#rigoletto movie 1993

[itsscatballou]

“I Should Like to Worship You Tonight”

This is probably (definitely) the most niche smut I’ve ever written, or even daydreamed up. I grew up in the Bible Belt and Feature Films for Families were a staple in our home. Rigoletto (1993) was my favorite. I’m a sucker for a Beauty and the Beast themed story, and the music was so beautiful. And of course, as an adult, I’m wildly attracted to the MMC. (Confession - I find that with any BatB story, I tend to prefer the “Beast” before his transition in the end. What does that say about me? Maybe I’ll ask my therapist.) I recently rewatched the movie a thousand times, and I have a whole fic plotted out with stories before this one, but I needed to get this one out of my head an onto “paper.” I hope someone enjoys my warping of a family movie into something not family friendly at all. ;-)

It had been three nights since I was last alone with him, my brooding master of the manor. Three nights since I’d somehow mustered the courage, or maybe it was simply a lack of inhibition?, to boldly confess how my body ached for his touch and burned with the thought of his lips trailing kisses down every bare inch of my skin.

My work had certainly suffered in the days following, constantly drifting into a daydream -memory, really- of the passion that followed . I’d find myself forgetting why I entered a room, not knowing how long I’d been standing there staring at nothing, or holding an item I didn’t remember picking up. The trance his touch had left me in… the spell I was under… it was incurable and unbreakable, save one remedy.

As I tiptoed through the dark manor, conscious of every little sound, my heart racing at who might be around the next corner, who might catch me on my secret quest, I prayed he was awake and as hungry as I.

I’d had little opportunity to be near him, and none at all to be alone with him since that night. Hans, the ever loyal manservant, had -unfortunately- finally recovered from his days long illness that had allowed me such closeness with Ari to begin with. I’d made sure to tiptoe past his door first, where I was relieved to hear him snoring like a bear.

As I descended the last few stairs to the main foyer, the door to his study and music room in sight, my prayer was answered. He was awake, and playing his pianoforte, as he did more often than he didn’t. It was his most beautiful quality, although his voice rivaled it, and the songs he made the instrument sing often filled the halls of this enormous house. I had been haunted from my first day here with the enchanting loneliness of the tunes that seemed to pierce straight to my soul. As the days went on, though, they turned to somewhat brighter notes, lonely but with a tinge of hope. From there they drifted into scores of longing, an unrequited love. Since our union three nights ago, the halls had been filled with lovely romantic tunes, sometimes sultry and passionate, sometimes light and airy like rays of sun slipping through the trees in the early morning hours. It was this type of tune I followed now, my bare feet padding lightly on the wooden floors.

I slipped through the sliding door of his study, silently closing it behind me, and through the open doors into the room beyond I saw him, his long, dark hair shining in the gentle candlelight. I could see the shadows dancing on the scars of his face as he moved with the music. I thought to walk over and touch them, to caress the evidence of all the pain of his previous life. But tonight, I was feeling a bit playful.

As his tune drifted like those morning rays of light over a misty field, warming and awakening something deep within me, I began twirling and moving with the rhythm. I have never been accused of being a lovely dancer, but I felt graceful as I lightly moved across the room. I stopped in front of the bay window, opening the curtains to let the rays of moonlight in. The beauty of the full moon illuminating the front courtyard gave me pause and for a moment I was lost in the night, with the low, beautiful melody of his song in the background.

I don’t know how long it had been, but I suddenly became aware that the music had stopped some time ago. I turned my back to the window and found him still at the piano, but with his hands stacked on his cane, watching me. I had the feeling he’d been staring at me for quite a while, and the feeling brought a blush to my cheeks. I felt bared naked, though I was still wrapped in my silk robe.

“You are a goddess,” Ari finally broke the silence.

I smiled shyly at him, trying to think of something clever and flirty to reply. My words failed me as he rose. The light tap of his cane filling the quiet room as he moved slowly toward me.

He towered over me, his gaze piercing mine, as he held my chin between his thumb and forefinger. I closed my eyes, desperately wanting him to close the distance between our lips, to start our dance together.

His hand left my chin and as I opened my eyes in confusion, I felt the belt of my robe tugged undone. As he slipped it from my shoulders, baring my completely naked body, my breath caught in my throat.

“I should like to worship you tonight,” he continued his thought, his eyes raking over every inch of my moonlit form.

