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Discussion of power amongst the tenors

Ten top Jussi-recordings

The greatest singers of the 20th Century

Contributions about Jussi from OPERA-L NEW

Discussion of power amongst the tenors

Following are taken from an e-mail discussion list Bjorling@onelist.com

Karl,

Since you evidently heard Jussi many times in person (and presumably other
tenors as well), I'd like to ask you a question.
It is often stated that Jussi did not have a very large voice, but this is
always stated in comparison to tenors like Del Monaco or Corelli. Can you
compare the size of Jussi's voice to people like Di Stefano, Pavarotti,
Tucker, Peerce, Bergonzi, etc., for me?
In particular, do you think Jussi would have been successful singing Turandot
on stage?
Thanks,
Greg Fitzmaurice

Greg,

An interesting question, not easy to answer. Power is a function of tonal quality as well as decibel output. Of all the tenors I've heard, Jussi's voice had the most brilliant sound. It had the most squillo. It was bright and focused, like a laser beam. In fact, in an aria where he wanted to hold on to a high C or B for a long time, as in Salut demeure, Di quella pira, Che gelida manina, Vittoria in Act II of Tosca, etc., he'd fan the opera house, turning his head from one side to the other, 180 degrees, and sometimes taking it back again. So you'd hear the note pop out of his head, facing away from you. If that were the end of it, you'd be thrilled. But then you would hear this intense beautiful laser beam moving towards you, it would hit you square in the face, and then leave you. Sometimes, it would move back for another shot at you. Even though he was essentially a lyric tenor, he could sing with big-voiced dramatic sopranos (Milanov), dramatic mezzos (Elmo, Barbieri), dramatic baritones (Merrill and Warren) and big basses (Siepi), and sometimes in combinations with 2 or more of them in trios and ensembles, and his voice always stood out. Their voices were darker and less focused, and they didn't come ringing off the stage with the ping that was Jussi's. This was true when you compare Jussi to all the other tenors, too. They all had darker, heavier-sounding voices. They had to push and strain. They sounded like they had their pedal to the floor. Whereas Jussi sounded like he had power to spare. With all other tenors, their high notes sounded like it was the highest they could sing. Jussi sounded like there was no top limit to his voice. His voice had a release like no other singer's. It popped out of his head and spoke and sounded faster on the breath than any other singer's. Combined with the sharp focus of his voice, this produced a clearly-defined sequence of centered, full notes. It can be heard in the runs of La donna e mobile. It becomes really noticeable when he sings in unison (i.e., the same notes) with other singers (Manon Lescaut, Act III Tosca, duet in Cav). He delineates the music with far greater accuracy and clarity than any of his singing partners. It sometimes sounds as if he's rushing ahead of the beat, but he isn't. He's right on the beat, but his focused voice speaks a split second faster on each note than whomever he's singing with. These unique characteristics of his voice are why he could sing 'powerfully' with even the loudest partners. He was the most exciting tenor of them all, even though there were tenors with more powerful voices, in the sense of pushing decibels.

Another "power" variable relates to what part of the voice is being used. No tenor could equal Jussi on a high B or C. But Del Monaco and Corelli had stronger middle registers. Their bread-and-butter roles required a lot of singing and weight in the middle register that would probably have tired Jussi.

So, with that preamble, let me try to answer your questions.

Del Monaco--of all the Italian tenors, he had the most powerful voice, a viscerally exciting singer. Jussi could take him on the top, but the rest of his voice was more powerful than Jussi's. I was at Del Monaco's debut at the Met, in Manon Lescaut. He was on his way from California back to Italy, and this one performance for the season was like an audition. His main purpose from his first notes to the last was to display the formidable power of his voice and his beautiful flashing teeth. I realized immediately that he was a major dramatic tenor, better than anybody else around, and even went backstage to get his autograph, which I still have. The voice sounded great, but he was a terrible Des Grieux, unless you think that Des Grieux is a handsome, overbearing, bombastic loudmouth. He never sang the role again at the Met. I subsequently heard him sing Rhadames, Andrea Chenier, Enzo in La Gioconda, and Otello, some several times and all better suited to his voice. I also heard him in a Cav/Pag twin bill, with Jussi singing Turridu followed by DelMonaco singing Canio. (Bert Wechsler, a friend of mine who worked at the Met at the time, saw DelMonaco sit in the wings throughout the Cav, watching and listening to Jussi sing.) They both did a great job in their respective roles and it was a great evening. DelMonaco could never sing a decent mezza voce, and never tried. His deal was dramatic powerhouse singing that nobody has equaled. His records don't do him justice.

