Music Commons^™

Front Matter

Journal of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

No abstract provided.

Robert Tuggle On Jussi Björling, Walter B. Rudolph

Journal of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

Some of you may be aware of the Stefan Zucker book, Franco Corelli and a Revolution in Singing: Fifty-Four Tenors Spanning 200 Years (2015). Robert Tuggle was asked for some comments about Jussi Björling to be included in the book.

In January 2015 I approached Mr. Tuggle about doing a presentation on Kirsten Flagstad for the Salt Lake City JBS-USA Conference. He gave serious consideration to the possibility, which was urged on by another Honorary Advisor, and close colleague, Andrew Farkas. In the end, it simply did not work with his schedule. But he did share emails with me with …

Robert Tuggle, Andrew Farkas

Journal of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

There is no easy or gentle way to share tragic news. Our esteemed friend and honorary Advisory Board member, Bob Tuggle, has passed away on January 21st, 2016, of a massive heart attack while undergoing tests in the hospital.

Prayer For Thanksgiving, Donald J. Quinn Ii

Journal of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

Life was music and music defined life for my father, Donald J. Quinn. My father developed his love for all things musical as a very young child singing in the St. Mary’s church choir in Greentop, Missouri. After serving in World War II, he studied voice at the University of Missouri- Kansas City Conservatory of Music where he became familiar with opera and the great singers of his time. He also studied Italian, French, and Spanish at Rockhurst College in Kansas City, which furthered his appreciation of his love for opera.

Lars Hemmingsson 1939–2015, Bengt Krantz

Journal of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

Jussi Björling Society Chairman 1995 – 2004, afterwards Honorary President Lars Hemmingsson has died after a long and valiant fight with his illness. For me it was Lars, besides being a dear friend, who was one of the most significant representatives of the radio medium. All this magic that gave my childhood and youth, joy, hunger for knowledge and expectation.

Drake On Jussi, James Drake

Journal of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

One of the most important opera biographies of the decade. Making a case for Andrew Farkas’ JUSSI being one of the most important opera biographies—and certainly one of the most anticipated—of the decade is a rather easy task

Elisabeth Schwarzkopf And Jussi Björling— Oslo, June 2, 1955, Harald Henrysson, Walter B. Rudolph

Journal of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

On 2 June 1955, at the Jordal Amfi arena in Oslo, Jussi Björling gave one of the more remarkable concerts of his career. It was remarkable for its size and for the fact that he sang for the only time with the German-born soprano Elisabeth Schwarzkopf under the baton of the American Dean Dixon, then principal conductor of the Gothenburg Symphony. Here Dixon conducted the Oslo Philharmonic in an event for the benefit of that orchestra’s pension fund. In the program, it was claimed to be “the biggest concert ever arranged in the Nordic countries,” and the public was estimated …

Broken-Winged Silver Bird —But It Flies On The Wings Of Music, Goran Forsling

Journal of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

It begins as it ends, Silver Bird, the opera about Jussi Björling, which was premiered in the Concert Barn in Vattnäs, Dalecarlia, Sweden, on 10 July. In other words, the ageing Jussi Björling is lying on his deathbed, looking back on his life, a not wholly unusual dramaturgical devise in literature, theatre and also opera. A fairly latter-day parallel is Leonardo Balada’s La Muerte de Colón (Death of Columbus) from 1992-1993. In a series of retrospective tableaux we follow Jussi from the endless touring of his childhood together with his father and his brothers, up to the unavoidable end. Th …

Jussi’S Reception In Italy: Past And Present, Tom Hines

Journal of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

For the most part, after becoming an international star, Jussi Björling fashioned his stage career around Italian opera (in addition to performances of Faust and Roméo et Juliette). Prior to the early forties, he had sung a wide variety of operatic roles, but primarily in Swedish. At only 25 years of age, Jussi undertook Aida and Pagliacci in Vienna under De Sabata, as well as an outstanding Faust (with Rethberg and Kipnis) sung in German and Swedish! Duly impressed, Victor De Sabata attempted to have Jussi perform in Rome but this couldn’t be arranged because of Björling’s prior engagements. Over …

To Utah In Time Of War: About The Beginning Of Jussi’S 1939/1940 Tour, Harald Henrysson

