The online opera guide to Jussi Björling
Read the short biography of Jussi Björling and listen to highlights of his career. Jussi Björling was considered by many experts to be the greatest Verdi / Puccini tenor of the last century.
The Ascent
Born 1911 (according to other sources 1908) in the Swedish province. Jussi Björling grew up in a musical family. Already with 9 years he travelled with the “Björling Male Quartet” through the USA.
After studying at the Stockholm Conservatory, the first years led him to the Stockholm Opera.
1936 was his first important international appearance as Ramades in Vienna. At the age of 28 he sings an outstanding Adelaide by Beethoven. 1938 Debut in Convent Garden and at the Met.
He quickly rose to star status at the Met – but in February 1947, when he appeared in one of Gounod’s “Roméo et Juliette”, one of the classics at the house, he became a legend. “There are evenings,” writes Jürgen Kesting, “when the artists are touched by the gods.
Ah jour de deuil (Roméo et Juliette) – Björling
Björling had his greatest successes in the Italian repertoire with Verdi and Puccini. His greatest roles were possibly Riccardo in Ballo in maschera, Manrico in Trovatore, Des Grieux in Manon Lescaut and Rodolfo in la Bohème.
Guardate pazzo son (Manon Lescaut) – Björling / Albanese
Among his most frequent and congenial partners were Zinka Milanov and Robert Merrill. Unfortunately, he never sang the Otello. Only excerpts are available, for example a duet with Robert Merrill, which is at equal level with Caruso / Ruffo (Kesting). Famous are his Sangue ! Sangue ! calls in this scene.
Si pel ciel marmore – Björling / Merrill
His biggest negative point was that his acting ambition remained within narrow limits. (Fischer: “deplorably uninterested”).
His voice
The voice was of outstanding quality. Fischer describes the voice as a combination of an elegiac-melancholic timbre with the radiance of a “lirico-spinto” tenor. He did not have the warm sensuality of the great Italians but a silvery trumpet. No tenor of the 20th century could sing so effortlessly and with so much radiance in the upper register. Kesting also mentions his effortless and unapproachable attack at the highest notes, for example in Ballo in maschera.
Di tu se fedele – Björling
Björling was often the victim of his nerves. Surprisingly, his excessive alcohol consumption had hardly any negative effects on his voice. He was able to sing at the highest level until his death (heart attack) at the age of 49. However, at the age of 47 he had to break off a Tosca due to heart problems and from then on he had to step back.
Significance
Jussi Björling was considered by many connoisseurs to be the greatest Verdi / Puccini tenor of the last century.
More highlights of Björling’s records
A great Terzetto from Il Trovatore with Jussi Björling, Zinka Milanov and Leonard Warren.
E deggio posso crederlo – Milanov/Björling/Warren
In Il Trovatore’s “Ah si ben mio” we can understand why Björling is so praised for his Verdi Singing. He possessed both the vocal power and the lyrical elegance and could serve both poles at the same time. Make sure to listen to Björling’s interpretation.
Manrico is the Verdi role that Jussi Björling sang the most. In total he sung it on 67 performances. The new production of this opera at the Met and the subsequent recording in 1952 made him famous as Manrico. This recording under the direction of Celletti is somewhat faster than other recordings, so the trill at parrà is only hinted, nevertheless the recording with Björling’s melancholic voice timbre and the beautiful legato is very lyrical and poetic. Björling’s embodiment of Manrico in his interpretation seems more like that of a vulnerable lover than that of a soldier, which benefits the beauty of this aria. Björling received the highest praise from Maria Callas. He sang the Manrico twice with her in Chicago and she considered him to be the best Manrico.
Ah si ben mio – Björling
Jussi Björling is the tenor with the most recordings of the Trovatore. He has made a total of six recordings of this opera. For this article I chose the 1952 recording. On the day of the recording he wrote to his wife “I have never sung di quella pira as well as today”.
Björling’s melancholic timbre is in full bloom in the passage “Era gia figlio prima d’amarti Non puo frenarmi il tuo martir” (Your torments won’t stop me Unhappy mother, I run to rescue you).
Also his high C is extraordinary. His effortless attacking of the high C remains unmatched.