Next on the power list was Corelli. I heard him sing Manrico in Rome, and Manrico and Rhadames at the Met. In one Aida, Rysanek gave him a rough time on the high notes, so the Corelli groupies started hissing and booing her, which was really ugly. It's a pity he couldn't free himself from those thugs, because he sang not only with great power, when required, but did some beautiful legato phrasing and mezza voce singing. He was an exciting singer with a basically more powerful voice than Jussi's.

Tucker and Bergonzi's voices were about of equal size to Jussi's, heavier and darker and only just serviceable on the top. Peerce's voice was _much_ smaller. Peerce was strange--if he could get within 10 feet of a microphone, he sounded like Caruso. Beyond that, the voice dropped dead--it was a dull thud. I've never heard Pavarotti live, but friends of mine who have (who also heard Jussi) say he is a similar phenomenon. They say that Pav's voice is much darker and smaller in the Opera House than on recordings or on TV, and much smaller than Jussi's. DiStefano's voice was a trifle smaller than Jussi's. For 3 or 4 years he had one of the most beautiful voices I've ever heard, rivalling Jussi's, except for one problem. As soon as he went above A, the voice spread, and lost its sheen, because he had to force it. When he started taking on spinto and dramatic roles, he was forcing the whole range of his voice and it started falling apart.

Some "etc" tenors--Tagliavini-smaller, Valletti-much smaller. Gedda-smaller. Labo-smaller.

Now, get ready--Gigli. I heard Gigli sing 2 recitals in Carnegie Hall on his farewell tour. It was still a voice of haunting beauty. In his prime, I would guess that it was of approximately equal power to Jussi's. Jussi's was probably more powerful on the high notes and Gigli's probably stronger in the middle register, but it was close.

A big disappointment was Tucker. The most beautiful singing I ever heard from him was Tamino in the Magic Flute, and I loved it. But, he started pushing and forcing, and his voice lost its natural bloom. It was a hell of a price to pay for power. Then there were his ludicrous mannerisms, ugly diction, sobbing, and over-the-top histrionics. I ended up avoiding him as much as possible.

Regarding your question of whether Jussi would have been successful singing Turandot on the stage--emphatically, yes. But it probably would not have been a wise decision for him to sing it very often. He'd do a great job on the two arias and have no trouble with the high notes. But the role would put heavy demands on the middle register and probably tire him out if he sang it frequently, although it's a fairly short role. Anyway, why waste him on Turandot, when he could be singing DesGrieux, Rodolfo, Romeo, Manrico, Riccardo.

To be honest, there were nights that Jussi's voice lacked its 1938 ring and ping, and was dark and heavy-sounding. Luckily, there were not many, but these were the nights that he was out-of-voice and you wished he's sing a little louder, but he had the good sense not to. Ironically, his rare bad nights, when we'd complain and be disappointed, were better than anybody else's. We were ungratefully expecting Jussi to always be at his best.

If you're interested in large voices, the largest voice I ever heard was Heldentenor Lauritz Melchior. He gave me goose-pimples and made my hair stand up. (So did Jussi.) I've been told that the highest rating on the decibel meters at RCA and NBC was Melchior's voice. There was an interview in Musical America of Russian bass Alexander Kipnis, who himself had a voice of awesome power, and he said that Melchior's voice was the most powerful voice he had ever heard. For sheer impact, there was nothing like it. In addition to power, Lauritz, like Jussi, had artistry, an incredibly beautiful voice, and a big heart. And the Wagner operas that he sang like nobody else, are my favorite operas. I once saw Lauritz and Jussi standing together backstage at the Met. I think that I saw in one eyeshot, not only the two greatest tenors that have ever lived, but the 2 greatest singers that have ever lived.

