Francesco Merli
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Francesco Merli (January 27, 1887, Corsico (Milan) - December 12, 1976, Milan) was an Italian tenor, particularly associated with the heavy Italian roles, especially Otello and Calaf, one of the leading heroic tenors of the inter-war period.
[edit] Life and career
Merli studied in Milan, with Carlo Negrini and Adelaide Borghi. In 1914, he won second prize at a singing competition in Parma, after Beniamino Gigli. He made his debut at La Scala in 1916, as Alvaro in Spontini 's Fernand Cortez.
He sang widely in Italy and South America. He appeared at the Royal Opera House in London, from 1926 to 1930, where he was the first Calaf (Turandot) there. He made his debut at the Palais Garnier in 1935, as Pollione in Norma. His only season at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, debut on March 2, 1932, as Radames (Aida) was not successful because of poor health.
Merli was renowned for his vocal brilliance and incisive diction, he was able to defend a wide repertory from bel canto to verismo in such roles as, Guglielmo Tell, Il pirata, Il trovatore, Andrea Chenier, Pagliacci. He became world-famous for his portrayals of Verdi 's Otello, and Calaf in Puccini 's Turandot, of which he left a 1938 recording, opposite Gina Cigna and Magda Olivero.
Merli also created the title role in Respighi 's Belfagor in 1923. He retired from the stage in 1948.
[edit] Sources
- Roland Mancini and Jean-Jacques Rouveroux, (orig. H. Rosenthal and J. Warrack, French edition), Guide de l’opéra, Les indispensables de la musique (Fayard, 1995). ISBN 2-213-01563-6
- The Metropolitan Opera Encyclopedia, edited by David Hamilton.
