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Jussi Björling

January 01, 1970

Johan Jonatan "Jussi" Björling (/ˈjuːsi ˈbjɔːrlɪŋ/ YOO-see BYOR-ling, Swedish: [ˈjɵ̌sːɪ ˈbjœ̂ːɭɪŋ]; 5 February 1911[1] – 9 September 1960) was a Swedish tenor. One of the leading operatic singers of the 20th century, Björling appeared for many years at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City and less frequently at the major European opera houses, including the Royal Opera House in London and La Scala in Milan. He sang the Italian, French and Russian opera repertory with taste.[2]

Early life edit

Björling (surname also spelled as "Bjoerling" and "Bjorling" in English-language sources) was born in Stora Tuna, Borlänge, Dalarna, Sweden, in February 1911. The midwife's register shows he was born on 5 February, but the church baptism records erroneously show 2 February, and that was the day on which he celebrated his birthday throughout his whole life.[1] He was known throughout his life by the name Jussi, which he received as a child from his Finnish-born grandmother (Henrika Matilda Björling née Lönnqvist, b. 1844 Pori, d. 1918 Borlänge). His father, David, was an accomplished singer and the first teacher of Jussi and his two brothers, Olle and Gösta, who also went on to become professional singers. He also performed with his sons as Björlingkvartetten or the Björling Male Quartet. Jussi made his debut public appearance at five years of age.[3] The group performed in concerts throughout Sweden and the United States for 11+1⁄2 years. David Björling died in 1926, leading to the disbandment of the quartet and, as a consequence, Jussi Björling found work as a lamp salesman in Ystad. In 1928, Björling made his radio debut. In the same year, he auditioned for John Forsell, and was admitted to the Opera School and the Royal Swedish Academy of Music.

Career edit

 
Björling performing at Skansen, Stockholm in 1960

Björling made his first stage appearance in the small part as the Lamplighter in Manon Lescaut at the Royal Swedish Opera on 21 July 1930. This was soon followed by his official debut role as Don Ottavio in Mozart's Don Giovanni on 20 August 1930, with his teacher John Forsell as the protagonist. His other two official debut roles followed; Arnold in Rossini's William Tell on 27 December, and Jonatan in Saul og David by Carl Nielsen on 13 January 1931. This led to a contract with the Royal Swedish Opera, where Björling added 53 parts up to 1938. Among the roles he was entrusted was Erik in Der fliegende Holländer, Almaviva in The Barber of Seville, Duca in Rigoletto, Wilhelm Meister in Mignon, Faust, Vasco Da Gama in L'Africaine, Rodolfo in La bohème with Hjördis Schymberg, Tonio in La fille du régiment, Florestan in Fidelio and Belmonte in Die Entführung aus dem Serail. He was the first Swedish Dick Johnson in La fanciulla del West, Luigi in Il tabarro, Elemer in Arabella and Vladimir in Prince Igor, notably performing the part opposite Feodor Chaliapin in 1935.[4]

In July 1931 he appeared in recital at Copenhagen's Tivoli, his first appearance outside Sweden as an adult.[5] Björling appeared quite frequently as a recitalist, often appearing in summer recitals in Scandinavian folkparks and tivolis, while confining himself to more serious music during his recital tours abroad. In 1936–1937 he first appeared in recital and opera in Vienna and Prague and also appeared in Berlin, Dresden and Nuremberg in operas in Swedish in an otherwise German ensemble. In 1937 Björling made his recital debut in London and his first American tour as an adult. Björling made his American concert debut at the Carnegie Hall in 1937 – also appearing in opera in Chicago that year. On 24 November 1938 he made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera as Rodolfo in La bohème, where he remained on the roster until 1941, often appearing in opera in San Francisco and Chicago as well.

In December 1940 Arturo Toscanini invited Björling to sing the tenor part in Beethoven's Missa solemnis in New York, a recording of which exists. Björling also performed the Verdi Requiem under Toscanini in 1939 in Lucerne, Switzerland, and in November 1940 in New York, another performance that was recorded and eventually issued as an LP.

Björling made his debut at the Royal Opera House in London in 1939 as Manrico in Il trovatore. The war confined his appearances to Europe. He appeared in opera in Copenhagen, Helsinki and Budapest and made his Italian debut at the Teatro Comunale, Florence, in 1943 in Il trovatore. In 1944 Björling was appointed hovsångare (i.e. "Royal Court Singer") by the Swedish King, Gustaf V.