By courtesy of Karl Hekler, Member, Jussi Björling Society-USA, thekler@berkshire.net

Ten top Jussi-recordings

Ranking after how enjoyable the recordings are, i.e. after Jussi's performance, my (the webmaster) taste of music and the technical standard, my ten top list, for the time being, is:

1 Che gelida manina, recorded 1956, EMI (from the complete opera CD)
2 O Paradiso, recorded 1951, RCA
3 Nessun dorma, recorded 1944, Bluebell (newly issued)
4 Ingemisco, recorded 1939, Bluebell
5 O Helga natt, recorded 1959, Swedish Society Discofil
6 Nessun dorma, recorded 1944, EMI
7 Oh! Monstruosa colpa!; Sì, pel ciel marmero giuro
(with the excellent Robert Merril) recorded 1951, RCA
8 Mattinata, recorded 1944, EMI
9 Au fond du temple saint!, (with the same excellent Robert Merril) recorded 1951, RCA
10 Ah, si, ben mio, recorded 1952 (from the complete opera CD), RCA

The greatest singers of the 20th Century

Contributions about Jussi from OPERA-L

OPERA-L is a large discussion forum on Internet. Here hundreds of people, maybe thousands, discuss opera in generally. A search for Jussi Bjoerling in their archive gives a lot of matches. Beneath are quotations from different contributions.

"I once heardBjoerling's Act III "Salut" from the 1950 performance -- and wasamazed that God lets mortals hear things so beautiful!) JAA"

"An otherwise forgettable Swedish-language aircheck features JussiBjoerling as Alfredo and, for me, he is the best Alf on records."

"And my second Cavaradossi was Jussi Bjoerling. Also lousy legs, butnot one member of the audience gave a damn about that. The voice was someltingly beautiful, and his pianos also carried perfectly. What agreat, great, voice."

"We all have our fantasies and "dream teams" whenit comes to operas. I would give anything to have heard or have a recordingof Jussi Bjoerling singing the Dichteliebe."

"Dear listers,

Some time ago there were discussions about Jussi Bjoerling. He is myfavorite singer. I consider him the best of all singers I've ever known. Nosingers today can match him. Even I prefer him to Caruso. Caruso's voicedoes have more power, in my opinion, but Bjoerling's is the most beautiful.Listening to him is like listening to an excellent violin, pure and soft.His voice entertains my ears. Pavarotti's lacks this quality, especially inthe low register. Domingo's, though I admit that his is quite beautiful,doesn't match the beauty of Bjoerling's voice. It is very regrettable thatBjoerling died at quite an early age for an opera singer, at the peak ofhis performance. Can anyone on the list tell me why he died so soon (I wasborn long after his death)? I wish he were alive now, singing and pleasingmany people. Who will be his successor?Meanwhile, what will happen to the Royal Opera Covent Garden while thehouse is being refurbished?"

"Hi Opera Listers, Listerettes, and Listerpets.I am sitting here at my trusty MAC devouring two days worth of opera-lpostings as I was too tired last night after spending the whole day (arrivingat home at mezzanotte) in the big apple.. I am listening to Jussi Bjoerlingsinging the entrance of Paris from La Belle Helene in Swedish. Before thisearly Bjoerling I was listening to Georges Thill. These are my two favoritetenors. Why? Forget the great instruments, superior, natural singingtechniques, and inborn musicianship. Simply put, while others did somethingsbetter, no one did as much as well as these two. I don't think either evermade a bad recording, and that for the most part, during times when editingdidn't exist. OK, so Bjoerling did record for ten years during the time oftape, but the great, youthful recordings, were all one take 78's. Anyway, that is my thought for this beautiful, sunny, warm day by the beach. (I live less than a half mile from the Ocean.)"

"Good morning-

I had the wonderful experience of have dinner with Robert Merrill andhis lovely wife Marion on Tuesday of this week. We've gotten to knoweach other quite well over the past year or so, and get together acouple of times a month.

After eating in a wonderful Italian in New Rochelle, we went back tothe Merrill's house. It's filled with pictures and memorabilia fromhis great career.

Let me tell you- listening to the Toscanini Traviata, with the Germont sitting two feet away from you is quite an experience. It seems thatSwiss Radio just broadcast a three hour tribute to Bob, and he had justgotten the cassettes that today. The program, narrated in French, is achronological piece,playing great recordings and live performances ofBob's. In Europe, as most of you know, they sell Met broadcasts on CD,and many excerpts from these were played, too.

Merrill's eyes had tears in them often during the playing of the tape. Especially when Jussi Bjoerling was heard singing with him. He waslike many of us- a great fan, not only a great singer. He repeated,listen to that, what a voice, what a wonderful man- I miss him so much. They were quite close, and the affection with which Merrill holdsBjoerling is very sweet and touching."