Di quella pira
Next ist the flower aria from Carmen
la fleur que tu m’avais jetée
A great version is the next by Jussi Björling. His voice was of outstanding quality. It had a silvery timbre and a wonderful high register (Kesting).
Recondita armonia
A wonderful interpretation from the other great Tenor aria from Tosca.
E lucevan le stelle
«O Lola» is pure Sicilian music. Hear this piece from Cavalleria rusticana.
O Lola
Listen to Jussi Bijörling and Zinka Milanovtwo, two of the great duet partners in recording history with this emotive passage cavalleria rusticana. You will not be disappointed.
Tu qui Santuzza – Björling/Milanov
Chénier and Roucher are sitting in the dungeon waiting for their execution. Chénier reads one of his last verses to Roucher. This is another beautiful tenor aria «Come un bel di maggio» in a beautiful, almost overwhelming interpretation by Jussi Björling.
Come un bel di di maggio
The famous Aria from Aida.
Se quel guerriero io fossi…Celeste Aida
In this scene of Aida, Radames is solemnly appointed general of the Egyptians. Listen to another wonderful passage with Jussi Björling «Mortale diletto ai numi… Nume custode vindice» an outstanding duet sung together with Boris Christoff, where the Swedish tenor outshines the choir with «incredible energy» (Kesting).
Mortal diletto ai numi… Nume custode vindice – Björling / Christoff
In the next scene from Aida, Aida asks Radames to flee with her to Ethiopia. Kesting: This scene is one of the most exciting moments of Verdi’s singing. Björling not only sings with vibrating intensity, but forms the phrase “il ciel de nostri amori” – a high B – with fragrant pianodolce.
Fuggiam gli ardori inospiti – Björling / Milanov
Listen to the Aidas death scene with the duo Björling/Milanov and the exciting ending.
O terra addio – Milanov/Björling
Jussi Björling’s version of dei miei bollenti spiriti from 1939, sung in Swedish, shows a beautiful young voice, which nevertheless shows the maturity and power of the master. The recitative of this piece of Verdi’s Traviata has a somewhat surprisingly melancholic mood.
Lunge d lei…De’ miei bollenti spiriti
Listen to dream-aria from Manon in a simply great interpretation by Jussi Björling. Note the wonderful and expressive ritardando at about 2:00 or the breathtaking diminuendo at the end.
En fermant les yeux
Next we hear Jussi Björling in a captivating interpretation from Manon.
Je suis seul… ah fuyez douce images
The next song is from La Boheme as Rodolfo. Again with the words of Kesting: “No other sang the music of the first act more luminously and tenderly, that of the fourth act more restrainedly and elegantly than the Swede”.
Che gelida manina
See “O soave fanciulla” from La Boheme in the filmed version with Renata Tebaldi and Jussi Björling, opera can’t be more emotional.
O soave fanciulla – Björling / Tebaldi
Robert Merrill and Jussi Björling are one of the dream constellations that went down in the stories as one of the most famous tenor-baritone duo. Also private friends, they have sung together in many opera recordings. You will hear one of these great duets from La Boheme. Robert Merrill’s voice is “a baritone of great sonority, the timbre is rich and shimmers in many colours” (Kesting). It ideally complements the radiant tenor voice of Jussi Björling.
O, Mimi tu piu non torni! – Björling / Merrill
Madama Butterfly was Björling’s last complete recording in his career. The 48-year-old was already seriously ill at that time and had a severe breakdown when recording this duet with Victoria de los Angeles. Surprisingly, Björling’s voice was in amazingly good condition and the recording was completed a few weeks later. His recording is somewhat slower than the other versions and gives the two singers room for a great interpretation. Already his opening “Bimba dagli occhi” is beautiful and seductive and the two singers interact in the best possible way.
Bimba dagli occhi – de los Angeles / Björling
A convincing recording of the aria from Madama Butterfly. His melancholic, silvery timbre, sung with great legato fits perfectly to this piece.
Addio fiorito asil
A Rigoletto aria with beautiful metal in his voice.
Questa o quella
You hear Jussi Björling in this duet from Rigoletto as an irresistible duke. His voice exudes warmth and passion.