In 1945 Björling returned to the US and appeared frequently at the Metropolitan Opera. He sang many major tenor roles in operas in the French and Italian repertoire, including Il trovatore, Rigoletto, Aida, Un ballo in maschera, Cavalleria rusticana, Faust, Roméo et Juliette, La bohème, Madama Butterfly, Tosca and Manon Lescaut. He appeared as Don Carlo in the opening of the 1950–1951 season, but the relationship with Rudolf Bing was strained, and as a consequence he was absent for a couple of seasons in the mid 1950s. Meanwhile, Björling appeared with other American opera companies such as Lyric Opera of Chicago and San Francisco Opera.

Björling appeared at La Scala in 1946 in Rigoletto and 1951 in Un ballo in maschera. His planned Paris début in 1953 was cancelled, however, and except for recitals in United Kingdom, some performances in Yugoslavia, East Germany and South Africa in 1954, Björling rarely appeared outside Scandinavia and United States.

On 15 March 1960 Björling suffered a heart attack before a performance of La Bohème at Covent Garden. He insisted on singing in spite of his condition.[6] Björling then made a short American tour, making his last operatic performance as Faust in San Francisco on 1 April 1960 and his final recital at Skansen, Stockholm, on 20 August 1960 (thirty years to the day after his official debut in 1930). He died of heart-related issues on the island of Siarö [sv], Sweden, on 9 September 1960, aged 49.[7]

Recordings edit

In 1951, RCA Victor recorded a series of duets with Björling and baritone Robert Merrill including a noted performance of "Au fond du temple saint" from the opera The Pearl Fishers by Georges Bizet. Among the first complete opera recordings to be issued on LP by RCA Victor was a 1952 studio recording of Il Trovatore, with Björling, Zinka Milanov and Leonard Warren. In 1953, Björling recorded the roles of Turiddu and Canio in complete versions of Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci also for RCA Victor.

 
Bust of Björling in Stockholm

In the summer of 1954, Björling recorded Puccini's Manon Lescaut with Licia Albanese and Robert Merrill in Rome for RCA Victor followed by Aida opposite Milanov and Warren in 1955. Björling, Victoria de los Ángeles and Merrill, made a widely admired recording of Puccini's La Bohème conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham in 1956. Björling's 1959 EMI recording of Madama Butterfly, with de los Angeles in the title role and conducted by Gabriele Santini, is also widely celebrated. In Victoria de los Angeles's biography by Peter Roberts (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1982), de los Angeles noted that "In spite of technical developments, none of the Jussi Björling recordings give you the true sound of his voice. It was a far, far more beautiful voice than you can hear on the recordings he left".

In 1957, Björling, Milanov and Warren made a complete stereo recording of Tosca, for RCA Victor in Rome with Erich Leinsdorf conducting. The tenor was awarded the 1959 Grammy Award for Best Classical Performance – Vocal Soloist (With Or Without Orchestra) for his RCA Victor recital album, Björling in Opera.

In 1956, Björling appeared in the NBC television anthology Producers' Showcase in two programs entitled Festival of Music hosted by Charles Laughton, followed by José Ferrer. Björling can be seen with soprano Renata Tebaldi in excerpts from La Bohème. Both Festival of Music programs, originally broadcast in color, have since been released on black-and-white kinescopes on DVD.

One of Björling's final recordings was the Verdi Requiem conducted by Fritz Reiner for RCA Victor in June, 1960 with Leontyne Price, Rosalind Elias, Giorgio Tozzi, the Vienna Philharmonic, and the chorus of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde.

Personal life edit

Björling was known as the "Swedish Caruso".[8] His son Rolf and his grandson Raymond are also professional tenors.

 
Jussi Björling's gravestone at Stora Tuna, Dalarna, Sweden
 
Bust of Björling in front of the Jussi Björling Museum in Borlänge

His widow, Anna-Lisa Björling, published a biography with the cooperation of Andrew Farkas that described Björling as a loving family man and generous colleague. However, in the book Anna-Lisa did not attempt to hide the destructive influence of Björling's alcoholism.

He is buried in the church cemetery at Stora Tuna, Borlänge, Sweden.

Legacy edit

 
Jussi's statue in the square named after him in Borlänge, Dalarna, Sweden (60°29′10″N 15°26′02″E / 60.486204°N 15.433857°E / 60.486204; 15.433857)

Gröna Lunds Tivolis Jussi Björling-stipendium (The Gröna Lund Jussi Björling Award) was established in 1963 by the Stockholm amusement park where Björling often sang, for its 80th anniversary.

