Music Commons^™

Of The Great Voices Of The Past Century, Which Does The Public Most Want To Hear?, John Steane

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

More or less everything, it seems, is now "historical" if it dates back beyond the day before yesterday. At least it won't be long before 100 years of recording will be seen as falling under that heading. A hundred years, among other things, of singing voices. And if the recent lists are any indication, whom from out of that century of singers does the general public most want to hear? The name that leads all the rest, by some distance, is Jussi Bjorling. The edition on Naxos reaches its seventh volume, a collection of songs is published on one label …

Heidi Melton Update

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

Heidi Melton, whom we heard at the July, 2008 commemorative concert in Voxna, Sweden (see newsletter number 14, November, 2008), has recently won the George London Foundation Awards Competition. Described by the NY Times as "one of the most prestigious contests for promising young singes (35 and under) in North America;' the award carries a prize of $ 10,000 to the top s ix contestants, and $1,000 to eight others. There were 26 finalists in the competition held March 20th, 2009 in the Morgan Library.

Notes

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

Members of the Jussi Bjorling Society-USA can order the WHRA Don Carlo from the JB Museum via email for the bargain postage-included price of $42 and then pay via JBS-USA using a US bank check or Paypal: email your order and postal address to Jan-Olof Damberg at jussibjorlingmuseet@borlange. Then s end your check to Treasurer Art Skantz at 8317 W, Franklin Ave., St Loui s Park, MN 55426, USA (or, for Paypal, via [email protected]).

A New 1950 Don Carlo, Masterfully Remastered, Dan Shea

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

Jussi Bjorling took on his last n ew stage role, Don Carlo, to help open the Met's first season with Rudolph Bi ng as manager. At the November 6, 1950, premiere -which was telecast- and again for the radio broadcast five days later, Bjorling was at the top of his form vocally and interpretively, steadily producing bright, vividly- colored tones in an impassioned portrayal of his character. It's another state-of-grace performance worthy to stand next to his famous 1940 and 1947 broadcasts as Romeo and his 1956 broadcast as des Grieux in Manon Lescaut.

Jussi's Visit To Charleston A Triumph, Ward Murray

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

Had Jussi ever performed in Charleston, SC, that would most assuredly have been the local headline! Nearly fifty years after his death, a large contingent of JBS members descended upon this jewel of the South for a weekend conference that celebrated his life, legacy, and repertoire, as well as a strong Swedish connection to this port city dating back to the ante-bellum period and extending to the present day.

Editors' Note

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

This issue is largely devoted to the recent JBS Conference in Charleston, SC. As you will read, the presenters were as varied as their subjects, and we managed to cover a good deal of ground, both Jussicological and otherwise. Ward Murray has written an evocative and personal narrative, and we are able to accompany that with entertaining pictures thanks to David and Vivienne Hill and Ward himself.

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Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

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Notes On Being "Professional", Roger Horn

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

I have no idea who Ada may have been, but that is how I have felt about music-performance for many a year. At one time I was playing the tuba in the Mecca Temp le Band, which met in a church basement in Greenwich Village. One night I found myself with a very well known player (las t name was Black, I think) who was counted a considerable success. He had played the whole run of South Pacific and had lots of other work. During a break he said to me, " I don't know who you are, Horn, but …

Record Review: Aida, Naxos 8.111042-44, 3 Cd's, Stephen Hastings

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

Perlea's Aida, recorded in July 1955, is not especially charged with electricity, yet it has some musical gems of great value, among them the Judgment Scene in which the painful identification of Fedora Barbieri (Amneris) and the pure and passionate lyricism of Jussi Bjorling (Radames) blend into something forceful and unique, and the final duet in which Bjorling and Zinka Milanov reach incomparable sublime beauty. The tenor and soprano's paths had crossed for the first time in Prague, also in Aida, on March 14, 1938 (he sang in Swedish, she in Croatian), and curiously, that was their only joint performance …

2009 Jussi Bjorling Conference

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

There are some updates to our plans for the May 15-17, 2009 Conference, one of the most important of them is that we are now an official pre-festival part of the Piccolo Spoleto Festival. The Festival folks do a terrific job of publicity and promotion, and have more than 25 years of expertise in presenting the performing arts to the Charleston public.

In Memoriam: Hjordis Schymberg, Stefan Johansson

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

Hjordis Schymberg, the soprano with whom Jussi Bjorling was most often paired at the Royal Opera, died on September 8th at the age of 99.

Record Review: Jussi Bjorling In Song Testament Sbt 1427, Greg Fitzmaurice

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

To my knowledge, this is the first release by Testament of a Bjorling album and it is to our good fortune that they've chosen the LP, RCA LM 1771, "Bjoerling in Song'; to base it on. For those not familiar with Testament, it is a company which obtains licenses from the original recording companies to release recordings that the original company has no plans for. As a result , Testament is allowed to use the original master tapes for the re- issue, which is important because that generally results in a recording superior to others which have had to rely …

Our Distant Correspondents: Per Backstrom Reports On Voxna 2008, Per Backstrom

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

It has now become an established tradition that the Scandinavian Jussi Bjorling Society arranges a two-day event in the middle of July, starting with a concert in Voxna church, in collaboration with the local parish, followed by a buffet at Voxna mansion. The evening ends with a talk by someone who sang with or at least knew Jussi, followed with listening to Jussi recordings, where the audience can make requests. The following day there can be a lecture and guided visits. As in the past, Stefan Olmars was the event organizer.