"Best,Ed

It was mentioned that today is the 37th anniversary of the death ofJussi Bjoerling. What a tragedy that this great voice was stilled atsuch a young age. He could have sung beautifully for another 15 or 20years if ill health and death didn't intervene. Thank goodness we havehis many beautiful recordings, and even an occassional video ofBjoerling. Truly one of the great voices of the century."

"I enjoyed the "Art of Singing" on PBS last night. I had the seen the circulating copy a few months ago, but was pressed for time then and didn't really get to enjoy it (or keep it!). So now I can do both. This was myfirst look at my beloved Jussi Bjoerling on film. WOW! I had heard that hewas not a good actor, so did not seek out the Bell Telephone videos. Hisvoice has always been enough for me. Seeing him was not disappointing,though. No Vickers, of course, but he and Tebaldi were so delightful in theBoheme clip. His voice does weird things to me--I just burst into tears atthe end of his aria."

"Hello again

I did some listening this weekend, and mostly focused on Bjoerling.

There is a four CD set on EMI 24356-63062 that contains (I believe) his complete recorded output on EMI (except for the Complete Operarecordings). I listened to almost all of it.

I have been one who has spoken about a lack of passion and a tendency tosing sharp, especially the higher he went. And I have found thatlistening to him for more than about a half hour at a stretch, is astretch for me. Well, I had a rather different reaction this weekend.His best is sublime, his worst is good, and in some repertoire he doesshow both passion and idiom, though mostly not in opera, IMO.

It is interesting to me that the *chestnuts* don't come off so well,even after all these years. They are "correct" and not much more. Butwhen we get to the lesser known stuff he is as good as it gets, and notjust because there are fewer with whom is can be compared. He justknows how to make it go.

On CD1 I would say that if you listen to "M'appari", Cujus Animan fromRossini's Stabat Mater and the "Ingemisco" from Verdi's Manzoni "Requiem" you will have heard the best of it, and it is about the best that has ever been recorded.

On CD2 (mostly chestnuts which I got bored with) there is a stunning performance of the "Berceuse" from Jocelyn by Godard and "Amor ti Vieta"from Fedora. He sings this verismo piece with gorgeous tone and a lotof feeling.

CD3 is a gem from beginning to end. I am especially fond of "Au mont Ida" from Belle Helene, but then who isn't. This is one of his three or four great, great performances. The vocalism is so easy and so pointedthat it almost takes your breath away. The last sever or so songs arefrom his native Sweden recorded in the late thirties. Just mention of"Tonerna" is enough to make his fans salivate, and well they should. Itis a breathtaking song gorgeously felt and vocalised. Then there are"Sverige", that gorgeous national "anthem" kind of song, "AckVarrneland", and "Lan du valsilgnade". He sings them with a sense ofline and feeling that just isn't present in the opera stuff. It is allwonderful stuff.

On CD4 he again has more than the lion's share of great things. Hestarts with a lovely rendition of Beethoven's "Adelaide", probably the composer's most beautiful song. "In the silence of the night" by Rachmaninov and Foster's "Jeanie with the light brown hair" are among his most famous recordings, and they should be they are just amazing.He again sings a number of those Swedish songs, this time from thefifties with orchestra and they are all sublime. "Tonerna" is repeatedand it's hard to know which of the two is preferable. I think both are.My special favorite is "Sangen till havet", with wonderful accents and adeeply felt vocal line that he just grabs ahold of and never lets go. Iimagine he was wiped out at the end of that song. Finally, "O HolyNight" in Swedish sung in 1959. How many voices do any of us know thathave held up so well over a 30 year career. Not even Pavarotti had asmuch left after the same span of time, though, truth to tell Bjoerlingwas very young when he made his first professional recordings.

Anyway, to end it, those who love him can only be in heaven with thisrelease and those who don't might pay him another visit. There are manyrewards to be found."

"As for Amor ti vieta? No contest. Jussi Bjoerling. There are many, many, seconds. Bjoerlings is first. (For me, that is). Just about any good tenor, with a good voice and reasonable musicianship can't fail to make an effecthere. Providing you don't butcher it, the music carries the day".

"Greetings Opera Lovers!