Jussi Björlings Minnesstipendium (Jussi Björlingstipendiet) was established in 1970 and is administered by Stiftelsen Kungliga Teaterns Solister (The Royal Opera Soloists Foundation) in Stockholm.

The Jussi Björling Recital Hall was dedicated at Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, Minnesota, in 1970.

The Jussi Björling Tenor Competition took place in Borlänge in 1994. 125 tenors from 38 countries participated and winner was the Chinese Deng Xiao-Jun.

Jussi Björlingmuseet (The Jussi Björling Museum) was opened in Borlänge in 1994.[9]

Björling's name is now used with the prestigious Jussi Björling Music Scholarship at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota.

An archive of nearly all of Björling's recorded performances, photographs, letters, recital and opera programmes, reviews, obituaries, and other items related to his career is maintained at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University Bloomington.

Luciano Pavarotti, in a 1988 interview for the Swedish daily newspaper Svenska Dagbladet, stated:

When I'm about to train a new opera, I first listen to how Jussi Björling did it. His voice was unique and it's his path that I want to follow. I would more than anything else wish that people compared me with Jussi Björling. That's how I'm striving to sing.[10]

Awards and citations edit

During his lifetime, Björling received many orders, decorations, honorary citizenships and other honours from monarchs, governments and cultural and charity organizations in Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Latvia, Belgium, Greece, Hungary and the US.

Discography edit

Complete works issued on CD

  • Aida, RCA (studio), 1955.
  • Un ballo in maschera, Met, 1940; New Orleans, 1950.
  • La bohème, Met, 1948; RCA (studio), 1956.
  • Cavalleria rusticana, RCA (studio), 1953; Stockholm Opera, 1954 (other singers in Swedish); Decca/RCA (studio), 1957; Met, 1959.
  • Don Carlos, Met, 1950.
  • Faust, Met, 1950 & 1959.
  • Madama Butterfly, EMI (studio), 1959.
  • Manon Lescaut, Met, 1949 & 1956; RCA (studio), 1954; Stockholm Opera, 1959 (other singers in Swedish).
  • Missa solemnis (Beethoven), NBC broadcast, 1940.
  • Pagliacci, RCA (studio), 1953; Stockholm Opera, 1954 (sung in Swedish).
  • Requiem (Verdi), NBC broadcast, 1940; Decca/RCA (studio), Vienna, 1960.
  • Rigoletto, Met, 1945; RCA (studio), 1956; Stockholm Opera, 1957.
  • Roméo et Juliette, Stockholm Opera, 1940 (sung in Swedish); Met, 1947.
  • Tosca, RCA (studio), 1957.
  • La traviata, Stockholm Opera, 1939 (sung in Swedish).
  • Il trovatore, Covent Garden, 1939; Met, 1941 & 1947; RCA (studio), 1952; Stockholm Opera, 1957 & 1960.
  • Turandot, Decca/RCA (studio), 1959.

Larger general collections on CD

  • Jussi Björling: The Swedish Caruso, EMI Classics 2 17313 2 (5 CDs, 2008)
  • Jussi Björling: The Complete RCA Album Collection, RCA 88697748922 (14 CDs, 2011)
  • The Very Best of Jussi Björling, EMI Classics 6 78997 2 (2 CDs, 2012)
  • Jussi Björling Collection, Naxos 8.101101 (11 CDs, 2012. Comprises studio recordings. CDs 1–8 earlier issued separately. Released in Sweden with notes in Swedish only.)
  • Jussi Björling: The Swedish Caruso, Documents 600034 (10 CDs, 2013)
  • Jussi Björling: The Worldstar Live on Stage, Documents 600129 (10 CDs, 2013)

Selection of special collections and concerts on CD

  • Jussi Björling Live: Holland 1939, Norway 1954, Bluebell ABCD 006 (1 CD, 1987)
  • Jussi Björling: The Atlanta Recital 13 April 1959, Bluebell ABCD 020 (1 CD, 1989)
  • Jussi Björling in Song and Ballad, Bluebell ABCD 050 (1 CD, 1993)
  • Jussi Bjoerling: Rarities, VAI Audio VAIA 1189 (1 CD, 2000)
  • Jussi Björling: Fram för framgång: Film and Radio Recordings, Bluebell ABCD 092 (1 CD, 2002)
  • The Jussi Björling Series: Radamès, Alfredo, Roméo, Bluebell ABCD 103 (2 CDs, 2006)
  • Jussi Björling In Song, Testament SBT 1427 (1 CD, 2008)
  • Jussi Björling Live: Broadcast Concerts 1937–1960, West Hill Radio Archives WHRA-6036 (4 CDs, 2010)
  • Bjoerling Sings at Carnegie Hall, RCA 88697858222 (1 CD, 2011)
  • Jussi at Gröna Lund: Complete recordings 1950–1960, Bluebell ABCD 114 (3 CDs, 2011)
  • Jussi Björling in Concert: Finland & the U.S.A. (1940–1957), Bluebell ABCD 116 (2 CDs, 2012)

