Jussi Björling Views

Music

Again with de los Angeles and Merrill, Björling made a complete recording of Puccini's La bohème conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham, a recording considered by some to be the finest ever made of the work, although Toscanini enthusiasts might disagree (Toscanini conducted the premiere of the opera in 1896, and in 1946 conducted a radio performance of it that is considered definitive by some - and was also released on records and CD). Björling's 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 (Weidenfield and Nicolson, 1982), de los Angeles noted that In despite 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 . {2}

Johann Jonatan Björling was born in Stora Tuna, Sweden, on February 5, 1911. His father, David Björling, was also a tenor. He, his father, and two brothers (Johann Olof [1909-1965]; and Karl Gustav [1912-1957] made tours beginning in 1916 as the Björling Male Quartet. The three boys went by the nicknames Jussi, Olle, and Gösta. All three brothers, and even their younger brother Karl David ( Kalle, [1917-1875]) had singing careers. The Björling Male Quartet toured the United States from 1919 to 1921, and then returned to Sweden, remaining active until 1926. His voice remained strong and clear when it made the transition to tenor, suggesting intelligent coaching and training in technique from his father.

I also realized that, somehow or another, none of the other tenors I had been listening to (many beyond just Domingo and Pavarotti by this time) really had all of these qualities put together in one package like JB. Many aspiring singers f“worshipt” great singers of the past or present. I try to resist that, but I do admit that Jussi Björling holds that kind of place for me. I can listen to his recordings for countless hours with the same level of interest. When I listen to other singers I always reach a point where my attention drifts. Never with JB.

So if you haven ’t gathered it yet, this post today is a tribute in honor of MY greatest singer of all time. If your feelings differ, that is OK. Ia’m not trying to say you should feel the same way. But if someone can learn something new, then all the better. Here are some videos of Jussi Björling. They are from a movie he did in Sweden in 1937. I hope you enjoy them. Thanks.