His hand found my waist and gently pushed until my back touched the window, a gasp escaping my mouth at the shock of the cold glass on my skin.

He grinned devilishly at the sound, and using his cane for support, made his way down onto his good knee. Before I could make another sound, he’d lifted my leg and draped it on his shoulder, baring my flower to his hungry gaze.

He began with slow, warm kisses at the top of my thigh. It tickled and I giggled, but ran my hands through his thick hair in encouragement. His kisses moved inward, finding my petals, and the tickles quickly turned to tingles. He moved inward still, his lips finding the center of me, and his kisses became sucks. His tongue began making long, lazy strokes, and I knew I was dripping wet from more than his mouth. My groans could not be stifled as he continued, alternating between sucks, licks, and kisses.

The sudden sensation of fingers entering me caused a yelp of pleasure, and I felt him smile against me before continuing his skilled work. His fingers moved as expertly as his tongue, and I soon felt the crescendo of an orgasm building within me. My hands tugged in his hair, my back arching away from the window and pushing my core further onto his face. His remaining hand cupped my ass, and as he forcefully sucked one long time, I unraveled against him, gasping sharply and exhaling his name, “Ari”.

He was gentle as he continued his work while I came down from my high, and when he finally set my leg down and rose, his own arousal was evident under his robe.

He stopped me when I moved to reach for his erection, more than willing to return the favor. He smiled as he kissed me, moving my hand to his face.

“I said I would like to worship you tonight,” he whispered onto my mouth, “how should you like to be worshiped next?”

I kissed him deeply, and then led him by the hand back to his piano bench.

“With the piano, I think,” I said, giving him a sincere smile.

The melody he played will follow me the rest of my days- it’s beauty, I’m convinced, can never be matched.

#rigoletto #rigoletto movie 1993 #ribalde #smut #I’m sorry if I ruin your childhood with this one #don’t judge me

[hollowsart]

I'm writing this dream down so fast before I forget too much. It had Molina in it for some unknown reason in some new movie role idk anyway:

Man is some quiet, sweet guy living his life. Long happy marriage, has a son. (I don't know what he does or who he is nor why he is there) He uses a cane and was spending time visiting this place that was like.. a school? A library? I'm not sure.. but he definitely enjoyed going and hanging around doing whatever it was he did while talking to the people who worked there. (Maybe his wife worked there, or his son went there? I'm just guessing now)

(Sorry, I was surprised to see him in my dream and was avoiding him fjrnscskfgsf, I wasn't doing a good job, tho.

One day, something happened, and he's now distressed rushing into a room where one guy he knows and had been talking to regularly worked, and he just says in a very sad way "My wife.. My son.." and you just know it wasn't good.

I kinda wish I paid attention more in my dream because this could have been cool for the Molina fans who follow me.

I woke up shortly after that, so I have NO idea what happened. There were also other things happening at the same time as that which had nothing do with the Molina thing.

#ghostie mumbles #if anyone is familiar with the 1993 movie 'Rigoletto'.. this dream with him gave me vibes similar to that. #ANYWAYS that was a weird dream. haven't had HIM in my dreams in awhile. strange

[achildlikeprincess]

Rigoletto (1993)

#rigoletto #rigoletto 1993 #this movie is 30 now! #my screencaps

[salesbyserenity]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Rigoletto 1993 VHS Movie Feature Films for Families NR Sealed.

[faggotflint]

MULTI-MEDIA LENDING LIBRARY MASTERPOST

AS OF MAY 1ST 2024 ALL MOVIES/SHOWS HAVE HARDCODED ENGLISH SUBTITLES UNLESS MARKED OTHERWISE

[movies/shows without subtitles marked (US) shows that have been partially subbed marked (MUS) movies/shows with external subtitles marked (SRT)]

Available TV Shows:

BBC Sherlock (US)

Better Call Saul

Black Sails

Bluey

The Boys

Breaking Bad

Cake Boss (S01 and S03 only) (US)

Cyberchase

Cyberpunk Edgerunners (subbed and dubbed)

Dragon Tales (S01 only) (US)

Dune (US)

Elementary (US)

Fallout

Firefly

Gen V

Golden Girls

Hannibal

House MD

Interview with the Vampire

Invader ZiM (US)

The Last of Us

MacGyver (MUS)

MASH

Merlin (SRT)

