ABSTRACT
Italian tenor, born in Milan. He sang as a youth in Italian provincial opera houses, finished second to Beniamino Gigli in a competition in 1914, then began singing at La Scala in 1916, where he remained to 1946. He also appeared in Covent Garden, Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, and the Metropolitan Opera (where he made his debut as Radames on 2 Mar 1932). He retired in 1950, and died in Milan a quarter of a century later. Merli sang the lyric roles in his early career, then more dramatic parts. He was distinguished for his Otello, Manrico, Des Grieux in Manon Lescaut, and Canio. His recording career, mostly with Columbia, began ca. 1924 in Milan,with duets from Forzadel destino. His most important discs were the complete operas he recorded with the La Scala company: Manon Lescaut, Pagliacci, and Trovatore. LP reissues appeared on several labels, including Top Artists Platters; Preiser has reissued two CDs of his recordings (#89026, #89091).
