. PLEASE make objective comments about the video or else everyone becomes an expert without actually contributing anything at all.

[@szabadieva3122]

Grazie mille !!!

[@ComteAnckarstrom]

Wonderful Merrill as always!

[@道-p2e]

Love Merrill's delivery, great duet, bravo!

[@sirenadellopera]

"Bubbles" was so classy and sweet... And Merrill is delicious as always! Martinucci, bravo, too. Nice clip. Thanks.

[@tenorschofield]

BRAVO!!!!!!!!!

[@hildegerdhaugen7864]

+John Schofield Beverly was so cute too.

[@tenorschofield]

+Hildegerd Haugen Yes!!!you are so rigth!!!;she looked as an ellegant sweet woman.Thanks for your reminder.All the best for you Hildegerd!!!

[@hildegerdhaugen7864]

+John Schofield Likewise.

[@sparafucile2]

Gala Richard Tucker - 1989. (Merrill con 72 años)

[@christianroider118]

And in Good shape❤

[@Agorante]

@primobaritono77 Me too! The best Calaf I ever heard live.

[@christianroider118]

❤merrill

[@sarado88]

Bravoooooooo!!!

[@AfroPoli]

You keep forgetting the greatest of them all: Apollo Granforte...

[@valterdalpra8691]

Grandi!!!!.

[@bellinianodoc]

Capperi, sono d'accordo parola per parola!!!!

[@christianroider118]

❤Nicola !! Late time Giant like luccheti🎉 Listen to von Karajan

[@GermanOperaSinger]

Best Forza I've heard was with Warren and Tucker. Of course in the post Warren years Merrill sang this role very well. How old is he here?

[@tonyashbridge2910]

Some singers go on well past their best but here we have Mr Merrill past 70 years old singing with richness and power well after he had wound up his career on the main stages. Martinucci was a fine tenor by the way. His only crime was that there were one or two others who were just a touch better.

[@sugarbist]

If there's another tenor better than you it's a crime? If Corelli was better than Bergonzi Labo, Mauro, Domingo, Zambon, it was a crime. What an interesting point of you, even though I don't understand it.

[@sgnmath1234]

Amazing how Beverly Sills couldn't even say the title of the duet correctly. I was rather taken aback.

[@100Singers]

Unique! Merrill and Warren - the greatest Baritones ever heard! May I say that Martinucci is not really first class? Imagine Merrill in this with Tucker or Bjoerling! And it makes me so sad too see Beverly and to know she passed away much too early.

[@sugarbist]

Merrill did sing the aria and opera with Tucker. Merrill sang the aria with Bjorling, but JB never sang Forza live because his voice was not suited for the opera, as it was not suited for Chenier, Carmen, Gioconda, Ernani and Aida. However the non first class Martinucci as you categorize him, did sing all the aforementioned operas. The great Bjorling had a beautiful lyric voice but it was small when comparing him to great and some non first class tenors. Your statement of Martinucci is callous

[@karifrid]

@gaytenor I think you are talking about last years broadcast with Giordani.I did see it.OK You make many good comments,but to say Martinucci is 3rd rate is to much....I saw Kaufman live,and the voice did not reach me well,where I was sitting.(Perhaps to small). He sounded better on the radio later.(Closer to microphons.)I have a cd with Cura,Puccini arias,best is from Gianni Schicchi.He diggs to deep sometimes. I am curious: How do you like,Martinelli , Lauri Volpi and Völker? I am high C tenor.

[@Agorante]

I heard Corelli and Martinucci live and you're right Corelli was better. But Martinucci was an excellent - 1st rate - Calaf. He has a couple excellent videos on KZbin and some that are not so good. I imagine that he was inconsistent. I liked him much more than Giaccomini. But Giaccomini was also inconsistent. Most real dramatic tenors have not so pretty voices. Guy Chauvet or Carlo Cossuta come to mind. Or Nunzio Todisco.

[@sugarbist]

Wow Patrick, Corelli was better than Martinucci! But wasn't Corelli better than most tenor's at least in the last 60 years? Martinucci like Giacomini had dry voices, but pretty consistent.

[@adeeo]

Till today, I had a favorite... Del Monaco and Bastianini... But this version is so unbelievable great, that I would put it on par. Il Maestro Bastianini con Merill sono stati grandiosi! Grazie!!! Here my beloved version: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fX6pmoiOmd6CqNE

[@bradleymonroe6443]

Is Nicola Martinucci a dramatic tenor?

