Il Trovatore: Di quella pira
Jussi Björling (5 February 1911 – 9 September 1960) was a Swedish tenor and… Read Full Bio ↴Jussi Björling (5 February 1911 – 9 September 1960) was a Swedish tenor and one of most highly regarded opera singers of the 20th century. Björling was one of the few non-Latin tenors to rival the Italian dominance of the opera world at that time.
Björling was born in Borlänge. He studied singing with his father, David, an accomplished vocalist, and made his debut public appearance at the age of four with the Björling Male Quartet. The group performed in concerts throughout Sweden and the United States for eleven and a half years.
Björling made his professional operatic debut as the Lamplighter in Manon Lescaut at the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm in 1930. This was soon followed by Don Ottavio in Mozart's Don Giovanni, Arnoldo in Rossini's William Tell and Almaviva in Rossini's The Barber of Seville. This in turn led to engagements in Europe and the USA. Björling made his American concert debut in Carnegie Hall in 1937; the following year, he made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera as Rodolfo in La bohème.
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.
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 cardiomegaly (an enlarged heart) on the island of Siarö [sv], Sweden, on 9 September 1960, aged 49
Björling was born in Borlänge. He studied singing with his father, David, an accomplished vocalist, and made his debut public appearance at the age of four with the Björling Male Quartet. The group performed in concerts throughout Sweden and the United States for eleven and a half years.
Björling made his professional operatic debut as the Lamplighter in Manon Lescaut at the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm in 1930. This was soon followed by Don Ottavio in Mozart's Don Giovanni, Arnoldo in Rossini's William Tell and Almaviva in Rossini's The Barber of Seville. This in turn led to engagements in Europe and the USA. Björling made his American concert debut in Carnegie Hall in 1937; the following year, he made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera as Rodolfo in La bohème.
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.
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 cardiomegaly (an enlarged heart) on the island of Siarö [sv], Sweden, on 9 September 1960, aged 49
Il Trovatore: Di quella pira
Jussi Björling Lyrics
We have lyrics for these tracks by Jussi Björling:
Ack Värmeland Ack, Värmland, du sköna, du härliga land, du krona bland Sve…
Act I: Au fond du temple saint Au fond du temple saint Parée de fleurs et d'or Une femme…
Act III: E lucevan le stelle Jag minns stjärnorna lyste Blommor doftade härligt Och grind…
Ah sì ben mio Ah sì, ben mio, coll'essere io tuo Tu mia consorte Avrò più…
Allt Under Himmelens Fäste Allt under himmelens fäste Där sitter stjärnor små Allt unde…
Au fond du temple saint Au fond du temple saint Parée de fleurs et d'or Une femme…
Bland skogens höga furustammar Bland skogens höga furustammar Där ha vi byggt vår egen kamm…
Der Bettelstudent: Nu är jag pank och fågelfri Nu är jag pank och fågelfri, men tänker dock ej klaga. Du…
E Lucevan le Stelle Jag minns stjärnorna lyste Blommor doftade härligt Och grind…
Il Mio Tesoro Ah sì, ben mio, coll'essere io tuo Tu mia consorte Avrò più…
La Bohème Henri Meilhac Philippe Gille…
LA Fanciulla del West "Ch'ella Mi Creda Libero" Ch'ella mi creda libero e lontano Sopra una nuova via di…
Land Du Välsignade Land du välsignade tag min sång Gjut din ande i orden Giv…
Nämmer du Sverige Nämner du Sverige säg känner du ej då en doft utav gran…
Nessun Dorma Così comanda Turandot Questa notte nessun dorma in Pekino! N…
No. 4. Bland skogens hoga furustammar Bland skogens höga furustammar Där ha vi byggt vår egen kamm…
Nu är jag pank och fågelfri Nu är jag pank och fågelfri, Men tänker dock ej klaga. Du…
O Helga Natt O helga natt, o helga stund för världen Då Gudamänskan till…
O Helga Natt (O Holy Night) O helga natt, o helga stund för världen, Då Gudamänskan till…
Pärlfiskarna: Au fond du temple saint Au fond du temple saint Parée de fleurs et d'or Une femme…
Säv säv susa Säv säv susa Våg våg slå I sägen mig var ingalill Den unga…
Sverige Sverige, Sverige Sverige, fosterland Vår längtans bygd, Vårt…
Till havs Nu blåser havets friska vind ifrån sydväst Och smeker ljuvli…
Tonerna Tanke, vars strider blott natten ser. Toner, hos Eder om vi…
Tosca Jag minns stjärnorna lyste Blommor doftade härligt Och grind…
Traditional: Ack Värmeland Du Sköna Ack Värmeland Du sköna Du härliga land Du krona bland Svea r…
Turandot, Act III: Nessun dorma! Nessun dorma! Nessun dorma! Tu pure, o, Principessa, Nella t…
Turandot: Nessun dorma Così comanda Turandot Questa notte nessun dorma in Pekino! N…
Verdi's Il Trovatore: Ah Si Ben Mio Ah sì, ben mio, coll'essere io tuo Tu mia consorte Avrò più…
Wilhelm Peterson-Berger: Bland skogens hoga furustammar Bland skogens höga furustammar Där ha vi byggt vår egen kamm…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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music fa
@hiyadroogs Melchior being a bon viveur was not the point of my previous post . Singing with a full stomach was the point .
You are contradicting yourself a little . "If Wagner tenor roles were not centred all around the bridge & above, then there would be no need for a tenor at all." In your previous posts and a few sentences above the one I quoted you say Melchior was a true baritone . Almost all heldentenors began their career as baritones ,and some continued singing baritone roles occasionally . What Wagner requires is baritones , or almost baritones ,not true tenors .