Moon Knight

Moral Orel

Mythbusters (US)

Ninjago (US)

Over the Garden Wall (US)

Percy Jackson and the Olympians

River Monsters (US)

Severance

Smallville (US)

The Sopranos

Star Trek Enterprise (US)

Star Trek Lower Decks

Star Trek the Next Generation (US)

Star Trek TOS

Star Trek Voyager

Stargate SG-1

Stargate Atlantis (US)

Star Wars The Bad Batch

Star Wars The Clone Wars

Twin Peaks

Veronica Mars

What We Do in the Shadows

X-Men the animated series (US)

Available Movies:

Airplane! (1980)

Alex Rider Operation Stormbreaker (2006)

Around the World in 80 Days (2004)

Atlantis Lost Empire (2001)

Atlantis Milo's Return (2003)

Audition (1999)

Avatar (2009)

Avatar the way of water (2023)

Baby Driver (2017)

Brokeback Mountain (2005)

Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe (2011)

But I'm a Cheerleader (2000)

Children of the Corn (1983)

Casablanca (1942)

Citizen Kane (1941)

Colors (1988)

Commando (1985)

Dadnapped (2009)

Dawn of the Dead (1978)

Dead Poet's Society (1989)

Deadpool (2016)

Deadpool 2 (2018)

Don't Breathe (2016)

Dracula (1931)

Drive (2011)

Dune (1984)

Dune pt. 1 (2021)

Dune pt. 2 (2024)

Dunkirk (2017)

El Camino (2019)

Eraserhead (1977)

Ever After: A Cinderella Story (1998)

Field of Dreams (1989)

Frankenstein (1931)

Fright Night (1985)

Get Smart (2008)

Glass Onion (2022)

Hamlet (2009)

Hannibal (2001)

Hannibal Rising (2007)

Ice Age (2002)

In the Mouth of Madness (1994)

Inception (2010)

Interview with the Vampire (1994)

Inland Empire (2006)

Insomnia (2002)

Interstellar (2014)

Invader Zim Enter the Florpus (2019)

Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)

Knives Out (2019)

Lego Batman (2017)

Lego Batman Family Matters (2019)

Lisa Frankenstein (2024)

Lost Highway (1997)

Madame Web (2024)

Minority Report (2002)

Moby Dick (1956)

Monkey Man (2024)

Moonlight (2016)

Much Ado About Nothing (2011)

Much Ado About Nothing (2022)

Mulan (1998)

Mulholland Drive (2001)

Muppet Treasure Island (1996)

Napoleon Dynamite (2004)

Network (1976)

Nimona (2023)

No Country for Old Men (2007)

Oliver Twist (1948)

Percy Jackson and the Olympians the Lightning Thief (2010)

Poor Things (2023)

Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019) (in german, english subs)

Ratatouille (2007)

Rigoletto (1993)

Robin Hood Men in Tights (1993)

Robin Hood Prince of Thieves (1991)

Saltburn (2023)

Serenity (2005)

Sky High (2005)

Sophie's Choice (1982)

Spartacus (1960)

Star Wars a New Hope (1977)

Star Wars the Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Star Wars Return of the Jedi (1983)

Starship Troopers (1997)

Stonewall (2015)

Stopmotion (2023)

Sunset Boulevard (1950)

The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)

The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl (2005)

The Awful Truth (1937)

The Bad Guys (2022)

The Birdcage (1996)

The Dark Knight (2008)

The Elephant Man (1980)

The Handmaiden (2016)

The Holdovers (2023)

The Indian in the Cupboard (1995)

The Invisible Man (1933)

The King of Comedy (1982)

The Lego Movie (2014)

The Lego Movie the Second Part (2019)

The Lego Ninjago Movie (2017)

The Lighthouse (2019)

The Mask (1994)

The Mouse that Roared (1959)

The Mummy (1999)

The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)

The Road (2009)

The Road to El Dorado (2000)

The Rocketeer (1991)

The Secret Garden (1993)

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

The Straight Story (1999)

The Verdict (1982)

The Watermelon Woman (1996)

The Wizard of OZ (1939)

The Wolf Man (1941)

To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995)

Top Gear the Perfect Road Trip (2013)

Top Secret! (1984)

Touch of Evil (1958)

Twin Peaks Fire Walk with Me (1992)

What We do in the Shadows (2014)

Wild at Heart (1990)