[@Ancilla43]

grandioso

[@DemocratsForFreedom]

SPINTO

[@bradleymonroe6443]

Ok. But sometimes Don Alvaro would be more suited for a dramatic tenor voice and spinto tenors for Manrico, Don Carlo, and Cavaradossi.

[@gaytenor]

@karifrid Why don't you consult the Met performance of Turandot that was broadcast where the top notes are strangled. 3rd rate tenor whose career never was one of importance as in no major (or minor) recordings that I know of. Also there is much more to singing than an isolated high note.

[@melbapatti]

Any negative criticism of these two singers is a waste of time and energy. This is EFFORTLESS, full-throated, ringing, legato singing. Merrill was 72 here, and his voice is as resonant and steady as it was at age 50. Martinucci was a great tenor who sang generously every time he appeared. Bravi tutti. To even mention Martinucci in the same breath as Cura is an abomination. Cura was the most parsimonious singer (and worst tenor) I’ve ever heard “live.” I wanted to go backstage and slap him in the face for faking and fluffing through Cav/Pag at the Met, without ever singing a single phrase full value. It was the most ludicrous Vest la giubba in history. On the other hand, I’ve never heard Martinucci sing a performance that wasn’t sung 100% full out 100% of the time. Just like the tenor he honored in this performance.

[@Michael-mh4vr]

To be honest I saw Merrill live at a concert in Skokie Illinois a couple years after this and his high notes were gone. However met him backstage and he signed my program and was extremely down to earth and humble.

[@dennisj.3439]

Great singer Wonderful Self effacing character Merrill was one of the greats

[@Lauritz1]

I agree.....ho-hum for Martinucci but Merrill still sang very well. Can anyone tell me what year this was? Merrill was getting on in years but sang marvelously until he passed in his 80s, just like a really good well schooled singer should be able to.

[@AfroPoli]

@31122051 Ha ragione lei. Merrill aveva una bella voce ma avere una voce non basta (una cosa che i fanatici Americani non capiscono perchè non sentono la differenza. L'italiano di Merrill è come l'inglese di SCHWARZENEGGER). Martinucci invece è bravissimo.

[@melbapatti]

AfroPoli are you any relation to the “historic” Afro Poli from the Gigli Pagliacci and Boheme recordings?

[@darklord220]

@@melbapatti of course not

[@jeffreymiller4814]

@@darklord220 Do you know this pathetic, opinionated “Afro Poli” person who posts all these iconoclastic comments on KZbin? The overrated, mediocre Poli (along with Enrico Molinari) would certainly never be my desert island baritone. The 65 year old Battistini can outsing him at every turn. And American baritones Bonelli, Thomas, Tibbett, Warren, Merrill and Milnes could mop the floor with most operatic baritones from ANY country (except maybe tops-out-at-high-G Gobbi. Maybe) from 1930-1990. Rudolf Bing said, in print, that Merrill was second only to Warren and in a house without Warren Merrill would have been without peer. At 72, Merrill here displays a voice that is steady, warm, resonant, EFFORTLESS, totally dead center pitch-centered and still remarkable beautiful. His opening high F on “lo guiro” is miraculous.

[@musicman051189]

He's About The Same Height As Robert

[@karifrid]

@gaytenor Hmmmm. I was listening to Martinucci singing the high c with Dimitrova "Gli enigmi sone tre" also Nessun dorma and Celeste Aida. "3rd rate tenor" Ha ha ha ha....

[@gaytenor]

@karifrid It was Martinucci and the date can be found in the Met database. Cura is the most godawful brayer in my personal recollection and his Steffelio was the worst performance I've ever heard. Martinelli and Lauri-Volpi were great singers and so was Volker but Herr Volker's politics left me cold and he went into a hastly retirement when Hitler shot himself. The the above comment Kaufmann was typed by accident and he is now the greatest tenor in the world.

[@gaytenor]

Nicola Martinucci was yet another Italian tenor who tried to be Del Monaco without that great tenor's voice. He could be exceptionally provincial in his singing and he was, more or less, a b-flat tenor. Sang Calaf on a Met broadcast and he didn't exactly make anyone forget Corelli to put it mildly.If we keep raising the 3rd rate to the level of EXTRAORDINARY we deserve what we get in terms of really nasty bad singers like Licitra, Cura, and, shamefully now JOnas Kaufmann.

[@elainenagano7281]

I prefer Martinucci over Corelli anytime!

[@oberon481]

Why so bitchy? If you don't like Martinucci, don't listen to him.