Renowned bass-baritone of the 1950s and 1960s. One of his vocal cords
eventually became paralyzed, cutting short his singing career.
He was the first Jewish singer to sing the role of Amfortas (a Christian hero-king) in Wagner's Christian ceremonial opera "Parsifal" at Bayreuth after World War 2.
He was the first American to sing the title role in "Boris Godunov" at
the Bolshoi Theatre.
A neurological disorder paralyzed one half of his face for part of his career; the paralysis is visible in some videotaped performances, such as "Tosca".