E il sol dell’anima…Addio addio Björling / Sayao
The great voice of Jussi Björling.
La donna è mobile
“A few weeks before his death, Björling sang the story of the Grail for the first and last time in public. Even if the Swedish language is not necessarily suitable for the Lohengrin, even if it is still at the beginning in terms of interpretation, is sung too burschikos and also contains a musical error – here it is, the ideal Lohengrin voice. Björlings has perhaps been the greatest loss to Wagner’s singing imaginable: Distance and distance from the world and painfully tinted sensuality”. (Fischer, great voices)
In fernem Land
Maybe Björling’s interpretation of Gounod’s most famous Aria unbeatable. He has recorded this aria of the opera Faust repeatedly. In this recording we see him in a television production. We notice an uncertain look at the beginning, but then Björling beguiles the listener from the first second on. He turns into a tender, romantic lover. His singing and playing is of great naturalness, as is the high C. This performance together with Enrico Caruso’si s and was the blueprint for all tenors after them.
Salut, demeure chaste et pure – Björling
We hear Jussi Björling in this Duet from Faust with a beautiful voice and tone.
Il était temps! .. O nuit d’amour – Björling / Kirsten
The interpretation of this trio (again from Faust) proves how dramatic this part of the opera, and that it is one of the most dramatic parts in operatic history. The performance of the three singers is formidable and the end B of tenor and soprano is grandiose.
A l’étude mon maître – Björling / Moore / Dickson
The recording of Björling and Merrill of this duet from Verdi’s Otello enjoys a legendary reputation. Björling’s sangue calls are gigantic (1:54), the energy is palpable. “An almost volcanic energy and vehemence. Each syllable is sung by Björling with the greatest emphasis.” (Kesting). This excerpt is the only recording of Björling in this role.
Si, pel ciel marmoreo giuro (3) – Björling / Merrill
Verdi has the disguised fisherman sing a beautiful barcarole in “un ballo in maschera”. This aria “Di tu se fedele” is very demanding. On the one hand the technical difficulty is to be mentioned, but also that it requires a lyrical singing, which must be audible over a large orchestra and choir.
Listen to Jussi Björling (probably the best Riccardo in recording history) with “Di tu se fedele”.
Di tu se fedele – Björling
We hear two recordings of the same Duet from “un ballo in maschera”:
Björling’s version with Zinka Milanov comes from a recording of a live performance and shows two artists at the highest level. The confession of love is overwhelming and ecstatic (7:15). The document comes from a 1956 film adaptation of two actors “singing” playback the recording of Milanov/Björling from 1940.
Teco io sto (1) – Björling/Milanov
The recording of the duo Björling with Elisabeth Rethberg is famous. It is the only recording of the two, Rethberg was already in the autumn of their career, so the sound document of these two titans is all the more important. The passage “m’ami” (from 4:45) is goes under the skin. It is also remarkable how effortlessly the two glide to the high C, which Björling then holds a few seconds longer than the German (9:12).
Teco io sto (2) – Björling/Rethberg
From Tchajkovsky’s Eugen Onegin: The aria’s mood fits perfectly with Björling’s naturally melancholic voice. The beauty of sound and pain in the voice are striking.
Kuda, kuda vy (Lenski’s Aria) (2) – Björling
Björling’s phrasing of Leancavallo’s Aria is great and his sound is rich. The voice has a great colourfulness. Björling, in contrast to many professional colleagues, does without sobbing and nevertheless manages to convey the emotions. What’s striking is that Björling’s “R” is unusually strong, probably a tribute to Caruso. In the year of this recording (1953) he had contact with Caruso’s widow and she praised him “as the only real successor” to her husband.
Recitar…vesti la giubba
You will hear a famous aria from Puccini’s Turandot. He sings it with a lot of power and brilliance and sings the difficult ending, it seems, almost effortlessly.
Nessun dorma – Björling
Another aria from Turandot, who gives this aria an appropriate magical melancholic mood.