A complete list of Björling's recordings and their CD and DVD issues is available on the Jussi Björling Museum's website.[12]

References edit

  1. ^ a b . www.jussibjorlingsallskapet.com. Archived from the original on 7 January 2009.
  2. ^ Norwich, J.J. (1985–1993). Oxford illustrated encyclopedia. Judge, Harry George., Toyne, Anthony. Oxford [England]: Oxford University Press. p. 48. ISBN 0-19-869129-7. OCLC 11814265.
  3. ^ "Jussi Bjorling". The History of the Tenor. The Tenor. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  4. ^ "Jussi Björlings scenrepertoar" (PDF). Jussi Björlingsällskapet. The Tenor. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 October 2022. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
  5. ^ "Biography". Jussi Bjorling Society.
  6. ^ "Mr Björling taken ill on stage". The Times. 16 March 1960. p. 12. A spokesman for Mr Björling said 'I think he had a minor heart attack.'...'But being told that the Queen Mother was in the audience gave him an extra fillip and he sang the role.'
  7. ^ Harald Henrysson; Andrew Farkas (1996). Jussi. Amadeus Press. p. 384. ISBN 9781574670103.
  8. ^ "Metropolitan opera rebuilds with new blood and fresh young voices". Life. Vol. 6, no. 3. Time Inc. 16 January 1939. p. 60. ISSN 0024-3019. Retrieved 27 February 2011. Jussi Bjoerling, called the "Swedish Caruso," is only 27, sang in U.S. music halls at the age of 10.
  9. ^ . Archived from the original on 13 May 2015. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
  10. ^ (in Swedish) "Hemma hos Pavarotti" Svenska Dagbladet. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
  11. ^ "Jussi Björling (tenor)". Gramophone. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
  12. ^ , Matti Ståhlber, 15 May 2013, via borlange.se

Further reading edit

  • Björling, Anna-Lisa, and Farkas, Andrew, Jussi. Portland, Oregon: Amadeus Press, 1996. ISBN 1-57467-010-7.
  • Forsell, Jacob, Ranelid, Björn, & Henrysson, Harald, Jussi: Sången, människan, bilderna. Stockholm: Norstedts, 2010. ISBN 978-91-1-302783-8. (Extensively illustrated book in Swedish with a complete chronology in English of Björling's performances from 1915 to 1960 on an enclosed CD.)
  • Hastings, Stephen, The Björling Sound: A Recorded Legacy. New York: University of Rochester Press & Woodbridge, Suffolk, UK: Boydell & Brewer Ltd., 2012. ISBN 978-1-58046-406-2.
  • Henrysson, Harald, A Jussi Björling Phonography. Second ed. Stockholm: Svenskt Musikhistoriskt Arkiv, 1993. ISBN 91-85172-10-3; 3rd print ed. Säter, 2014. ISBN 978-91-637-5864-5.
  • Stenius, Yrsa, The Heart of Jussi Björling. Stockholm: Brombergs bokförlag, 2011. ISBN 978-91-7337395-1. (English edition only as e-book.)

External links edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jussi Björling.
  • The Jussi Björling Museum 17 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine (in Swedish and English)
  • Jussi Björling biography at Opera Vivrà
  • The Jussi Björling Society - Jussi Björlingsällskapet (in English)
  • Jussi Björling Collection at Indiana University 4 June 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  • Björling and his wife Anna-Lisa Björling (1949 live audio) on YouTube, "O soave fanciulla", San Francisco Opera, Gaetano Merola conducting
  • Video showing Björling's grave and the Jussi Björling museum on YouTube
  • Audio on YouTube, Björling sings "O Holy Night" in Swedish ("O helga natt")
  • Jussi Björling sings arias from Il trovatore, La fanciulla del West, Rigoletto, Tosca on Archive.org
  • Filmography at the Swedish Film Database

