Music Commons^™

6. News Of Two Young, Singers Of Special Interest To Jbs Members

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

1. We are very proud that Julia Rolwing, winner of the $500 Jussi Bjorling Prize at the 2005 Yrjo Kilpinen Society art song competition in Madison, has gone on to win First Place in the Wagnerian Voice category of the 2007 Liederkranz Foundation competition. You can see her photo in the June issue of Opera News. And just this month, the Wagner Society of New York awarded Julia its highest honor, the Robert Launch Memorial Award.

5. Leonard Warren Archive To Be Housed At Ucsb.

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

It's clear that some universities are performing valuable work in maintaining archives of all kinds, perhaps more effectively than huge governmental archives like the Library of Congress. Thus we were pleased to learn from JBS-USA members Barry and Muriel Crawford that they had donated their definitive Leonard Warren Archive of recordings and memorabilia to the Performing Arts Collection at the University of California-Santa Barbara's Davidson Library.

4. The Hunt For Lost Broadcast Material In Good Sound, At Plates Like The Library Of Congress.

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

This is a huge task but very little new has been accomplished during 2007 aside from the points mentioned above about the 1947 Met Trovatore, the coming new Bluebell CD, and Greg's CD. We have renewed our contacts with the Idabelle Firestone Library, the Bell Telephone archive, V AI. the Nostalgia Company, the Library of Congress, the NY Public Library archives of sound and other organizations. specially useful and enjoyable was a January visit to NYC to hear Seth Winner in two lectures about the Toscanini archive, and· the opportunity to consult with him about practicalities: What procedures are …

3. New Re-Releases Of Bjorling Recordings.

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

There is a stream of multiple re-issues of many of the most famous of Bjorling's recordings available now in Europe, due to the copyright laws there: After 50 years, published recordings go into the public domain. Thus all of Jussi's complete operas up to 1957 have been re-released by companies like Naxos, Urania, and many others. Production values of these CDs vary, so 'caveat emptor'! A key point is that improvements in the sound of a later edition of a recording also are copyrighted for 50 years, and sometimes those improvements are worth having. As we learn of the most …

2. New Releases Of Bjorling Recordings, Including A Brand-New 78 Rpm Disk!

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

Word has come from EMI that the two 78 rpm test pressings that Jussi made on September 4, 1929, and that supposedly were destroyed in 1930 [see the Henrysson "JB Phonography," pp. 76 and 160], actually do still exist! The Historic Masters organization ["HM"] intends to celebrate this fact by enabling a limited release of a 78 with these two sides: some 200-300 copies will be pressed (and sold probably for about $30-40 each). The two songs that Jussi chose for this occasion were Geehl's "For you alone" and Leoncavallo's "Mattinata," both sung in Swedish. While you certainly are familiar …

1. Bjorling-Events In Borlange, Mora, And Voxna During July.

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

Harald Henrysson and friends from the JB Museum and the Scandinavian JB Sallskapet have put together some very attractive programs for Bjorling Society members who join a JBS-USA tour during July. Here's a brief outline:

Editor's Note, Greg Fitzmaurice, Sue Flaster, Kendall Svengalis, Laura Homonnay-Demilio, Dan Shea, Art Skantz

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

Greetings and welcome to your first publication from us since January's Newsletter: Here we bring you news of some new developments, hinted at in the list above, about special parts of the music world that we care deeply about. We regret that the Journal Issue that we promised for Spring publication has been delayed : your hardworking volunteer Board and Its Editor simply haven't found time yet to pull together issue #16, scheduled now for mid-October. But for now we are eager to report on our activities over the past few months since our last Newsletter.

Front Matter

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

No abstract provided.

Full Issue

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

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February Newsletter, Dan Shea

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

This is to express again our sincere thanks for your essential support! We love keeping track of Jussi Bjorling's splendid career with you, but your moral and financial support validates and enables what we do as a group.

(5). Issue No. 16 Of Our Jbs Journal Coming Soon - Aiming For March?