X-Men Complete Collection (2000-2017)

Available Books:

Dune books 1-6 - Frank Herbert

23 things they don't tell you about capitalism - Ha-Joon Chang

are prisons obsolete - Angela Davis

Cyberpunk Red - Mike Pondsmith

Black Chrome -Mike Pondsmith

The Ultimate RPG Game Master's Worldbuilding Guide: Prompts and Activities to Create and Customize Your Own Game World - James D'Amato

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep - Philip K. Dick

Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

The Communist Manifesto - Friedrich Engels, Karl Marx

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind - Yuval Noah Harari

Magnus Chase 2-3 - Rick Riordan

basically any D&D 5e book

Dm me to make requests

(Updated 05-06-2024)

#god speaks #arrrr

[psychicwhisperscollectionstuff]

... Hands you my school project I worked way too hard on to you

Hello friends!  I’m going to be talking about my favorite childhood movie that still manages to hold true for me today: Rigoletto.  This movie has so many winning qualities and I really wish it was a more well-known movie, as I only had it because we were part of the “feature films for families” club at the right time.  (They mailed you a new VHS once a month).  It is good for so many reasons!  The music is unique and gorgeous, the editing masterful, and the story is an age-old tale (that I feel is easily forgotten) chock full of good morals and lessons vital to a child.  Even more, it’s told in a beautiful way through the lens of childhood innocence.  The whole story is seen with a contrast of adult and child perspectives, valuing both, and within its shroud of mystery that leaves the details up to interpretation, kids have room to see even more than what is there and use their imaginations.  The title itself is not the name of a character in the story, but of the fairytale read at the beginning of the movie.

The music in Rigoletto, all written by Kurt Bestor specially for this movie, is a kind of throwback to different, underappreciated eras. The cover too, with its operatic styled border.  Set in the 1930s during the Great Depression, it has a unique feel.  The songs are very diverse in their tones, but have a certain connectivity and flow about them.  Each one adds to the story in a unique way and the editing montages that go with some, specifically April Child, make them that much more moving and personal for the audience.  Some help us understand characters on a deeper level (especially since singing is part of the plot), some help increase emotional impact during key scenes, some bring heartbreak in how they predict coming scenes, and my favorite, Let Me In, serves as a summary from Bonnie’s perspective.  I’m playing one of the many great songs from this movie in the background, The Curse and then The Melody Within, the main themes for the movie overall.

The movie Rigoletto follows a community as it faces many changes.  An illusive man, Ribaldi, has moved to town and new, mysterious financial difficulties are arising, distressing the residents.  The main character, Bonnie Nelson, and her family are to be evicted from their home and the only way for them to keep it is if Bonnie makes a sacrifice of time in service to this newcomer.  It is the only collateral he will accept.  In time, her curiosity as well her gumption to do what is right lead her to look deeper into Ribaldi and what makes him beautiful, rather than ugly.  She hears what he can do as a singing teacher and longs to learn from him and as the movie progresses their friendship, her skills, and his kindness grow.  He befriends and helps the children of the town, but the adults still mistrust him and hate only grows in their hearts.

This conflict of love versus hate, open mindedness versus fear, the step it takes to go out of a comfort zone and make a change, this is what we are left to ponder.  The strength of the will of the one who looks deeper.  Even the cover displays this conflict, depicting both the beautiful refuge of Ribaldi’s home as well as the angry mob in the mist, as both images merge together in the center, meeting at the title of the movie and the image of Bonnie looking back forlornly, yet also with determination.  The intended theme is easy to see.

This movie teaches kids to look deeper and care about others, even when things get dicey.  It shows that one person’s kindness can unlock that of someone else’s, perhaps someone who has been often knocked down, and how important that can be.  Not only that, but it teaches kids how to cope with bad situations, with their emotions in a healthy way.  In seeing Ribaldi help all these kids with their issues, the movie speaks straight to us.  In talking to Porter, one of Bonnie’s friends who has issues at home, he says, “I think that you love your father.  And you hate the way you feel.  Change the way you feel.”  He goes on, stating that “Meanness isn’t strength.  Your father is not a strong man.  Not yet anyway. But who knows what tomorrow brings?  You mustn’t give up on him.  He needs the love of his family now just as you need his love, and someday you’ll both get what you need.”  This teaches a priceless lesson, not only for someone facing that, but any child.  Emotions are real.  And they suck sometimes.  But you have the power to be better.  To change the way you feel, even if it takes time, and to grow in the way you handle your struggles.  Strength is in gentleness, kindness- not anger.  Mercy is where we can find our peace.