This is my first posting to Opera-L. In consonance with Mr. Kosovsky's suggestion, I shall attempt to first introduce myself to all of you. Ihave been an opera lover before entering kindergarten. As such, I don'tjust love opera; I have been IN LOVE with opera all my life! I have noacademic training in music or opera, and I do not profess operatic omni-science or expertise by any means. In addition I am a devout Verdi dis-ciple, and have a great love for French opera. As to artists: just toomany to recite here in a posting. A great deal depends on the role anartist is singing as to whom I like to hear in an opera. Let me justsay that I am a dedicated and devout Jussi Bjoerling fan. While Verdiand Jussi are BIG on my list, I'm in love with it all - all kinds ofopera and many different artists. QED introductions. Now let me get tothe delivery I wish to make in this posting regarding annoying coughingand other noise makers in the opera house."

"In response to Ms. Rosenberg's question, my three choices for givingthanks operatically speaking would be:

1. Having my Jussi Bjoerling collection to listen to how an operashould be sung properly and beautifully by the roles given to theprincipal tenor. To my ears, Jussi was and will always be "thevocal standard" for the operas he sang. I would include everything else he ever sang as well without any reservations what so ever."

" I was prompted to post by the question asked recently about what weare most thankful for as we approach the holiday season. When I thinkabout it, despite the difficulty of having to narrow things down to amere three, these are the ones that emerge:

1. The voice of Jussi Bjoerling. I have been fascinated with hissound and stylish performances since I first heard him years ago. Ienjoy his French operatic pieces especially, but his Manrico and Duke ofMantua are favorites of mine too. However, the treasure of all of hisperformances is the full-length Boheme, which is absoltely sublime. Hisvoice is guaranteed to soothe and calm no matter what the stress! Ionly regret that I never had the opportuntiy to hear him in person."

"I gave a compilation tape of Bjoerling to a friend of mine who appreciates opera. Some months later, her husband (definitely not an opera fan) told me, "Jussi Bjoerling is almost enough to make me like opera." From him, that washigh praise."

"Hi all - as one of those whose "missionary fervor" where Jussi Bjoerling isconcerned has often led to spirited discussions with a good friend who prefersCorelli whenever they sang the same music, I must chime in on this thread.

The above suggestions are great; I would only add that one must hear Jussi singing his Swedish repertory. Not Swedish translations of standard arias,these are really for hard-core fans only. Try Kung Heimer och Aslog,Tornerna, Til Havs, En Svan or Jag Elska Dei (sp?) both by Grieg (Norwegian)or anything included in the 4 cd set Jussi Bjorling Edition on EMI. Hisrendition of the Berceuse from Jocelyn by Goddard, sung in English for unknownreasons, is simply stunning. Ditto Song of India by Rimsky-Korsakov.

I could go on and on, obviously, but will close with the seasonal suggestion: Try his O Helga Natt, even in Swedish this is vocalism to melt the most resistant.

For me, Bjoerling had the most absolute supreme instrument who knew how to useit well and effectively. He also retained the beauty and brilliance in to hislast days. Listen to the beautiful singing and phrasing as he sings In fernemLand from Sweden only a few weeks before his untimely death. He sings thisaria like no other tenor and with a freshness and lyrical beauty that is utterly amazing. His 47 Met broadcast of Romeo et Juliette is a classic and almost every serious opera lover has this performance in their collection. To hear him sing Ah leve-toi the way he does is truly unbelievable.

I don't know how anyone could mistake his timbre and ease of production as being "held in the throat." The sound was completely OUT of the throat and inthe mask. Albert Innaurato wrote a few years ago in Opera News that he wasexpecting to hear a bigger sound based on his recordings, but once he heardthat beautiful sound that was forgotten. I, of course, don't wish to debatethe size of his voice and what justifications that may or may not have.

I must admit, however, that at first I was not a fan of his either. But as I listened to more and more of him, I became won over and have since gone on to collect all of his studio recordings and a number of his live recordings. For me, Bjoerling typifies beautiful tenor singing. Yes, I love del Monaco,Corelli, Caruso, I even like Gigli, Tucker, and Peerce, but I will takeBjoerling over those guys any day!"

"First, I want to thank Leslie for this eloquent, thought-provoking post. Ihave one small quibble, and it may not even be that. When Leslie says that Bjoerling's "dramatic capabilities never matched (his) vocal abilities," Iwould agree insofar as stage presence was concerned. As I recall, Bjoerlinglong refused to sing the role of Lohengrin because, as he put it, "who wouldever believe that I would fight a duel of broadswords and win?"On the other hand, I believe that while Bjoerling was far from an overwhelmingfigure on stage, his dramatic abilites, from a purely vocal perspective, wereconsiderable. Perhaps Bjoerling demonstrated more temperament in performancethan in the recording studio, but I think that places him in good company withmany, if not most, of the great singers of this century. I can think of such"in-performance" recordings as Bjoerling's 1947 Romeo, mid-50s Manon Lescaut,or late-50s Cavalleria (all from the Met), each of which reveal a singer withconsiderable artistic fire, not to mention of course, the exquisite voice andadmirable style.These examples are not meant to be comprehensive, but in listening to them, Ifeel privileged to listen to an artist who satisfies not just as a greatsinger, but a great singing-actor. But then, such terms shouldn't be mutuallyexclusive."