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

We are now assembling some excellent material for our next issue Journal issue, which concentrates on Jussi Bjorling in Pagliacci and Cavalleria rusticana For instance Harald Henrysson has found reviews of Jussi as Canio in Pagliacci, in all the seasons when he assumed that role in Sweden as well as reviews from Nuremberg and Vienna in 1937. Harald assembles this material to give a vivid picture of our young tenor's assumption of this difficult role, and how his acting matured in the years between 1936 (!) and his last performance in 1955.

(4.) How About A Scandinavian Holiday During July 2007

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

You're invited: Join our friendly , international group of music lovers in Borlange during July 3-8 for programs at the JB Museum there as well as concerts at the nearby "Music on Lake Siljan" festival. On July 8 we'll travel to nearby Voxna, to join a small festival organized by the Scandinavian Jussi Bjorling Society on July 9.

(3). Jussi In The News, At Chicago's Lyric Opera In Autumn 2006.

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

Jussi Bjorling was a mainstay for the new Lyric Opera company as it willed itself into being, first in the spring of 19$4 with a brilliantly-cast Don Giovanni (Steber, Simoneau), and then consolidating its formula of attracting the greatest singers with promises of interesting repertoire(+ good salaries, if not lavish new productions). Thus Maria Callas famously opened the fall season in Norma (with Simionato), Traviata (with Simoneau and Gobbi), Lucia (with di Stefano); check the database .at lyricopera. org!

(2) News Of Recent And New Recordings Of Interest

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

All members of JBS-USA and JBAS-UK .during the current year should have received the new Bluebell ABCD103 set with rare and previously unreleased operatic performances by JB from the archives of Swedish Radio, 1934-51. Our chapters of JBS -helped underwrite this release by committing to purchase almost 600 copies of the 2-CD set, which at least in the US is not available except by mail order purchase from Europe.

(1) News Of Our Jbs Website

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

During the next few weeks you'll be able to watch our new website under construction, updating some of the old articles and adding new. design features, articles, photographs, and -finally- sound clips. Webmaster Michael Mayer is helping us revamp the previous site, and we urge you to browse the current status of the ".org" site and . offer your ideas about what else to include (for now, you can send those to this editor at dshea@ chorus.net).

Editor's Note, Greg Fitzmaurice, Sue Flaster, Laura Homonnay-Demilio, Dan Shea, Art Skantz, Kendall Svengalis

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

This Newsletter is your first communication from us since June, when we mailed you a copy of the Bluebell 2-CD set called "Jussi Bjorling - Radames. Alfredo, Romeo" of previously unreleased and rare opera recordings from the Swedish Radio archives, 1934-1951. Many of you wrote of your reactions to bearing these souvenirs of live performances from Stockholm, and we'll quote some of those below.

Full Issue

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

No abstract provided.

Mini-Newsletter Of The Jussi Bjorling Society, Greg Fitzmaurice, Sue Flaster, Laura Homonnay-Demilio, Dan Shea, Art Skantz, Kendall Svengalis

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

Warm greetings from the Directors of JBS-USA! We are pleased to bring you news about:

• A new 2-CD album from Swedish Bluebell with much never-before-released material from the archives of Swedish Radio: prime Bjorling material from 1934-1951, and a complimentary copy is coming soon to YOU.

• A gathering in Minneapolis, June 10-11, will feature Anders Bjorling and Harald Henrysson at the American Swedish Institute, a JBS business meeting, and concerts by the Schubert Club of St Paul

• Harald Henrysson awarded the Jussi Bjorling Prize for 2006 at a ceremony in Stora Tuna.

Last February's issue of the …

Full Issue

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

No abstract provided.

5. Music News: Jussi Wins Another Poll; Raves For Rolando Villaz6n; And More, Dan Shea

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

(i) Another poll-result. We've already noted that we could spend the summer traveling between 5 different music festivals honoring Jussi, at least if we're willing to stay in Sweden and Norway during July and August. But in the throes of winter last January, opera's biggest on-line discussion group took on the question: "What singer do you go to, when you're in a blue mood and want to be cheered up?" The discussion group was Opera-L, and over 100 members chose to compare opinions on that question, generating the longest discussion of any topic that had been seen in years.

