Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Jussi Björling Museum Update, Voxna And Strömsbruk, Sue Flaster

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

Largely due to the ongoing Covid pandemic and the usual Swedish summer-vacation period, there is nothing new to report about the fate of the Museum, as well as no news about when Borlänge Kommun plans to empty the current Museum building. As of this writing, the municipal government is still planning to relocate the Jussi Björling Museum to space in the Borlänge library. Although the Museum remains officially closed, it is possible to visit by appointment. Efforts continue to find appropriate space in Stockholm as well as to work with Borlänge Kommun to insure the best possible arrangement for this …

Jussi And Elvis, David Lewis

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

Jussi Björling and Elvis Presley. Elvis and Jussi. The Swedish Caruso and the King of
Rock ‘n’ Roll. An absurd pairing Or is it?

Remembering Sarah Duvall, Norm Krasne

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

After suffering a catastrophic stroke last summer, one of our fellow JBSers, my partner Sarah Duvall, passed away on August 15th. Compared to most in our Society, she was a relative newcomer to opera and to Jussi’s heavenly tenor. As her exposure to the art form grew, she came to prefer more contemporary operatic works to the more traditional classics, but she recognized superior singing when she heard it. Portland (OR) Opera was our home base and over a decade we became more involved with the Company and made many friends among its supporters and staff. Sarah was a volunteer …

Jussi In New Zealand, Janel E. Lundgren

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

A festive celebration of the art of Jussi Björling was held on March 26th, 2021, in the beautiful Royal Akarana Yacht Club, overlooking Waitemata Harbor in Auckland, New Zealand.

Prime Music Activist Bea Bobotek, 93, Has Passed Away, Christer Ahl, Alec Bobotek, Majia Budow, Caryl Pines Curry, Dan Shea, David Scally

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

Our grande dame Bea Bobotek ,one of the Jussi Björling Society’s guiding lights since its founding23 years ago, died April 10 in Alexandria VA. She had sweeping connections in the Washington classical music scene, as well as inside key institutions like radio station WGMS, the Smithsonian and local museums and embassies. These connections became increasingly useful over the years, as Washington became our favorite gathering place.

Bidú: Passion And Determination By Denis Allan Daniel, Tom Hines

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

According to the author, this is the first biographical study in English of the world-renowned Brazilian soprano, Bidú Sayão, who had a storied career in opera during the l930s, 1940s, and1950s. Of considerable interest to members of the Jussi Björling Societies, this study emphasizes her collaboration with Jussi in major Metropolitan Opera productions...notably Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette (1947)and Puccini’s La bohème (especially the 1948 performance). Blessed with a haunting lyric soprano voice, she specialized in bel canto roles that took her to the major operatic houses of the world and left an indelible impression on critics and audiences alike. She …

Jussi Björling: We Remember (Jussi Björling En Minnesbok), Sue Flaster

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

Short weeks after Jussi Björling’s death in September of 1960, Bertil Hagman launched himself on an ambitious project: to record reminiscences of the great tenor while those memories were still fresh. Hagman interviewed several dozen friends and colleagues who knew Jussi and had performed with him, and by the end of 1960 had published Jussi Björling en Minnesbok (JB A Memory Book).

Jussi Björling Society – Usa At Symphony Center Chicago Conference Rescheduled!, Sue Flaster

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

JBS-USA is happy to announce that plans for the much-anticipated Chicago Conference, postponed from spring of 2021, are now being finalized for the weekend of March 24 to 28, 2022. We are accepting advance registrations with the enclosed form, or online, through the JBS web site. As before, the Conference will include nine distinguished speakers, group tickets to performances by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Lyric Opera of Chicago, and group discounted hotel rooms.

Full Issue

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

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Hanna Hedman, 1934-2020

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

We report with sadness the death of Hanna Hedman. Hanna was married to Frank Hedman, who in 1979 founded the Bluebell recording label, which she managed successfully after Frank’s death in 1990. Among her notable issues were many Jussi Björling recordings, especially live performance recordings from Stockholm. Bluebell’s “Great Swedish Singers” series presented such artists as Schymberg, Söderström, Gedda, Hasslo, Berglund, Wixell and Björker. Hanna was a remarkable person, idiosyncratic, funny and generous. She died just before her 86th birthday. An in-depth article about Frank, Hanna, and Bluebell will be published in our next Journal.