"I read with enormous interest the post of Chuck Fry.

I, too, purchased the Milanov-Bjoerling Aida as a teen ager, but I lovedit. I always loved Milanov, and Bjoerling, while not what you wouldcall an "Italian" tenor like Tucker or Del Monaco, sings so beautifullyas Radames that he completely took my breath away.

No other Radames on record, with the possible exception of Bergonzi,could float the dolce Bb's in the Nile Scene- "il ciel del nostriamore," and the Tomb Scene. And yet still have the power (at least onrecords) for the remainder of the role.

The ease with which Bjoerling soars through "Celeste Aida" is thrilling,and his long held final Bb is a miracle in itself. Whatever it may havebeen live, the Radames of Jussi Bjoerling on recording is unmatched.

Sure- I love Tucker, and Del Monaco. But my favorite Radames on recordis still Bjoerling.

The Bjoerling voice was not a "warm" sound, but he certainly was not acold singer. He acted with his voice. And in live performance (listento his Manon Lescaut Met broadcast of 1956) he really gave. In thisperformance, he sobs with the best of them in the great "Pazzo Son" butnever lets it interfere with the vocal line.

I first heard Bjoerling in his "return" in Cavalleria in the Fall of1959. I was standing, upstairs, and was right smack against the stage,where the view was very limited. The curtain opened, and I heard thisincredibly pure voice sing the "Siciliana" and I felt chills. It was sobeautiful. It wasn't very big, but was perfectly placed, and carriedwell.

I too think that Bjoerling was even better in the French repertoire.His Romeo is probably the best ever. Certainly the best that I couldever imagine. And his Met broadcast of this opera from 1947 should berequired listening for all young (or old) tenors. It is perfection, andthrilling at the same time.

His Faust was also marvelous, and it's a real pity that he neverrecorded either of these two operas. He was scheduled to record them inthe early 60's, but death came too soon.

He never sang the Massenet Des Grieux, but he would have been perfect.He did record the two great arias of this role, and they set thestandard, IMO.

To my ears, the voice was one of the two most purely gorgeous voices ofthe century- the other being Gigli. And in the simple song, he shone.His performance of the Tosti "Ideale" can bring tears to my eyes. Theone from the live Carnegie Hall recital is really "ideal."

I'm sure Bjoerling could have sung well for at least another 15-20 yearsif he had lived. And we would have had wonderful recordings of theRomeo, Faust, Lohengrin, Otello. All of these he was supposed torecord, and without doubt there would have been many more.

We are all the poorer for it. But we are richer by far from whatBjoerling did record, and he recorded a lot."

"These reminisces about Bjoerling are fascinating to me. Unfortunately, I justbecame interested in opera shortly after Bjoerling had died. A friend prettymuch interested me in opera because he liked to go to second hand stores andbuy old 78s (he was/is a Caruso fan). For $.10, I bought a 78 of Bjoerling singing Celeste Aida and Che gelida manina. We had an automatic record player and if you left the arm (that stabilized the records that were to be dropped)on the side, the tone arm would return about 2/3 of the way through therecord. In the case of Che gelida manina, right to the start of the beautifulsweeping melody towards the end and of course the consequent high C. Ilistened to this part of the aria over and over and generally drove my familycrazy. This one record is probably more responsible of turning me towardsopera than anything else.

Of course, my first complete opera recording was the Boheme with Bjoerling andI've purchased it again and again in many forms over the years.

Frank Drake wrote: << I do listen to Melchior, Del Monaco, Domingo, Pavarotti, Kraus and many others. But Jussi is not someone I need to hear on a regular basis. >>

I am completely the opposite, I also listen to all of the above tenors - but Iusually have to return to Jussi for his clean and thrilling sound. His voice seems so right in so many parts to me and I certainly wish that he hadrecorded a broader repertoire.