Journal of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

At the 2015 JBS-USA conference in Salt Lake City, material about Jussi Björling’s 1939 Provo concert, his first in Utah, was on display. Th at concert and its program may merit a special commentary, and this article will also deal a little more with the same tour. Before continuing, I would like to add that Jussi would sing only once more in Utah, in Ogden on 13 November 1945—not long after the start of his first US tour after WWII—and that there were plans, though never realized for unknown reason, for a concert in Salt Lake City on 19 February …

The Björling His Colleagues Knew, James A. Drake

Journal of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

Having just heard Richard Tucker in the prime of his career, I think you’ll find it surprising to hear what he sounded like when he was 24 years old and had just learned his first opera aria. Let me describe how he learned that aria by re-telling the story as it was told to me by the pianist Alex Alexay, who was an accompanist for Eleanor Steber and Jan Peerce, among other singers:

Tonight, Jussi Björling……Today: A Response, Enrique Gilardoni

Journal of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

Opera has today very little to do with what it was at the time of Jussi. Since its inception, opera was developed based on great singers who delighted audiences, and singing was all that mattered. Thanks to the invention of the gramophone it was possible to preserve and reproduce sounds, and of course, the human voice, so we can now listen to legendary singers of the past.

Jussi Björling—Recitalist: Out Front Alone, Duff Murphy

Journal of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

Sound provokes emotion. We are alarmed at a car’s screeching brakes; calmed by a cat’s rhythmic purr. It’s difficult to determine whether these are intuitive or learned responses; yet to many the voice of an opera singer evokes alarm. Yet the amber tones of Jussi Björling’s warm embrace only alarms with its natural beauty.

Five Tenors In The Flower Song, Stephan Hastings

Journal of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

Jussi Björling never took part in a complete performance of Bizet’s Carmen, either on stage or in the recording studio. Although in 1951 he was contracted to record the role of Don José for RCA under Fritz Reiner’s leadership, he realized he had insufficient time to learn the music and was replaced by Jan Peerce. All we have of his Don José is the flower song—“La fleur que tu m’avais jetée”—which he performed frequently on the concert platform. Two studio recordings and twelve off-the-air recordings (including two videos) survive of him singing this aria. Björling performed a number of other …

Discovery Of The Jussi Björling Copenhagen Tape, John H. Haley

Journal of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

As Society members know by now, a new Society-sponsored CD is due out in the coming weeks that presents a recently discovered Jussi Björling live concert in Copenhagen on October 15, 1959, less than a year before Björling passed away from escalating heart trouble. I discovered this tape, which I own, and working together with Society members and expert audio restoration engineer Seth B. Winner, we put this project together, which is being released by JSP Records in London.

An Homage To Enrique Gilardoni (Celebrating His 80th Birthday), Bertil Bengtsson

Journal of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

For many years I’ve had a firm belief that one sure sign of Jussi Björling’s greatness as a performing artist is the ability to join together people from all walks of life, irrespective of ethnicity, political affiliation, religion or country. Over the more than 30 years that I’ve studied, researched and lectured about Jussi I’ve had the great pleasure of making friends with fellow “Jussicologists”, both in Sweden and abroad. Many of them have become very close friends. One of the most highly treasured friendships is the one I’ve established with the foremost Jussicologist in South America, Enrique Gilardoni, whom …

The History Of An Autographed Photo, Enrique Gilardoni

Journal of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

On that cold morning of February 23, Otniel Sobek woke with a strong idea in his mind. He had collected autographed photos of the main singers who appeared in the Vienna State Opera, but lacked the one of that young Swedish tenor that had already been presented there the year before singing Il trovatore, Aida and La bohème. Such was his success (despite he sang his roles in Swedish while the rest of the cast did it in German), that in 1937 he was again hired to sing nothing less than eight operas: La bohème, Il trovatore, Madama Butterfl y, …

Greetings From Your New President, Terry L. Williams

Journal of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

I wish you a very happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year! By the time you read this we will be nearly two months into 2016.

Editor’S Comments, Walter B. Rudolph

Journal of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

This Journal is the culmination of my two terms as President of JBS-USA. While I’m only beginning to become acquainted with you, I’m grateful for the chance and rewards of working with a dedicated Board of Directors, and immersing myself in the chronicle of Jussi Björling.

Front Matter

Journal of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

No abstract provided.