In Memoriam Art Skantz, Our Dedicated Colleague, Dan Shea

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

We deeply regret to tell you that Art Skantz, a longtime Björling Society member and a past Treasurer and board member, died last January 26. As Treasurer from 2004 to 2011, he was the conscientious keeper of the JBS books and an always helpful supporter of worthy projects. Art had high-level experience in corporate finance. Further, he and his wife Marilynn had great memories of having heard Jussi at Lyric Opera during the 1950s. Clearly he was well qualified to serve JBS-USA as financial officer!

In Memoriam Rosalind Elias (1930 – 2020)

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

“The Metropolitan Opera mourns the death of one of our most beloved artists, mezzo-soprano Rosalind Elias, who sang 687 performances with the company over a period of 42 years. She made her Met debut in 1954 at just 23 years of age as Grimgerde in Die Walküre and initially sang supporting roles, but soon graduated to larger parts such as Siébel in Faust, Maddalena in Rigoletto, and Suzuki in Madama Butterfly. Then, in 1958, she was chosen to sing the leading role of Erika in the world premiere of Samuel Barber’s Vanessa. At her request, the …

Margareta Hallin

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

Margareta Hallin had an interesting and varied career, beginning with her debut in 1955 as Rosina in The Barber of Seville with the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm. She went on to sing more than 1,500 performances at the Royal Opera House over the next twenty-nine years and now has a bust there in her honor. This focus on Sweden was by her own choice; Nicolai Gedda, for one, thought that with her “beautiful coloratura soprano voice” she could have had an international career.

In Memoriam Kerstin Meyer And Margareta Hallin, Peter C. Hammond

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

Mezzo-soprano Kerstin Meyer, who died at the age of 92 on April 14, 2020, appeared in several operas with Jussi. Recordings survive featuring him with Meyer as Maddalena in Rigoletto in 1957 and as Azucena in Il trovatore in 1960 at the Royal Opera House in Stockholm, the latter being the same role in which she had made her debut there in 1952. She was a longtime member of the Royal Swedish Opera and the Hamburg State Opera and made many guest appearances at the major opera houses of London, Milan, New York, Vienna, and elsewhere. She often performed in …

Announcing A Change In Jbs Publication Schedule

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

You may have noticed that our 2020 Journal this year was significantly longer than usual, and has been slowly expanding in recent years. And you will find that this Newsletter has also grown beyond its traditional eight-page format. With these deliberate changes in mind, the Board of Directors has decided to eliminate the Fall Newsletter (which has always been a challenge, coming out only three months prior to the Journal). This decision will also result in the elimination of layout, printing and postage costs.

New Honorary Member Of Sweden’S Jussi Björling Society 2020

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

It is with happiness and respect we welcome Susan Flaster as new honorary member in The Jussi Björling Society. Although Sue, as most people call her, lives in Charleston, South Carolina, she has spent a lot of time in Sweden, not least in Säter, Dalecarlia, where she spends some time of the year and lives and works with her Swedish husband, Harald Henrysson. Both have a strong connection in Jussi Björling´s life and achievement.

Information On The New Jussi Björling Discussion Group At Bjorling2@Groups.Io, Dan Shea

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

Would you like occasionally to express an opinion about singing to friends who understand your enthusiasm for Björling and other great historical singers, or even current opera singers? Well, some of us have fun talking about slightly abstruse topics like Jussi’s four recordings of Beethoven’s song “Adelaide,” for instance comparing the 1949 version from Jussi’s Hollywood Bowl concert (newly available!) with the other three, and even with versions by other singers.

Jussi Björling On The Opera Stage: A List Of Companies With Which He Sang, Harald Henrysson

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

Arranged according to the number of complete opera or operetta performances with each company. In the second column: number of performances.

Three numbers indicate: performances on the home stage + performances on tour = total number. In the third column: first and last year of performing with the company.