Phyllis Josell Meets Jbs-Usa Honorary Advisor Rolando Villazon, Phyllis Josell

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

Rolando Villazon is internationally recognized as one of the leading lyric tenors of our day and has bee n acclaimed for performances at leading theaters across the world. I first heard him on February 3, 2005, when the Jussi Bjorling Society sponsored a "mini -conference" at the Los Angeles Opera's Chandler Pavilion : Rolando was due to sing Romeo that night to Anna Netrebko's Juliette, and administration officials at Placido Domingo's LA Opera had been very supportive of JBS's inquiry about our bringing a group of about 25 members to the performance. Not only we re we give n excellent …

Editors' Note

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

In this issue, you'll find an appreciation of Hjordis Schymberg who died recently at 99 and had so much to do with the professional life of Jussi Bjorling. The informative obituary note by Stefan Johansson, Head of Dramaturgy at the Royal Opera, is on p. 5.

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Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

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Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

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Bust A Move (Move A Bust): New Location For Jussi's Bust, Beau Kaplan, Dan Shea

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

Several months after the JB bust vanished from sight at the Met, we learned in mid-March that the Bjorling bust was back on display in the concourse gallery, conspicuously located between busts of Verdi and Caruso! Several of our members documented this fact with photographs: our thanks to Bea Bobotek, Beau Kaplan, and Bill Lessard for sending us copies. And special thanks to the Met's Archivist Bob Tuggle for his patience in dealing with our members' anxieties! Mr. Tuggle explained that a new photo gallery had also been installed in the bust's previous home, with some 70 singers represented, and …

Birgit Nilsson: La Nilsson, My Life In Opera, Andrew Farkas

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

The American edition of Birgit Nilsson 's memoirs has a long and unhappy history. The book barely hit the best seller list on the domestic Swedish market in 1995, when I urged the publisher for whom I edited an Opera Biography series to issue the book in English. The company was reluctant to invest the cost of translation on top of Mme Nilsson's demands for a large advance against royalties, and they declined. Appreciating the value and broad interest of the book, I recommended it to another publisher. They enthusiastically jumped at the opportunity and negotiated a contract with Mme …

New Issues On Cd And Mp3

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

Jussi Bjorling, songs and opera arias 1936-1955

La Boheme, 1948, Metropolitan Opera Manon Lescaut, 1956, Metropolitan Opera

Naxos 7: Land du valsignade

Testament CD: JB in Song

2009 Jussi Bjorling Conference, Sue Flaster

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

The Board of the Jussi Bjorling Society-USA is happy to announce a Jussi Bjorling conference to be held in beautiful Charleston, South Carolina, May 15, 16 and 17 of 2009. Quite a bit o f time has passed since our big gathering in Sweden, and the important year of 2011 is still a long way off. Don't miss this opportunity to see old friends, make new ones, hear wonderful music and learn a bit more about our tenor and his fellow musical Swedes.

The Twenty-Sixth Of September 1953 Was A Great Day, Brigit Nilsson

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

I was to sing Tosca for the first time with Jussi Bjorling. I admired him endlessly and was afraid l would not be able to please him. God knows, one had heard of all the peculiarities of great singers, and I was certain t hat Jussi would have many of his own. My fears proved to be unfounded. He was the most considerate and uncomplicated partner one could awish for, with a voice that mirrored the Swedish spring with fresh birch groves, blue sky, and dew-fresh grass. And beneath this smoldered an Italian fever like the lava of Vesuvius.

A Warm Note From Marion Merrill, Marion Merrill

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

Thank you so much for the current Jussi Journal. I was deeply saddened, to learn of the passing of Anna-Lisa and Janet. I had often thoughf of Anna-Lisa as "mia sorella Svenska." Bob and l would often address her as such with great affection. We did stay in contact and Veronica Bjorling kept m up to date when Anna-Lisa no long could.

New Honors For Dan Shea, Bengt Krantz

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

Today, on Jussi's "official" birthday, the Scandinavian Jussi Bjorling Society held its annual meeting at the Jussi Bjorling Museum in Borlange. We want to announce that during this meeting, the society appointed two new honorary members: Dan Shea and Raymond Bjorling, and that Mats Carlsson became the first recipient of Juss i Bjorlingsallskapets Pris (The Jussi Bjorling Society Prize ).

Hallo Jussifriends, Stefan Olmars

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

The Bjorling family lived for hundreds of years in the small village of Voxna. Jussi's grandfather was a blacksmith here. And David and his three young sons came here to sing in the small wooden church twice. These are the reasons why each summer l organize a concert in this church. Some 15 people from JBS USA visited us during last year's concert. This is a recording from that concert and here are a few comments, mainly for you who were not there. The singers were Bengt Krantz (baritone) , President of JBS Scandinavia and Mats Carlsson (tenor). Mats has …

We Meet An Honorary Advisor: Joan Baez In South Carolina, Sue Flaster

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

One of the most accomplished folksingers of the 1960s, Joan Baez has influenced nearly every aspect of popular music throughout a career that is still going strong.

Editors' Note

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

In this newsletter you will find a wide variety of topics from new CD (and MP3) issues to an overview of last summer's activities in the North. The re is also an article about Joan Baez, one of our honorary advisors. In the future, we plan to make short pieces about our advisors a regular feature of the newsletter, and perhaps of the Journal as well. These are people who care deeply about the music of Jussi Bjorling, and we should know more about them!

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Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

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