Arts and Humanities Commons^™

A Memory Of Jussi Björling, George Shelby Weaver

Journal of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

After hearing Jussi Björling on 78- rpm and microgroove discs during my early years, I longed to hear him in person. The only opportunity came on April 2, 1959, in a recital at Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, that blessed my twentytwo- year-old ears and psyche. From the tenth row it was obvious that his voice soared through the entire auditorium with ease. Its brilliance was immediately captivating, the inimitable shimmer sustained from softest pianissimo to trumpeted fortissimo. It surpassed, of course, his excellently recorded RCA Victor “New Orthophonic” self.

Rosanna Carteri, 89, Gifted Italian Soprano Who Partnered An Era’S Greatest Stars, Has Died

Journal of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

One of the most beautiful and gifted Italian sopranos of her generation, Carteri made her professional debut at eighteen, as Elsa in Lohengrin at the Baths of Caracalla in Rome in 1949. Within the next few seasons, Carteri made house debuts at most of the principal Italian venues, including La Scala, Arena di Verona, La Fenice, Teatro di San Carlo and Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, as well as at Covent Garden, Paris Opéra and the Salzburg Festival. Celebrated for her elegance, impeccable technique and sympathetic stage presence, Carteri sang repertoire that ranged from Desdemona, Violetta, Alice Ford, Liù, Magda in La …

Hanna Hedman, 1934–2020, Harald Henrysson

Journal of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

Record producer Hanna Hedman has passed away in June, 2020, after a long illness, just weeks before her 86th birthday. She is mourned by a sister and niece, their families and many friends.

Several Perspectives On Jussi Björling And La Bohème, Dan Shea

Journal of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

Browsing the internet recently, I noticed Pristine Classical’s announcement of their new remastering of the “Beecham Bohème” and wondered how powerful modern sound engineering might affect the glorious vocalism of that 64 year old recording. The transcript engineer in charge, Andrew Rose, has built up a substantial catalogue of renovated recordings, mostly from the early LP era, often having surprising clarity and spatial ambience. Mr. Rose definitely seems to have very good taste concerning the artists his company features, including 13 of Jussi’s recordings from the era 1940-1957.

How Jussi’S Appearances On American Television First Made Their Way To Sweden, Kendall Svengalis

Journal of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

In the days before the founding of the Jussi Björling Society – USA, several future JBS board members established contact with Harald Henrysson who, at the time was record librarian at Swedish Radio. It was those contacts, and subsequent correspondence that eventually led, with Harald’s encouragement, to the founding of the JBS-USA in 1997. This account takes us back 34 years, to 1986, when I had my own unique Jussi Björling experiences in Sweden, thanks to Harald.

Jussi Björling On The Opera Stage: A Statistic Survey, Harald Henrysson

Journal of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

The statistics comprise his complete opera and operetta performances. They include two (in Stockholm and New York), where he had to be replaced during the performance. A gala performance of Die Fledermaus at the Met, where he did not sing music from the operetta, is not included.

Giorgio Tozzi Remembers Jussi Björling, Walter B. Rudolph

Journal of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

Simply stated, Giorgio Tozzi was my idol as a teenager. I felt very isolated from opera in Cody, Wyoming, even though the Community Concert series had allowed me to hear Igor Gorin, Jon Crain and Maureen Forrester in recital. I knew names from the annual photo booklet supplied by the Community Concert Association, which my mother always received because she sold tickets.

Jbs-Usa Chicago Conference Postponed To 2022, Janel E. Lundgren

Journal of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

As we announced in last November, we have successfully moved our Chicago Conference to April of 2022.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg And Jbs-Usa, Dan Shea

Journal of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

Much has been said and written in praise of this phenomenal woman since her passing in September 2020, especially about her substantial influence in the world as a champion of justice, and as a legal, cultural and feminist icon. We join in the celebration of her life by remembering her love of opera and her superb taste in tenors.

Following is a reprint of two articles from the JBS-USA Journal 13, Fall 2001, recounting the June 26, 2001 presentation by Bertil Bengtsson at the Smithsonian Institute in cooperation with the Embassy of Sweden and JBS-USA, an event attended by Justice …

Companion Translation Coming For Jussi Björling, En Minnesbok, Janel E. Lundgren

Journal of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

JBS-USA is excited to announce plans to privately publish in 2021 a companion volume of the English translation of the book, Jussi Björling, en minnesbok.

Björling Concerts In Immortal Performances Set, Kristian Krogholm

Journal of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

Jussi Björling`s very first US concerts are finally to be released on CD. That was about time. It only took 83 years. On the new stupendous 6-CD Björling tribute set from Immortal Performances, we find two of the three radio appearances he made from Carnegie Hall in 1937: the first from 28 November and the third from 19 December. The second concert from 5 December has already appeared on CD (VAIA1189 and WHRA 6036).

A Remarkable Treasure Trove Of Recordings, Ken Meltzer

Journal of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

A glorious 6-disc (priced as 5) set from Immortal Performances features complete recordings of three Met performances by the brilliant Swedish tenor Jussi Björling, all from his final season at the Met.

The New Cd Set From Immortal Performances: Essential Listening, Henry Fogel

Journal of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

Almost all performing artists exhibit differences between their studio recordings and their live performances (and, hopefully, also between different live performances). The degree of that difference can vary mightily from artist to artist. One tenor in whom this difference was very strongly pronounced was Jussi Björling. As fine as his studio recordings are, and some of them are extraordinary, the intensity and musical imagination he brought to live performances invariably increase compared with what we hear on his studio records. This remarkable compilation from Immortal Performances is essential listening for anyone who admires the great Swedish tenor. The three performances …

Stockholm Headline: The Jussi Björling Museum Will Be Closed Down: “It’S Sad That There Is So Little Pride In Father There.”, Carl-Henric Malmgren

Journal of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

After 26 years the Jussi Björling museum in Borlänge will be closed down for good. Diminishing visit figures and a strained economy are the given reasons, but the handling by the local authority is questioned. “This is what always happens to culture, when the bureaucrats have free hands”, says the opera singer Marcus Jupiter.

The Jussi Björling Museum Closed After 26 Years, Harald Henrysson

Journal of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

For several years, the future of the Jussi Björling Museum has been discussed in the municipal administration in Borlänge, the city where Jussi was born in 1911 and which owns and runs the museum. For some time, the administration had planned to move it from its present building, where it opened in 1994. Since it was unclear when and where the museum would be moved and what activities it would have in the future, on 29 April 2020 the three Jussi Björling societies sent a letter to the Department of Cultural and Recreational Activities in Borlänge, stressing the importance of …

From The President, Janel E. Lundgren

Journal of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

First, the JBS-USA Board of Directors joins me in sending our best greetings to you all, with the hope that you all are safe and well.

Front Matter

Journal of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

No abstract provided.

Full Issue

Journal of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

No abstract provided.

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

No abstract provided.

Honoring Creative Women: Minerva Teichert Award Winner 2021, Ally Christiansen

AWE (A Woman’s Experience)

No abstract provided.

Honoring Womanhood: The Creative Works Of Elinor Dunsmuir: Minerva Teichert Award Winner 2021, Nicole Dayton

AWE (A Woman’s Experience)

No abstract provided.

Star Burning Blue By Kelly-Marie Murphy, Madeleine Montgomery

AWE (A Woman’s Experience)

No abstract provided.