John Steane On Richard Caniell, John Steane

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

In a book published almost forty years ago I wrote of the invaluable supply of ‘private’ recordings, mostly taken ‘off-the-air’ of live performances, some of them from the 1930s, noting that unfortunately they came with much factual misinformation and were unreliable in matters such as speed and pitch. I added that it was to be hoped that one day these faults could be amended, with proper editing of the originals and with more scholarly care over documentation. In one instance (and by no means the most important) I said that attention of this kind, by whoever provided it, “would earn …

Jussi Björling His Final Season At The Met 1959, Richard Caniell

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

It is an extraordinary fact that Jussi Björling’s final season of his life, afflicted though he was with heart problems, revealed his voice at its most refulgent, his characterizations the utmost in expressiveness. Fortunately, we have preservations which corroborate the truth of this while communicating that his vocal art had achieved a fusion of fiery passion and refinement of expression without parallel in any other tenor of the twentieth century.

Jussi Björling — A Tribute His Final Fabulous Met Season — 1959

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

Editor’s Note: Members may pre-order their copies at a discounted price using the enclosed Audio and Book Order Form, or online at www.jussibjorlingsociety.org

Jussi Björling Society-Usa At Symphony Center Chicago Conference

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

The Jussi Björling Society-USA is excited to announce that plans for our 2021 Conference in Chicago are being finalized, and we are now accepting advance registrations with the enclosed form, or online.

Full Issue

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

No abstract provided.

Join The Jbs Board In Washington, D.C. This November

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

On FRIDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 15, the Jussi Björling Society has made plans to attend the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center, a concert performance of Act II of Tristan und Isolde, featuring Stephen Gould and Christine Goerke, conducted by Gianandrea Noseda. To join us for the concert at a group price of $70, contact Janel Lundgren, at tonerna@myfairpoint.net

Audio Update And Observations, Kristian Krogholm

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

Under the guidance of Andrew Rose, Pristine Audio has issued no less than three Puccini recordings with Jussi Björling. Earlier I commented on PACO158 Manon Lescaut (Met-1956). To sum up my reactions from that set, I find the sound of orchestra absolutely exemplary. Few can make an old recording of an orchestra sound more up-to-date than Mr. Rose. I have in my collection most of Pristine’s Furtwängler and Toscanini sets and they are second to none. Björling`s voice on the other hand, I find sounds more “muscular” than is to my liking. And it is the restoration that has made …

19th Year Of Concerts In Voxna, July 8, 2019, Sue Flaster

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

That was the headline on this year’s Voxna program, and the plural is quite accurate: in the last eight or nine years, there have been two concerts given of the same program. Impresario and MC Stefan Olmårs manages to fill the Voxna church to capacity twice, a fitting response to his uniformly interesting and excellent concerts. Locals attending were joined by Sällskap members and other tour participants, as in past years.

Jussi Björling Museum Celebrates 25 Years

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

The Museum’s official opening day was Oct. 22, 1994. The 25-year celebration will take place on October 26 with a gala concert in the Mission Church across the courtyard from the Museum. Music journalist Göran Forsling will assist Curator Jan-Olof Damberg by acting as Master of Ceremonies. Founding Curator Harald Henrysson will speak briefly about the history of the Museum, and about his new book. Local soprano Hanna Husáhr will be the featured artist. Hanna currently sings in the Royal Opera company and has sung in many companies throughout Europe. She received the 2011 Jussi Björlingstipendiet (JB Award of the …

Strömsbruk Jussi-Fest, 2019, Janel Lundgren

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

When Stefan Olmårs became Secretary of the Jussi Björling Society(Sällskapet), he was contacted by a man who told him that Jussi’s father David had been born in Strömsbruk and had worked there as a blacksmith. Stefan became intrigued, and made contact with local historian Gustav Ekengren who took Stefan to the very small Mission Church in Strömsbruk (which had been set up almost like a theater). Gustav related that David Björling had come there with Jussi who was then so young that he was not yet speaking clearly and had to be stood on a table to sing. Gustav showed …

David Björling And His Sons In America — A Musical Family Saga Begins By Harald Henrysson

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

This long-awaited account of David Björling’s two trips to the US has finally arrived! Alone and then with his three oldest sons, David’s adventures in America are remarkable for their organization, daring and musical importance in the lives of his sons. Harald Henrysson’s book is a hefty and well-illustrated hardcover, rich in newly-discovered information. It is being issued during the centenary of the last major Björling milestone. Initial critical response has been very positive, as you will read below. Order your copy now from JBS-USA (see order form or the web site, jussibjorlingsocietyusa.org).

Full Issue

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

No abstract provided.