January 01, 1970
jussi, björling, johan, jonatan, jussi, björling, ɔːr, byor, ling, swedish, ˈjɵ, sːɪ, ˈbjœ, ːɭɪŋ, february, 1911, september, 1960, swedish, tenor, leading, operatic, singers, 20th, century, björling, appeared, many, years, metropolitan, opera, york, city, less. Johan Jonatan Jussi Bjorling ˈ j uː s i ˈ b j ɔːr l ɪ ŋ YOO see BYOR ling Swedish ˈjɵ sːɪ ˈbjœ ːɭɪŋ 5 February 1911 1 9 September 1960 was a Swedish tenor One of the leading operatic singers of the 20th century Bjorling appeared for many years at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City and less frequently at the major European opera houses including the Royal Opera House in London and La Scala in Milan He sang the Italian French and Russian opera repertory with taste 2 Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 3 Recordings 4 Personal life 5 Legacy 6 Awards and citations 7 Discography 8 References 9 Further reading 10 External linksEarly life editBjorling surname also spelled as Bjoerling and Bjorling in English language sources was born in Stora Tuna Borlange Dalarna Sweden in February 1911 The midwife s register shows he was born on 5 February but the church baptism records erroneously show 2 February and that was the day on which he celebrated his birthday throughout his whole life 1 He was known throughout his life by the name Jussi which he received as a child from his Finnish born grandmother Henrika Matilda Bjorling nee Lonnqvist b 1844 Pori d 1918 Borlange His father David was an accomplished singer and the first teacher of Jussi and his two brothers Olle and Gosta who also went on to become professional singers He also performed with his sons as Bjorlingkvartetten or the Bjorling Male Quartet Jussi made his debut public appearance at five years of age 3 The group performed in concerts throughout Sweden and the United States for 11 1 2 years David Bjorling died in 1926 leading to the disbandment of the quartet and as a consequence Jussi Bjorling found work as a lamp salesman in Ystad In 1928 Bjorling made his radio debut In the same year he auditioned for John Forsell and was admitted to the Opera School and the Royal Swedish Academy of Music Career edit nbsp Bjorling performing at Skansen Stockholm in 1960 Bjorling made his first stage appearance in the small part as the Lamplighter in Manon Lescaut at the Royal Swedish Opera on 21 July 1930 This was soon followed by his official debut role as Don Ottavio in Mozart s Don Giovanni on 20 August 1930 with his teacher John Forsell as the protagonist His other two official debut roles followed Arnold in Rossini s William Tell on 27 December and Jonatan in Saul og David by Carl Nielsen on 13 January 1931 This led to a contract with the Royal Swedish Opera where Bjorling added 53 parts up to 1938 Among the roles he was entrusted was Erik in Der fliegende Hollander Almaviva in The Barber of Seville Duca in Rigoletto Wilhelm Meister in Mignon Faust Vasco Da Gama in L Africaine Rodolfo in La boheme with Hjordis Schymberg Tonio in La fille du regiment Florestan in Fidelio and Belmonte in Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail He was the first Swedish Dick Johnson in La fanciulla del West Luigi in Il tabarro Elemer in Arabella and Vladimir in Prince Igor notably performing the part opposite Feodor Chaliapin in 1935 4 In July 1931 he appeared in recital at Copenhagen s Tivoli his first appearance outside Sweden as an adult 5 Bjorling appeared quite frequently as a recitalist often appearing in summer recitals in Scandinavian folkparks and tivolis while confining himself to more serious music during his recital tours abroad In 1936 1937 he first appeared in recital and opera in Vienna and Prague and also appeared in Berlin Dresden and Nuremberg in operas in Swedish in an otherwise German ensemble In 1937 Bjorling made his recital debut in London and his first American tour as an adult Bjorling made his American concert debut at the Carnegie Hall in 1937 also appearing in opera in Chicago that year On 24 November 1938 he made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera as Rodolfo in La boheme where he remained on the roster until 1941 often appearing in opera in San Francisco and Chicago as well In December 1940 Arturo Toscanini invited Bjorling to sing the tenor part in Beethoven s Missa solemnis in New York a