By the way, I was recently fortunate enough to pick up a new Bjoerling CD called Jussi Bjorling Skansen 1952 (Bluebell ABCD 1001). It contains 5 items from a recently recovered tape of a Skansen recital: O Paradiso, Cielo e mar, Trollsjon, Land du valsignade, Nu ar jag pank och fagelfri (Ich hab keinGeld). It's packaged in a 5" by 8" card with a picture of a girl handingJussi some flowers after a concert on the cover. It wasn't bar-coded and theharried sales person at the store I often shop in gave it to me because it wason the shelves without a price."

"It is interesting that after being away from the public for thirty-eight years or so, Jussi Bjoerling is still a vital entity in the musical world. Itis amazing that such a troubled man could bring such glorious hours to thoseof us who adore him. It is difficult to understand how anyone could not likehim, but then I think about the singers I despise and others love. For me anyway, after Caruso there was Gigli and then Bjoerling and thenPavarotti. Certainly I loved Tucker, Del Monaco and De Stefano and saw themoften. But Bjoerling was a bridge from Gigli to Pavarotti...in vocal quality.For me, in Pavarotti's best times, his voice resembled a combination of Gigliand Bjoerling. I know it sounds dumb, but listen to them closely. I was fortunate to have seen Bjoerling live often at the old Chicago CivicOpera and at Lyric. He never was anything but Bjoerling. His voice was not aVickers or Del Monaco size, but it could ride over an orchestra and slicethrough like silver. On the opera stage he didn't act much, but you didn'tcare when he was singing. I have written sometime back about a Bjoerling recital at Orchestra Hallearly fifties. It started at 2pm and was still going on at 5:30 with a shortintermisson. The audience would not let him go. When the programed materialwas sung, and the audience continued to stomp and scream. Thereafter, he sangalmost another concert as an encore...and in so doing removed his tux jacket,sang more, removed his shirt, sang more and by the end, he was in his Italiantee shirt. The audience ate it up, and Bjoerling was delighted. He laughed abit and said pointing to his throat...That's all I've got. It was one of mymusical life's great experiences. What a singer, what a voice, what a shame heleft so early, and recording companies were not able to keep him in thestudios. After he died, we scoured every possible lead for his tapes, records,anything. There was little left in vaults so we had to wait for all the"other" sources. I don't think there is anymore to be had. Perhaps Ed Rosencan give us possible morsels of hope to dream about. I thought I heard a little of Bjoerling when listening to Wunderlich,another wonderful voice sadly taken. In my own ears, I found the advent ofPavarotti, sort of a reincarnation of the sunshine voice of the SwedishPrince. It seemed to me a bigger voice, and warmer voice. Today, as an old man, I still play Jussi's old Nessun Dorma and as I didas a child, listen for him clearing his throat. I still get the same thrill ofamazement. Luciano sings it with more voice, and more fervor. How lucky wehave been to have them both. I shed a musical tear as the New Year approaches, I wonder if I will livelong enough to see and hear another, Gigli Bjoerling Pavarotti De Stefano Del Monaco Tucker Vickers I doubt it! There have been many tenors--- good, decent and sometimesoutstanding, but those were the tenors of my life and times.

May 1999 bring us all a Bjoerling or two. To all a Happy and healthy holiday"

"Paul Fornatar's recollections of Jussi moved me because I think weprobably shared similar experiences in hearing this great tenor.

Its true that Bjoerling didn't do much on stage - just kind of stood there looking a bit stodgy and almost out of place - but the voice always soaredout beautifully and effortlessly as many listers have noted. I alwaysloved, and still love, his silvery bright sound. To me it defines"tenordom".

My problem with Jussi was that even at a young age when I was attending the Met regularly, I didn't care for his repertoire. Even then I was aconfirmed Wagnerite and after one or two performances of any of theItalian operas, I would be uninterested unless Bjoerling was singing.Then I had to fight my father to attend since he too loved Jussi and bythat time we only subscribed for one ticket. (We did begin with two butneither my parents or I were that interested in the standard Metrepertoire!)

I also don't agree that the golden age of tenors is over. There are somevery good ones out there and even today, someone posted about a newCorsican tenor. The dearth of Wagnerian heldentenors is, however, adifferent story but not one I want to entertain on Christmas Eve."

