 In addition to being among the earliest international opera stars to have made recordings, he was a versatile singer who performed roles ranging from Sarastro in Mozart's "The Magic Flute" to the core bass roles by Meyerbeer, Gounod, Verdi and Wagner, among others.He was renowned for his exquisite legato singing as well as for his crisp diction, limpid tone, precise intonation, and virtuosic mastery of ornaments and fioriture.While not huge, his voice was of penetrating character, making a consistently positive impression in such large theatres as the Metropolitan Opera in New York City.