Swedish tenor, 1911 - 1960
Biographical notes: His father was a blacksmith at first, then changed to a singing career, studying as a tenor at the Met Opera School in New York and afterwards at the Music Conservatory in Vienna. He became a singing teacher and the proof of his educational success is to be found in his four sons. With three of them he founded the “Björling Male Quartet” with which he made tours in Sweden and also in the USA (1919 to 1921). Jussi’s mother died in 1917, father David in 1926. The first of the brothers to make a career in music was Jussi. After studies at the Stockholm Music Conservatory he made his debut as the Lamp-lighter in Manon Lescaut. One month later, he appeared as Don Ottavio. The reception to this was positive, if not sensational, and following his next appearance his singing was widely praised, although he was criticised for his acting. By that time Jussi had already made his first broadcast (1928) and his first gramophone recording as a tenor (he was 18 years old!). Most of Jussi’s many recordings during 1930s and 1940s were made with conductor Nils Grevillius for Skandinaviska Grammophon AB (the Swedish HMV affiliate). At home in Sweden, Jussi had signed his first permanent contract with the Royal Opera in 1931 and spent his next years concentrating on learning a large number of major and minor roles in a broad repertoire (all sung in Swedish). In 1935 he married soprano Anna-Lisa Berg. Three children were born between 1936 and 1943 (the younger two became singers). Anna-Lisa was to resume her career in the late 1940s. She concentrated on being his companion on tour, providing him with invaluable support. In 1937 he appeared for the first time in England. In the same year he visited the United States to give three concerts at Carnegie Hall and several other concerts. He sang in Rigoletto and Bohème, both in Italian for the first time, and he returned to Sweden and brought with him a MET contract. He gave up his contract with Covent Garden and startet a 15 seasons long association (121 performances) with the MET. During Worldwar II he returned to Sweden and appeared at concerts in Denmark, Finland, Germany and Hungary. In 1943 he made his Italian debut as Manrico in Florence. In 1944 he was appointed singer to the “Swedish Royal Court.” In 1945 he started his longest American tour, beginning in October and finishing in May of the following year. He used to spend part of the summer at home on Siarö in the Stockholm archipelago. During the autumn Jussi would make guest appearances at the Stockholm Opera. In 1946 his debut followed on the Milan opera stage (Duca). In America, he was a popular guest on several well-known radio programs. In 1950 the MET’s new manager Rudolf Bing gave Verdi’s Don Carlo. This role was Jussi’s last new stage role. In 1953 he had some troubles with his throat and there was following a period of convalescence. In 1954 Jussi went to Italy to record Manon Lescaut, the first of his complete opera studio recordings there. He was very much in demand by this time, not only by his company but also by the public. During 1959 a series of minor heart attacks were reminders of the growing illness which was shortly to prove fatal. At the end of November and December Jussi Björling was back at the MET for the last time. In 1960 he appeared in Stockholm as Manrico which was to be his last role on the stage where his opera career had begun almost 30 years earlier. He again suffered heart problems but managed to sing Manrico and Faust in San Francisco. In 1960 Jussi gave his usual open air concerts in Stockholm. During the night of September 9, whilst asleep at his summer house on Siarö, he suffered a heart attack and he died an untimely death at the age of 49. Jussi Björling in five of his greatest roles
As Des Grieux in “Manon Lescaut”
As Manrico in “Il Trovatore”
As Duca in “Rigoletto” (Copenhagen 1942)
As Roméo in “Roméo et Juliette”
As Gustavus III of Sweden (Riccardo) in “Un Ballo in Maschera”
As Rodolfo in “La Bohème”
Comment: “Mr. Björling possesses an unusually fresh and beautiful high tenor voice of a pronounced Nordic
timbre which he treats with a sympathy-raising naturalness, free of all artificiality and without the least trace of sentimental tediousness that all too often is inherent ...” This quotation does not
refer to Jussi Björling but to his father David and was written by the composer Wilhelm Stenhammar in 1912. It could also describe the singing of his son.
Jussi remembered his father saying “Don’t adopt a needless pose when singing but let the aria/song come naturally as you feel it.” A lesson that Jussi gives evidence of having taken to heart.
His “expressivo” is characterized by the vocal and musical line. His timbre is highly individual, full of melancholy and of a “silvery” quality (like a glacier). There is no “roundness” and “Italian
sunshine” in his tone. From the stylistic point of view he outshines all tenors between 1930 and 1950. I particularly like his earlier opera live recordings. Here, you can find many superb
performances with excellent partners. Of his studio recordings made for RCA in the 1950s, I admire La Bohème (what a tender Rodolfo), Trovatore (a model of a Manrico), Aida and Manon
Lescaut (Licia Albanese is not up to the task, but Björling is exceptional). In Vladimir’s Cavatina (Prince Igor) he surpasses all Russian tenors of the “Golden Age!”
David Björling with his sons: Gösta, Jussi, Karl and Olle
“Listening to Björling has always been my ultimate pleasure. Although he didn’t move much on stage, his mime and his eyes told you he was always in his character. He never made an ugly sound; and yet the voice was the most human, emotional instrument (!). Björling was a nice, ordinary man, not anything special. He was rather shy, and he loved his family...” Elisabeth Söderström
My warmest thanks to Harald Henrysson Curator of Jussi Björlingmuseet (The Jussi Björling Museum), Borlänge
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