recording of which exists Bjorling also performed the Verdi Requiem under Toscanini in 1939 in Lucerne Switzerland and in November 1940 in New York another performance that was recorded and eventually issued as an LP Bjorling made his debut at the Royal Opera House in London in 1939 as Manrico in Il trovatore The war confined his appearances to Europe He appeared in opera in Copenhagen Helsinki and Budapest and made his Italian debut at the Teatro Comunale Florence in 1943 in Il trovatore In 1944 Bjorling was appointed hovsangare i e Royal Court Singer by the Swedish King Gustaf V In 1945 Bjorling returned to the US and appeared frequently at the Metropolitan Opera He sang many major tenor roles in operas in the French and Italian repertoire including Il trovatore Rigoletto Aida Un ballo in maschera Cavalleria rusticana Faust Romeo et Juliette La boheme Madama Butterfly Tosca and Manon Lescaut He appeared as Don Carlo in the opening of the 1950 1951 season but the relationship with Rudolf Bing was strained and as a consequence he was absent for a couple of seasons in the mid 1950s Meanwhile Bjorling appeared with other American opera companies such as Lyric Opera of Chicago and San Francisco Opera Bjorling appeared at La Scala in 1946 in Rigoletto and 1951 in Un ballo in maschera His planned Paris debut in 1953 was cancelled however and except for recitals in United Kingdom some performances in Yugoslavia East Germany and South Africa in 1954 Bjorling rarely appeared outside Scandinavia and United States On 15 March 1960 Bjorling suffered a heart attack before a performance of La Boheme at Covent Garden He insisted on singing in spite of his condition 6 Bjorling then made a short American tour making his last operatic performance as Faust in San Francisco on 1 April 1960 and his final recital at Skansen Stockholm on 20 August 1960 thirty years to the day after his official debut in 1930 He died of heart related issues on the island of Siaro sv Sweden on 9 September 1960 aged 49 7 Recordings editIn 1951 RCA Victor recorded a series of duets with Bjorling and baritone Robert Merrill including a noted performance of Au fond du temple saint from the opera The Pearl Fishers by Georges Bizet Among the first complete opera recordings to be issued on LP by RCA Victor was a 1952 studio recording of Il Trovatore with Bjorling Zinka Milanov and Leonard Warren In 1953 Bjorling recorded the roles of Turiddu and Canio in complete versions of Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci also for RCA Victor nbsp Bust of Bjorling in Stockholm In the summer of 1954 Bjorling recorded Puccini s Manon Lescaut with Licia Albanese and Robert Merrill in Rome for RCA Victor followed by Aida opposite Milanov and Warren in 1955 Bjorling Victoria de los Angeles and Merrill made a widely admired recording of Puccini s La Boheme conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham in 1956 Bjorling s 1959 EMI recording of Madama Butterfly with de los Angeles in the title role and conducted by Gabriele Santini is also widely celebrated In Victoria de los Angeles s biography by Peter Roberts Weidenfeld amp Nicolson 1982 de los Angeles noted that In spite of technical developments none of the Jussi Bjorling recordings give you the true sound of his voice It was a far far more beautiful voice than you can hear on the recordings he left In 1957 Bjorling Milanov and Warren made a complete stereo recording of Tosca for RCA Victor in Rome with Erich Leinsdorf conducting The tenor was awarded the 1959 Grammy Award for Best Classical Performance Vocal Soloist With Or Without Orchestra for his RCA Victor recital album Bjorling in Opera In 1956 Bjorling appeared in the NBC television anthology Producers Showcase in two programs entitled Festival of Music hosted by Charles Laughton followed by Jose Ferrer Bjorling can be seen with soprano Renata Tebaldi in excerpts from La Boheme Both Festival of Music programs originally broadcast in color have since been released on black and white kinescopes on DVD One of Bjorling s final recordings was the Verdi Requiem conducted by Fritz Reiner for RCA Victor in June 1960 with Leontyne Price Rosalind Elias Giorgio Tozzi the Vienna Philharmonic and the chorus of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde Personal life editBjorling was known as the Swedish Caruso 8 