Give me concrete examples of Wagner roles with true tenor passagio tessitura , or at least tessitura in the upper stave half ( treble clef) .The roles I mentioned are build around the passagio . Yes ,in those the tenor has to sing predominantly above the middle of the staff and COMPARATIVELY (not absolutely) rarely descend below , this is why they are called roles with passagio tessitura . Please give me examples of comparable Wagner roles . You said , quote "He (Melchior) had to sing predominantly around the passagio" . It's not about singing the occasional E, F, G & A ,it's about singing a lot in that range . It's not about singing robustly or lightly , it's about singing PREDOMINANTLY around the true tenor passagio . You can't have it both . You can't say Melchior had to sing predominantly around the passagio , then say the roles I mentioned rarely descend into full chest register , and are sung by voices that are more at ease at the top , thus implying the roles Melchior sang are heavy roles for voices more at ease at the bottom .
BTW the roles I mentioned may be bel canto roles , but it doesn't follow they are light ,lyric "pretty boy" roles . They might be considered pretty boy roles by those who believe opera is just stentorian tones , but not by those who appreciate nuance . Among the mentioned Arturo is the most lyrical , the Duke might be considered light but it's Verdi , and Arnold and Raoul are lyric-dramatic with the tenor having his fair share of dramatic scenes and singing in powerful male ensembles , with rather heavy orchestration for the period . I recall Callas said Wagner is easier than the Italian bel canto repertory . Nilsson said Verdi was hell compared to Wagner . They were talking about soprano roles , but the characteristics are the same . It's the contrasting dynamics and the agility demands of the late bel canto rep that makes it so difficult .
You say Wagner is vocally exhausting for those who don't specialize in it .I say it's vocally exhausting only for true tenors . This is why Wagner heldentenors rarely sing anything else . Other roles , true tenor roles , are vocally exhausting for Wagner heldentenors , as is Wagner for true tenors . In Wagner the "tenor" is only in the "heldentenor" denomination , but not in the score .
hiyadroogs
@music fa re Melchior. You may have a hard time believing that Melchior occasionally went on stage having just eaten, eaten handfuls of peanuts, or having recently finished his cigar, or having just returned in the early hours from a hunting trip the night before without sleep. But it all happened, & was witnessed by friends & stage staff. Melchior was never precious about his voice, & never allowed singing to get in the way of living his life how he wanted to live it. He also frequently attended parties rather than going to bed early. He was evidently something of a bon viveur
Fortunately for him, he was gifted with great stamina & nervous energy by nature, & had the greater fortune of having a naturally superb bel canto vocal technique, which was enhanced correctly in line with nature's law when he transitioned from baritone to tenor.
Melchior was of course a true baritone by nature, whose bel canto technique allowed him a seat lifting high C that in my opinion was equal in beauty to Bjorling's.
The passagio in the male voice occurs between E above middle C, & F to F#, depending upon whether the voice is baritone or tenor, lyric or dramatic, or the personal physiology or application of the vocalist. A skilled vocalist who knows how to rotate the registers can manipulate this changeover to a small degree depending upon dynamics & vowel.
Since the pure chest register (in the male voice) cannot proceed above G above middle C, one of two things occur. Either the voice will break into falsetto if higher notes are attempted, or the voice will break into a throaty rasp like a rock singer, since the chest register alone cannot hold the note.
Therefore Wagner perhaps was more centred around the passagio than any other composer. Which is why Wagner is so vocally exhausting for those who don't specialize in it.
It is much easier to keep the voice flying predominantly in one register or the other. Sitting at high volume right around the passagio against a surging Wagnerian orchestra really sorts the men from the boys. It may have rare high C's, but for the heldentenor, it is all full voice E, F, G & A & Bb's.
If Wagner tenor roles were not centred all around the bridge & above, then there would be no need for a tenor at all. It could easily be done by the baritone, who also has to traverse the passagio for his F, G, G#..
The high bel canto roles you mentioned are easier to sing if the voice is used lightly & the head register well controlled. They do sit around & above the bridge, but the tone is considerably lighter in readiness for high notes & the tenor rarely has to descend & sing in the full voice chest register. So the tenors who enjoy these roles tend to have naturally lighter voices that are more at ease at the top, but who could never possess the tonal weight or power for any of the heavier Wagner roles, which is why almost no Italian tenors attempt them. Not even Mario Del Monaco, a tenor robusto.
Peter Shaw
What a voice. Absolutely brilliant. And he got better and better.
Drammen8
I'm a huge jussi Bjørling fan and this live version just hits me in the bone marrow!!
Martin Foley
The live performance from Covent Garden in May 1939 - just turned 28 years of age - will in that case for sure hit the bone marrow ! Enjoy - seems Gigli did.
Situnadei
What a glorious voice, incredible !
Robert Howes
1941 thats impressive, you have been around many years Jussi with an impeccable technique.
道
How many times I tuned in already, God knows. Glorious, just glorious, such inspiration! there is one Jussi Bjorling, one and only... Bravos...
메두사총사령관
My God! How anyone could sing like this in the world. Bravo Jussi. You were real Tenorissimo!
Andre De Mesquita
Unmatched technique! Super exciting! The amazing Björling! Thanks for posting this.
Pascal Corazza
Bjorling always makes me think of an incredible force that no body wants to mess with. Something like an atomic bomb, it is so overwhelmingly powerful. But but not just in the sense that his voice is powerful, also in the sense that his technique is so certain to be good. It is so solid, which i view as a form of strength.
道
this must had drawn standing O, so much clean power, how lucky people that were watching live, OMG!