Non piangere Liu – Björling
Peter Lutz, opera-inside, the online opera guide to Jussi Björling
Verdi has the disguised fisherman sing a beautiful barcarole. This aria “Di tu se fedele” is very demanding. On the one hand the technical difficulty is to be mentioned, but also that it requires a lyrical singing, which must be audible over a large orchestra and choir. Listen to Jussi Björling (probably the best Riccardo in recording history) with “Di tu se fedele”.
Di tu se fedele – Björling
The duets between Riccardo and Amelia are dramatically conceived. The music for “Teco io sto” does not come to rest, Dissonances and syncopations lead to a ecstatic love scene. Riccardo presses the “I love you” out of Amelia. Verdi told in later years, tha he felt this scene to be one of his great compositional moments. Björling’s version with Zinka Milanov comes from a recording of a live performance and shows two artists at the highest level. The confession of love is overwhelming and ecstatic (7:15). The document comes from a 1956 film adaptation of two actors “singing” playback the recording of Milanov/Björling from 1940.
Teco io sto – Björling/Milanov
The recording of the duo Björling with Elisabeth Rethberg is famous. It is the only recording of the two, Rethberg was already in the autumn of their career, so the sound document of these two titans is all the more important. The passage “m’ami” (from 4:45) is goes under the skin. It is also remarkable how effortlessly the two glide to the high C, which Björling then holds a few seconds longer than the German (9:12).
Teco io sto – Björling/Rethberg
The recording of Björling and Merrill of this duet enjoys a legendary reputation. Björling’s Sangue calls are gigantic (1:54), the drama is palpable. “An almost volcanic energy and vehemence. Every syllable is sung by Björling with the greatest emphasis.” (Kesting, “The Great Singers”)
This excerpt is the only shot of Björling in this role.
Si, pel ciel marmoreo giuro – Björling / Merrill
A beautiful piece by Gounod with a beautiful compositional effect: as Faust receives Gretchen’s vision, the jubilant refrain (“à moi les plaisirs”) is repeated several times, half a tone higher each time, resulting in an ecstatic pull (from 5 :00). A interpretation with Björling and Siepi. It captivates with fire and ecstasy. The recording suffers somewhat from the poor quality of a live recording.
O merveille … a moi les plaisirs, Les jeunes maîtresses!
A feature of this famous aria is that the tenor is accompanied by a solo violin that plays around the tenor’s voice throughout the piece. Berlioz said that this trick of Gounod “is much more of a pity than a help to the whole, and I think the singer Duprez was right, who one day, when an instrument solo in the orchestra accompanied him during a romance, said: “This devil’s instrument with its runs and variations irritates me like a fly that whirrs around my head and wants to sit on my nose. » Conde countered that Gounod pronounces with the violin what the words could only halfway say (” ce que les mots ne disent qu’à demi “).
Fausts’ words are spiritual and expressive. Words like “innocente et divine ” or “que de richesse (“How rich”) give the singer the opportunity to show the subtlety and richness of his voice. The intensity increases steadily up to the climax of the aria with the spectacular high C, which should be sung tastefully and must under no circumstances be coarse and craving for recognition, which would destroy the mood of this piece. The piece ends with a beautiful adagio of the solo violin.
Maybe Björling’s interpretation is unbeatable. He has recorded this aria repeatedly. In this recording we see him in a television production. We notice an uncertain look at the beginning, but then Björling beguiles the listener from the first second on. He turns into a tender, romantic lover. His singing and playing is of great naturalness, as is the high C. This performance together with Enrico Caruso’si s and was the blueprint for all tenors after them.
Salut, demeure chaste et pure
We hear Jussi Björling in this duet from Faust with a beautiful voice and tone.
Il était temps! .. O nuit d’amour – Björling / Kirsten
This trio is one of the most beautiful parts of the opera. If one takes comparable scenes from other works as benchmark (e.g. the dungeon scene of the Trovatore or works of the grand opéra), the brevity of this passage is astonishing. Gounod composes this passage compactly and dramatically. The chorus “Anges pures, anges radieux” (“pure radiant angels, carry my soul to heaven above”) is repeated several times, always half a tone higher, which triggers an incredibly dramatic effect. In the following great apotheosis with choir the archangel judges the devil.