Rigoletto teaches self-worth, bravery, true right and wrong, real strength, the beauty of loyal friendship, meaningful sacrifice and to always work to do more.  Watching it again, so many of my personal beliefs, morals, and ways of life have come directly from this movie and it means the world to me.  And not just me.  One of the things that made this movie great was its personal connection to its creator.  Joe Paur fought long and hard to make this movie what he intended (fun fact, he played Ribaldi), a tribute to his mother and the place she grew up in (it was even fimed there), and at a high cost.  Because of his determination he ended up with friction with nearly everyone on the team, even his own brother.  He left the movie business after this one, despite having written two, now still unpublished, sequels.  This movie was a passion project and it's evident.  Paur knew his vision was worth the sacrifice, just as Bonnie, and later Ribaldi as well, decided that their sacrifice is a small price to pay for those that they love.  We can see it in the product, Rigoletto is a timeless celebration of the things that make us human, especially in times of struggle, and I believe that it is priceless.

So I leave you with the wise words of Ribaldi, “There is nothing more mean and ugly in this world than to have a loving gift, a beautiful spirit, and a desire to give and share these things when there is no one to share them with.”

#rigoletto #rigoletto 1993 #important lessons #best kids movie #you can drag this from my cold dead hands

[bluelephantsndfullmoons]

Love this movie 💙

#rigoletto #movie #movies #1993

[gackts-girl-88]

Rigoletto - The Curse

You guys... this movie was my childhood... not, it is my life. It’s so beautiful, so emotional. It was my light during the dark of life. I watch it every year, without fail, and when I have children they too will watch it.

It you haven’t, you should. They have it on YouTube or you can buy it on Amazon or Ebay. But you should watch this beautiful, beautiful movie.

I absolutely, ABSOLUTELY thought Joseph Paur was the most handsomest man in the entire world and his voice was hypnotic, and emotional, and powerful.

The music in this movie is what I used to sing to my mom to make her smile while she was crying. So every time I watch this I also hold that memory.

I also sang The Melody Within for my first public non-choir competition, and even though I was so scared my vision was black and my knees shaking to the point of almost giving out, my love for that song helped me finish! 

We've heard the tale since we were young, Heard the songs that have been sung, About an evil spell.

Someone beautiful is cursed We feel sad through every verse Til a kiss and all is well

The message that no one can see Is clearer to someone like me

There is no curse or evil spell That's worse than one we give ourselves There is no sorcerer as cruel, As the proud, angry fool.

And yet, we cry life isn't fair Beneath our cries the truth is there

The power that will break the spell We should know very well Is locked within ourselves

Yet we'd rather blame, And curse our fate than change We run from everyone to hide from the pain And all the shame

The story's old we know it well About a wretched evil spell The power that will break this curse Oh I know all too well Is locked within myself

#Rigoletto #1993 #musical #the curse #joseph paur #music video #movie #ari ribaldi #kurt bestor #leo d. paur #song #lyrics #memories #childhood

[thegayraven]

hi everyone welcome to our collaborative movie discussion podcast. you are part of it because you started reading this post and there is no escape. now, let's get started discussing Rigoletto (1993)

#mine

[marriedtobigfoot]

EVERYBODY STOP WHAT YOURE DOING AND WATCH THE MOVIE RIGOLETTO

It's a movie from 1993, and its YouTube in full. It's a cross between Phantom of the Opera, and Beauty and The Beast. And its soft as fuck. Ots so sweet, the characters are nice, and it is honestly so soul cleansing. It's incredible.

[musicalhell]

hey i dunno if you do requests but could you do a review of the 1993 film rigoletto? it was a movie i grew up watching and then i recently watched it again and... oof.

It’’s been lowkey on my radar for a while.  I’ve only seen the first 10-15 minutes or so and...yeah.

[chris--daae]

So, I’m gonna watch the 1993 movie Rigoletto

#me watches

[blackkudos]

Robert McFerrin

Robert Keith McFerrin, Sr. (March 19, 1921 – November 24, 2006) was an American operatic baritone and the first African-American man to sing at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. His voice was described by critic Albert Goldberg in the Los Angeles Times as "a baritone of beautiful quality, even in all registers, and with a top that partakes of something of a tenor's ringing brilliance." He was the father of Grammy Award-winning vocalist Robert McFerrin, Jr., better known as Bobby McFerrin.