4. Ideas For Bjorling Society Travel And Events During 2006, Dan Shea

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

Given the great success of the Bjorling Societies' Congress in Sweden last year, and the amount of work needed to make that happen, it's pretty clear that another meeting on that scale won't be attempted before 1997! But smaller-scale events of one or two days. in interesting places, seem like a useful alternative: We'd like to hear your suggestions!

3. Jbs Members Join L.A. Opera Patrons For A Mini-Conference On February 3., Dan Shea

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

Our previous Newsletter #8 (December 2004) offered our members a new idea: A "mini-conference" in Los Angeles with two lectures, an opportunity to hear a starry new production of Romeo et Juliette at the LA Opera, and the pleasure of a few days of socializing together in the California southland.

2. Jbs-Usa Enters A Legal Thicket, To Liberate Jussi's Library Of Congress Recordings, Dan Shea

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

Treasures of Bjorling broadcasts, at least 9 of them, lie buried in a governmental archive, guarded by Fafnerian dragons with law degrees: Where are Siegfried and Notung when you need them!

More On Naxos's "Jussi Bjorling Collection", Dan Shea

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

Our JB Society has been glad to bring Volumes 4 and 5 of Naxos's "JB Collection" to our members, and now you can order Vol. 6 from the Museum: This includes all 12 "Erik Odde" recordings of Jussi with his dance-band accompaniments from 1932-33, as well as slightly more substantial music recorded under his own name (e.g. three songs from a 1933 competition for the "best summer song" of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden). We have heard Vol. 6 and can assure you that Stefan Lindstrom's remasterings are noticeably warmer and easier to listen to than previous transcriptions.

Editor's Note, Dan Shea

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

Here belatedly is your first communication from us since late December, when we mailed you our Newsletter #8 with its reports on our September 2004 Congress of Bjorling Societies in Sweden.

Full Issue, Dan Shea

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

No abstract provided.

Announcements, Mickey Dove, Bill Dove, Greg Fitzmaurice, Sue Flaster, Kendall Svengalis, Dan Shea, Laura Homonnay-Demilio

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

This mailing brings you news of some of our work in support of classical vocal music during 2004, see our enclosed Newsletter for more details.

New Broadcast Material From A 1936 Faust Surfaces At Congress

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

One of the highpoints of the Congress's first day, at the Gold Foyer of the Opera House, occurred after Stefan Johansson's lecture - he turned over his microphone to Stockholm music-critic Carl-Gunnar Ahlen, who had a surprise recording whose existence was totally unknown: 8 minutes from the first act of Faust on January 4, 1936, Jussi singing with Joel Berglund. the sound was excellent and the singing was especially sublime when Mephisto shows Faust a vision of Marguerite, Jussi sings "o Merveille!" in a truly marvelous way.

Future Travel Plans By Bjorling Societies Members, 2005-2006

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

We hope that if you're a member of the Scandinavian, UK, or US chapter of a Jussi Bjorling Society, you'll consider joining our programs at the Los Angeles Opera on February 3, 2005, as described on p. 2 of this Newsletter. That event involves an afternoon of discussions about opera, Jussi, and other tenors, followed by a very promising performance of Gounod's Romeo et Juliette at the opera house, with two superb new stars, Villazon and Netrebko. Further, there will be fellowship and tourism during the days before and after the opera, during the whole period February 2-4.

Some Society News From Your Jbs-Usa And Jbas-Uk Officers, Mickey Dove, Bill Dove, Greg Fitzmaurice, Sue Flaster, Dan Shea, Kendall Svengalis, Richard Copeman, Eric Whimbles

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

1. After sharing the work for our September Congress, the three Bjorling Societies decided to continue cooperate with Harald Henrysson at the Bjorling Museum with future advertising. For one thing, we've decided to share an advert in the next British & International Music Yearbook, a publication that for the past 30 years has had wide distribution to various institutions as well as some 60,000 individuals.