His son Rolf and his grandson Raymond are also professional tenors nbsp Jussi Bjorling s gravestone at Stora Tuna Dalarna Sweden nbsp Bust of Bjorling in front of the Jussi Bjorling Museum in Borlange His widow Anna Lisa Bjorling published a biography with the cooperation of Andrew Farkas that described Bjorling as a loving family man and generous colleague However in the book Anna Lisa did not attempt to hide the destructive influence of Bjorling s alcoholism He is buried in the church cemetery at Stora Tuna Borlange Sweden Legacy edit nbsp Jussi s statue in the square named after him in Borlange Dalarna Sweden 60 29 10 N 15 26 02 E 60 486204 N 15 433857 E 60 486204 15 433857 Grona Lunds Tivolis Jussi Bjorling stipendium The Grona Lund Jussi Bjorling Award was established in 1963 by the Stockholm amusement park where Bjorling often sang for its 80th anniversary Jussi Bjorlings Minnesstipendium Jussi Bjorlingstipendiet was established in 1970 and is administered by Stiftelsen Kungliga Teaterns Solister The Royal Opera Soloists Foundation in Stockholm The Jussi Bjorling Recital Hall was dedicated at Gustavus Adolphus College St Peter Minnesota in 1970 The Jussi Bjorling Tenor Competition took place in Borlange in 1994 125 tenors from 38 countries participated and winner was the Chinese Deng Xiao Jun Jussi Bjorlingmuseet The Jussi Bjorling Museum was opened in Borlange in 1994 9 Bjorling s name is now used with the prestigious Jussi Bjorling Music Scholarship at Gustavus Adolphus College in St Peter Minnesota An archive of nearly all of Bjorling s recorded performances photographs letters recital and opera programmes reviews obituaries and other items related to his career is maintained at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University Bloomington Luciano Pavarotti in a 1988 interview for the Swedish daily newspaper Svenska Dagbladet stated When I m about to train a new opera I first listen to how Jussi Bjorling did it His voice was unique and it s his path that I want to follow I would more than anything else wish that people compared me with Jussi Bjorling That s how I m striving to sing 10 Awards and citations editDuring his lifetime Bjorling received many orders decorations honorary citizenships and other honours from monarchs governments and cultural and charity organizations in Sweden Finland Denmark Iceland Latvia Belgium Greece Hungary and the US Appointed Hovsangare Royal Court Singer by the King of Sweden in 1944 Elected member of Kungl Musikaliska Akademien Royal Swedish Academy of Music in 1956 Received Grammy Award for Best Classical Vocal Performance 1960 for LP Bjoerling in Opera Ranked greatest singer of the century by Classic CD United Kingdom Top Singers of the Century Critics Poll June 1999 He has a chair dedicated to him in Kilbourn Hall at the internationally renowned Eastman School of Music Entered Gramophone s Hall of Fame in 2012 11 Discography editComplete works issued on CD Aida RCA studio 1955 Un ballo in maschera Met 1940 New Orleans 1950 La boheme Met 1948 RCA studio 1956 Cavalleria rusticana RCA studio 1953 Stockholm Opera 1954 other singers in Swedish Decca RCA studio 1957 Met 1959 Don Carlos Met 1950 Faust Met 1950 amp 1959 Madama Butterfly EMI studio 1959 Manon Lescaut Met 1949 amp 1956 RCA studio 1954 Stockholm Opera 1959 other singers in Swedish Missa solemnis Beethoven NBC broadcast 1940 Pagliacci RCA studio 1953 Stockholm Opera 1954 sung in Swedish Requiem Verdi NBC broadcast 1940 Decca RCA studio Vienna 1960 Rigoletto Met 1945 RCA studio 1956 Stockholm Opera 1957 Romeo et Juliette Stockholm Opera 1940 sung in Swedish Met 1947 Tosca RCA studio 1957 La traviata Stockholm Opera 1939 sung in Swedish Il trovatore Covent Garden 1939 Met 1941 amp 1947 RCA studio 1952 Stockholm Opera 1957 amp 1960 Turandot Decca RCA studio 1959 Larger general collections on CD Jussi Bjorling The Swedish Caruso EMI Classics 2 17313 2 5 CDs 2008 Jussi Bjorling The Complete RCA Album Collection RCA 88697748922 14 CDs 2011 The Very Best of Jussi Bjorling EMI Classics 6 78997 2 2 CDs 2012 Jussi Bjorling Collection Naxos 8 101101 11 CDs 2012 Comprises studio recordings CDs 1 8 earlier issued separately Released in Sweden with notes in Swedish only Jussi Bjorling The Swedish Caruso Documents 600034 10 CDs 2013 Jussi Bjorling The Worldstar Live on Stage Documents 600129 