Early years

Born in Marianna, Arkansas, McFerrin showed vocal talent at an early age, singing while still a boy soprano in a local church's gospel choir. As a young teenager he joined two of his siblings in a trio. The three accompanied their father on regional preaching engagements, singing gospel songs, hymns and spirituals. Reverend McFerrin did not wish his son to sing secular music, but in the end this wish was undone by his desire to give him the best possible education.

After McFerrin completed the eighth grade in Memphis, his father sent him to live with his aunt and uncle in St. Louis so he could attend Sumner High School. There, the young man's musical horizons widened. He joined the choir and impressed the director, Wirt Walton, sufficiently that he began teaching McFerrin privately. Walton also arranged for McFerrin's first vocal recital to help him earn funds for his college enrolment.

Further studies

Graduating from high school in 1940, McFerrin enrolled at Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. Following his freshman year the young baritone won a scholarship to attend Chicago Musical College and transferred to that institution. World War II and the Draft interrupted McFerrin's schooling, but he returned to Chicago Musical College after discharge and received his degree in 1948.

Early career

In 1948 McFerrin moved to New York City and began receiving vocal coaching from Hall Johnson, the composer and choir director.

McFerrin married Sara Copper, another aspiring singer, in 1949. The couple had two children, Robert Jr. (Bobby) and Brenda.

In New York, McFerrin's singing career prospered. A 1949 appearance in a small role in the Kurt Weill Broadway musical, Lost in the Stars, led to acquaintance with Boris Goldovsky. Goldovsky presented the baritone in the title role of Rigoletto at the Tanglewood Music Festival in 1949 and cast him in his company, the New England Opera Theater (later the Goldovsky Opera Theater) as Valentin in Faust and in Iphigénie en Tauride by Gluck. That year he also performed as Amonasro in Aida with the National Negro Opera Company and made his New York City Opera debut, singing the role of Popaloi, a voodoo doctor, in the premiere of William Grant Still's Haitian opera, Troubled Island.

In 1950 McFerrin sang the title role in Rigoletto with the New England Opera. Moving between opera and Broadway, in 1951 he performed in a revival of The Green Pastures, and the following year he sang in My Darlin' Aida, a version of Verdi's Aida updated to 1861 and set in Memphis, Tennessee. He also returned to the National Negro Opera Company in 1952 to sing Valentin in Faust.

The Metropolitan Opera

McFerrin had distinguished himself in singing competitions earlier in life, but in 1953 he eclipsed these honors by winning the Metropolitan Opera's "Auditions of the Air", the first African-American to do so. During this time, it was usual for the winner of the "Auditions of the Air" to receive six months' training and a contract to sing at the Met. McFerrin received 13 months training but did not receive a contract. No black person had ever sung on the stage of the Met.

In 1950 the Metropolitan Opera came under the leadership of Sir Rudolf Bing, who was determined to integrate the Met's casting of singers. Marian Anderson made history during Bing's tenure as the first African-American to sing on the Met stage. McFerrin followed with his Met debut in the same month, on January 27, 1955. Thus, McFerrin became the first black man to sing at the Metropolitan Opera. Rarely stated in the great publicity surrounding Marian Anderson's accomplishment is the fact that McFerrin was already engaged to make his debut when Anderson received her contract. With his Rigoletto in 1956 McFerrin became the first African-American in history to sing a title role at the Met. In addition, McFerrin was the first African-American to sing at both the Metropolitan Opera and New York City Opera. He achieved the same distinction with his Rigoletto in Naples at the San Carlo Opera in 1956.

McFerrin's debut role at the Met was Amonasro, the Ethiopian king, in Aida. He sang for three years at the Metropolitan Opera, seven times as Amonasro, once as Valentin in Faust and twice in the title role of Rigoletto.

Concerned with the uncertainty of his future in New York, McFerrin resigned his position at the Met in favor of his chances in Hollywood. After 1958 McFerrin appeared no more at the Metropolitan Opera.