"Dear list,

I can't resist adding to this long post. There is, to be sure, noaccounting for tastes. But for my money Bjoerling is the greatest tenor Iever heard, and the greatest voice after Flagstad's. I saw him in Tosca,Manon Lescaut, Boheme and Romeo et Juliette and in recital, all in SanFrancisco. The voice was unforced, unfailingly smooth and brilliant. itfilled the house, as much because of his focus and projection as sheervolume. He was not a great actor but that didn't matter. He didn'toffend. Nor was he very glamorous. I remember especially his Romeo.Dressed in tights, he sort of looked like a potato on toothpicks. But thevoice! Many have commented that recordings rarely reveal all the beautyand size of a voice. In Bjoerling's case there was an extra excitement inhis live performances I do not find in his studio recordings, wonderfulthough they are. I particularly remember the splendour, the brilliance,the freedom of the top of his voice. It is one reason I cherish the pirates because some of that excitement comes through. I think especiallyof his Romeo, which I one of my most cherished memories, for Sayao as wellas Bjoerling. And if one listens to the Met broadcast One hears thatbrilliance and the voice soaring. Listen to the high note at the end ofah, leve-toi soleil. It is there for all to here."

"Jussi Bjoerling. The greatest tenor voice I have ever experienced. From1955 - 1958 he thrilled us performance after performance. He didn't alwaysshow up, but when he did there was nothing to compare."

"I'm really pleased that the Met Opera has chosen Puccini's "MANON LESCAUT"with DOROTHY KIRSTEN and JUSSI BJOERLING as its new CD release this year.While pirated versions of this 1949 matinee performance have previouslybeen available, the Met's own set (costly though it is) offers the bestpossible sound and packaging, as well as photos from that historicproduction.

I've always felt that, in this opera, DOROTHY KIRSTEN and JUSSI BJOERLINGhave never been equaled by any other Met casts I've heard in the yearsfollowing their notable acclaim as Manon and Des Grieux. (I might add that,since 1949 I've heard "MANON LESCAUT" each season it has been performed atthe Met, since this early Puccini work is such a favorite of mine.) Mymind's ear invariably hears DOROTHY KIRSTEN amd JUSSI BJOERLING in theseparticular roles - - - roles to which both bring such special magic!

Thanks, Met Opera!!!"

"The mention of Ebe Stignani by Mr. Claris recalls our tremendousperformance of Il Trovatore with Callas, Bjoerling, Bastianni, and MmeStignani at Chicago Lyric Opera. While she did look like an old mother,( andI don't think she wore much make up) she was spectacular. I have never heardanyone just pour out such glorious sound for a whole evening. For the mostpart she acted minimally and just sang. It was the most memorable Azucena Ihave ever witnessed. Simionato, Cossotto, and a whole string of others weregood, but Stignani was the best IMO.For that evening the opera might as wellhave been called Azucena. Jussi Bjoerling was also white hot wonderful and passionate. It soonbecame obvious that at least 3/4 of the cast was intoxicated with passion andabandon. That night was unique in another aspect. The crowd went wild withStignani, Bjoerling and Bastianni. Mme Callas was just an also ran and seemedvisibily upset by the fact. It remains the second greatest performance I ever saw or heard. Tell mewe have singers of that caliber today and I'll travel anywhere."

"Hi List,

As a few of you may remember, a few months ago I mentioned that I just didnot get Jussi Bjoerling. I received lots of e-mail, some in agreement,others expressing pity for the fact that I was missing out on one of thegreatest artists of our time. Since that time I have tried Jussi again, andas one lister said, "tastes change with age." Well that's true and I am nowa convert, yes I admit I was wrong I just had not listened to the rightrecording (and I am listening with different ears.) I listened to arecording of "En fermant les yeux" and was overwhelmed by the phrasing andline, beauty of tone, and the georgeous color of that voice in this music, Ihad tears in my eyes, because I could not believe that I was ready todismiss this artist, and because I was remembering what a 20 year oldthought, and now I was listening with 30 year old ears. (It's amazing what can happen in 10 years.)

So the question is what other recordings show Jussi Bjoerling off to best advantage? Private responses welcomed. Thanks!"

"<<8. GIOVANNI MARTINELLI: Ah si ben mio (no one, but no one, sings the recitbefore the aria like Martinelli.>> There have been choices on this topic that I wouldn't necessarily agree with since it's extrmely subjective, but I feel too strongly about this one to passit up. No one, but no one, sings the whole damned thing - through di quellapira as well as Jussi Bjoerling! There isn't anyone even close. Sorry, Don."

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