The interpretation of this Terzetto proves how dramatic this part of the opera, and that it is one of the most dramatic parts in operatic history. The performance of the three singers is formidable and the end B of tenor and soprano is grandiose.
A l’étude mon maître – Björling / Moore / Dickson
Similar to the Tannhäuser with the Roman tale of the last act, the tenor must sing his most important section at the end of the opera. This means that the singer must have sufficient vocal power to bring this section to a climax of the evening. In Lohengrin, the task is “easier” than in Tannhäuser since the Grail narration (“In fernem Land”) and his farewell (“Mein lieber Schwan”) are lyrical pieces with an almost bel canto character, while the Roman Tale requires a dramatic voice.
Lohengrin’s story is composed in a solemn, measured tempo. The voice must be dignified, yet light, brilliant and mysterious, far from being pathetic or heroic. With a solemn voice he sings the annual miracle «Alljährlich naht vom Himmel eine Taube um neu zu stärken seine Wunderkraft. Es heisst der Gral» (“Every year a dove approaches from heaven to strengthen its miracle power anew. It is called the Grail)”. A beautiful soft forte in A shines over the buzzing sound of the violins. The high tessitura of the following passage keeps the drama and solemnity high. It is a demanding passage for the tenor, who has to keep up the vocal power without overexerting the voice. At the end Lohengrin reveals his name. Now the voice changes, it becomes magnificent, glorious and heroic, by no means hollow, but noble. It is the highlight and key of the opera.
When Lohengrin tells of his origins, the orchestra shines in radiant A major. It is a bright, high key that announces the heavenly spheres of the Grail. High shimmering violins convey a feeling of an etheric rapture.
“A few weeks before his death, Björling sang the story of the Grail for the first and last time in public. Even if the Swedish language is not necessarily suitable for the Lohengrin, even if it is still at the beginning in terms of interpretation, is sung too burschikos and also contains a musical error – here it is, the ideal Lohengrin voice. Björlings has perhaps been the greatest loss to Wagner’s singing imaginable: Distance and distance from the world and painfully tinted sensuality”. (Fischer, great voices)
In fernem Land
Don Carlo is not a tenor opera. The figure of Don Carlo remains the paleest among the leading roles of this opera and apart from this scene at the beginning, the tenor does not have a great solo scene. Even worse, normally he does not receive much applause after the aria “io la vidi”. So there are hardly any recordings from the first half of the 20th century of Caruso and Lauri-Volpi & Co.. Of the great tenors, Jussi Björling was the first to take othis pera seriously again and has sung it on stage 15 times. The first time he sang it at the memorable opening of Rudolf Bing’s first year as director of the MET in 1950, The dispute between Bing who wanted to increase rehearsals to rise quality and Björling who often skipped them, then led to tension between the two and has become legend. An anecdotal side note to this production in 1950: at 39 years of age Björling was the oldest of the exquisite cast and ironically 12 years older than his “stage father” Siepi, who sang Philipp. We hear from this MET production the opening aria sung by Jussi Björling.
Io l’ho perduta…Io la vidi e al suo sorriso
The two of them dream of a better world in which intellect and humanity reign. With Don Carlos and even more so with the Marquis de Posa, Verdi and Schiller draw two ideal human beings who probably never existed in this way. Their hymn is repeatedly quoted throughout the opera as a leitmotif as a sign of freedom and friendship.
We hear Robert Merrill and Jussi Björling. They formed the duet dream couple of the 50s. They did many productions together and there were few vocal connections before and after, that could compare with the Swedish and American. The two singers were also friends in private, and so this scene became the most famous piece of this duet pair.
Io l’ho perduta! … Dio, che nell’alma infondere (6:45) – Merrill / Björling
For fans of the legendary duo Björling / Merrill is the scene with the painfully beautiful tenor voice of Jussi Björling and the rich voice of Robert Merrill. Unfortunately there is no complete recording of “La forza del destino” with the great Verdi tenor Jussi Björling, although his voice was made for the Alvaro.
Solenne in quest’ora giurarmi dovete – Björling / Merrill
Peter Lutz, opera-inside, dem online Opernführer zum Tenor “JUSSI BJÖRLING.
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