California

McFerrin went to California in 1958 to work on the Otto Preminger movie, Porgy and Bess. The casting plans for this production of the George Gershwin opera slated Sidney Poitier as Porgy. Poitier was to act the role onscreen and lip-synch the musical numbers. McFerrin was engaged to provide Porgy's singing voice. The McFerrins settled in Hollywood that year so that McFerrin could begin working with Sidney Poitier. When the movie was released in 1959, the New York Times stated that, like Poitier's acting, McFerrin's singing was "as sensitive and strong as one could wish." The soundtrack was released as an LP.

McFerrin and his wife set up a vocal studio in Los Angeles and began teaching. In 1959 McFerrin was engaged to teach singing lessons at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, and later he became a voice teacher at Sacramento State College. While they were living in California the McFerrins' marriage ended in divorce. McFerrin credited his ex-wife with helping to support the family while he was beginning his career. She also played as his piano accompanist and helped him learn new music at the keyboard. After 15 years in California, McFerrin moved to St. Louis, Missouri.

After their divorce, Sara McFerrin was a music professor at Fullerton College, in Fullerton, California, from 1973 to 1993, serving as Voice Department Chair, and as Music Department Chair.

Later years

In 1973 McFerrin returned to St Louis, the city where he had attended high school; it remained his primary residence for the rest of his life. McFerrin accepted an appointment as Artist-in-Residence at the St. Louis Institute of Music Conservatory, both performing and teaching.

During these years he sang in public with his children. Bobby and Brenda had grown up in a household where music was a major topic of conversation, and where, as Bobby McFerrin recalls, "there was all kinds of music." Both Bobby and Brenda became professional singers, though they chose not to follow their parents' footsteps into the classical field. Bobby became a non-classical singer, conductor, composer and Grammy Award winner. Calling herself a consumer vocalist, Brenda pursued a career as a Motown recording artist. The three sang in 1987 at a benefit concert for the McFerrin Endowment for Minority Artist at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Although McFerrin sustained a stroke in 1989 which affected his speech, he remained able to sing. In 1993 he appeared with his son and the St. Louis Symphony; Bobby conducted and McFerrin senior sang. He married his second wife, Athena Bush, in 1995.

McFerrin was twice awarded honorary doctorates: in 1987 from Stowe Teacher's College, St. Louis, and in 1989 from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. In 2003 Opera America, in conjunction with the Association of U.S. and International Professional Opera Companies and Opera Volunteers International, honored McFerrin with a Lifetime Achievement Award. He is commemorated by a brass star and bronze plaque embedded in the St. Louis Walk of Fame.

McFerrin suffered a heart attack on November 24, 2006, and died in St. Louis at the age of 85. He is buried at the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery.

Role model

McFerrin's accomplishments as a black man in the field of classical singing served as an inspiration to singers of color who followed, especially men. Upon McFerrin's death, the African-American tenor, George Shirley, wrote, "Robert McFerrin Sr.'s heart was that of a giant; as one of the world's greatest singers and courageous pioneers, he instilled within me and countless other black males the resolve to pursue our destinies as performers in the profession of grand opera. In spite of the personal hardships he endured, his magnificent voice retained its amazing power and beauty well into his 8th decade..."

His son, Bobby McFerrin, has said in interviews, "His work influenced everything I do musically. When I direct a choir, I go for his sound. His musical influence was absolutely profound. I cannot do anything without me hearing his voice."

Recordings

McFerrin was called "under-recorded" by Opera News. The following is a list of known recordings.

Excerpts from Rigoletto, for the Metropolitan Opera Club (1956). His "Cortigiani" with Fausto Cleva conducting, called "consummate," was also later released in 2001 by the Metropolitan Opera Guild on a collection called Met Stars Sing Verdi (see below under External Links).

Aida, live recording, with the Teatro San Carlo (1956). This recording, conducted by Vincenzo Bellezza, was originally identified, "The Golden Age of Opera GAO 130."

Porgy and Bess, LP soundtrack of the 1959 movie, Columbia OL 5410

"Deep River" and Other Classic Negro Spirituals, (June 1957)

Let's Learn a New Song, a children's album recorded in the 1960s

Medicine Music, EMI Records (USA), UPC: 077779204823, released July 23, 1996. This CD is a Bobby McFerrin release in which he sings the song "Discipline" with his father, Robert McFerrin Sr.

Wikipedia

#Robert McFerrin #03-19 #11-24

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#rigoletto #1993 #movie