10 CDs 2013 Selection of special collections and concerts on CD Jussi Bjorling Live Holland 1939 Norway 1954 Bluebell ABCD 006 1 CD 1987 Jussi Bjorling The Atlanta Recital 13 April 1959 Bluebell ABCD 020 1 CD 1989 Jussi Bjorling in Song and Ballad Bluebell ABCD 050 1 CD 1993 Jussi Bjoerling Rarities VAI Audio VAIA 1189 1 CD 2000 Jussi Bjorling Fram for framgang Film and Radio Recordings Bluebell ABCD 092 1 CD 2002 The Jussi Bjorling Series Radames Alfredo Romeo Bluebell ABCD 103 2 CDs 2006 Jussi Bjorling In Song Testament SBT 1427 1 CD 2008 Jussi Bjorling Live Broadcast Concerts 1937 1960 West Hill Radio Archives WHRA 6036 4 CDs 2010 Bjoerling Sings at Carnegie Hall RCA 88697858222 1 CD 2011 Jussi at Grona Lund Complete recordings 1950 1960 Bluebell ABCD 114 3 CDs 2011 Jussi Bjorling in Concert Finland amp the U S A 1940 1957 Bluebell ABCD 116 2 CDs 2012 A complete list of Bjorling s recordings and their CD and DVD issues is available on the Jussi Bjorling Museum s website 12 References edit a b Jussi Bjorling 1911 1960 www jussibjorlingsallskapet com Archived from the original on 7 January 2009 Norwich J J 1985 1993 Oxford illustrated encyclopedia Judge Harry George Toyne Anthony Oxford England Oxford University Press p 48 ISBN 0 19 869129 7 OCLC 11814265 Jussi Bjorling The History of the Tenor The Tenor Retrieved 10 December 2016 Jussi Bjorlings scenrepertoar PDF Jussi Bjorlingsallskapet The Tenor Archived PDF from the original on 9 October 2022 Retrieved 21 October 2019 Biography Jussi Bjorling Society Mr Bjorling taken ill on stage The Times 16 March 1960 p 12 A spokesman for Mr Bjorling said I think he had a minor heart attack But being told that the Queen Mother was in the audience gave him an extra fillip and he sang the role Harald Henrysson Andrew Farkas 1996 Jussi Amadeus Press p 384 ISBN 9781574670103 Metropolitan opera rebuilds with new blood and fresh young voices Life Vol 6 no 3 Time Inc 16 January 1939 p 60 ISSN 0024 3019 Retrieved 27 February 2011 Jussi Bjoerling called the Swedish Caruso is only 27 sang in U S music halls at the age of 10 The Jussi Bjorling Museum Borlange Archived from the original on 13 May 2015 Retrieved 12 May 2015 in Swedish Hemma hos Pavarotti Svenska Dagbladet Retrieved 29 June 2013 Jussi Bjorling tenor Gramophone Retrieved 11 April 2012 Bjorling s known recordings and their CD and DVD issues Matti Stahlber 15 May 2013 via borlange seFurther reading editBjorling Anna Lisa and Farkas Andrew Jussi Portland Oregon Amadeus Press 1996 ISBN 1 57467 010 7 Forsell Jacob Ranelid Bjorn amp Henrysson Harald Jussi Sangen manniskan bilderna Stockholm Norstedts 2010 ISBN 978 91 1 302783 8 Extensively illustrated book in Swedish with a complete chronology in English of Bjorling s performances from 1915 to 1960 on an enclosed CD Hastings Stephen The Bjorling Sound A Recorded Legacy New York University of Rochester Press amp Woodbridge Suffolk UK Boydell amp Brewer Ltd 2012 ISBN 978 1 58046 406 2 Henrysson Harald A Jussi Bjorling Phonography Second ed Stockholm Svenskt Musikhistoriskt Arkiv 1993 ISBN 91 85172 10 3 3rd print ed Sater 2014 ISBN 978 91 637 5864 5 Stenius Yrsa The Heart of Jussi Bjorling Stockholm Brombergs bokforlag 2011 ISBN 978 91 7337395 1 English edition only as e book External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jussi Bjorling The Jussi Bjorling Museum Archived 17 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine in Swedish and English Jussi Bjorling biography at Opera Vivra The Jussi Bjorling Society Jussi Bjorlingsallskapet in English Jussi Bjorling Collection at Indiana University Archived 4 June 2014 at the Wayback Machine The Jussi Bjorling Society of USA Discography at SonyBMG Masterworks Bjorling and his wife Anna Lisa Bjorling 1949 live audio on YouTube O soave fanciulla San Francisco Opera Gaetano Merola conducting Video showing Bjorling s grave and the Jussi Bjorling museum on YouTube Audio on YouTube Bjorling sings O Holy Night in Swedish O helga natt Jussi Bjorling sings arias from Il trovatore La fanciulla del West Rigoletto Tosca on Archive org Filmography at the Swedish Film Database Portals nbsp Biography nbsp Opera Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Jussi Bjorling amp oldid 1209779684, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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