What Do We Mean By 'Music?:' Moving Beyond Problematic Hierarchies Of Musical Value And Toward An Inclusive Curriculum, Elissa Harbert, Eric Schmidt

President Lori S. White Inauguration Symposium

If we are to live up to our name as a School of Music, rather than a "School of Western Art Music and Jazz," we must be explicitly inclusive of all musical cultures as rich traditions worthy of study rather than considering Western art music as the main course and other diverse musics as optional side dishes and desserts. Additionally, we must prioritize not only musical excellence, but also teaching our students how to be a force for good in a diverse, multicultural world, and how to stand up against the racism, sexism and abuse that are rampant in the …

Wind Symphony, September 30, 2021, T.J. Mack, Lauren Bobarsky, F. Mack Wood, Marisa Miko, John Gonzalez

School of Music Programs

Center for the Performing Arts

September 30, 2021

Thursday Evening

8:00 p.m.

Roberta Peters, 86, Sparkling Soprano Whose Fairytale Met Debut Led To A Five-Decade Career, Has Died, Ira Siff

Journal of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

Roberta Peter’s overnight ascent to Met stardom at twenty combined with her uncommonly attractive face and form to suggest a sort of fairy-tale figure. But Peters’s early years were spent absorbed in arduous study, devoid of many of the diversions taken for granted by the average teenager. Although in later life the soprano spoke about tears shed under the pressure of trying to live up to the expectations of those who believed in her, she maintained that young people should be urged to fulfill their potential. It was, in fact, this seriousness of purpose and artistic integrity that carried Peters …

Jussi Björling’S Penultimate New York Recital, Ed Walter

Journal of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

I was at the March 7th Hunter College recital, as I was at every Björling New York recital from October 31, 1953 to his last. Th e highlight of that first recital was his singing of Lamento di Federico. His rendition of that aria stands out as one of the best I have ever heard from him or anyone else. Th e high note soared to the stratosphere. Th e live performance was even better than his recorded versions of that aria.

Ben Heppner In Utah, Walter B. Rudolph

Journal of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

Not to become either a travelogue or a serialized column, but there is more to report about my 2016 experiences with our JBS Advisory Board Member, Ben Heppner. When last we talked . . . (July Newsletter 2016) I had met him in New York City. What I didn’t report was that he had indicated he was coming to Salt Lake City in July to visit his daughter and his new grandchild by that date. And, that he would call me.

In Jussi’S ”Sound Tracks”, Rodger Alderstrand

Journal of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

My first contact with Jussi Björling was as an 8-year-old, when my family visited my maternal grandmother on Sweden’s West coast. She had an EP recording of “O holy night,” and when it was playing, nobody was permitted to talk: “Quiet, Jussi is singing!” It wasn’t unusual for my grandmother to listen to him. I clearly couldn’t understand his singing’s quality to the fullest, but my grandmother’s admiration made a mark on me.

David Björling Becomes A Singer: Usa, Sweden And Vienna 1899-1908, Harald Henrysson

Journal of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

In all of its generations the singing Björling family has had close connections with the U.S. It was here it began —when David Björling got the education without which he might not have become a singer and thus Jussi, if he had been born, would have had quite a different future. Very little has been known about David’s first period in America, but this article, based on my presentation at the JBS-USA Salt Lake City conference, is an attempt to fill in that gap, as far as sources permit, and add something about his further education.

A Jussi Björling Phonograpy By Harald Henrysson: A Critical Tool, Terry Williams, Sue Flaster

Journal of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

The number of questions which pop up on the Yahoo site and elsewhere on a regular basis indicate that a short reminder of what this book is and how it works is overdue. The latest paper edition of the book (3rd) does not have all of the indices, but they are available through the site of the Scandinavian JB Society, http://www.jussibjorlingsallskapet. com/

Andrew Farkas, James A. Drake Ph.D.

Journal of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

In any list of debts owed to the founders and members of the prestigious international Jussi Björling Society, the name Andrew Farkas would surely be high upon that list. As almost all members are aware, he is a founding member and advisor of the Jussi Björling Society-USA, Inc., and is a contributing editor of its Journal. Having had the privilege of knowing him as a personal friend and university colleague (both of us are happily retired from the State of Florida higher-education system), and having benefitted (undeservedly on my part) from his wide-ranging expertise as a writer, editor, and …

The President’S Pen, Terry Williams

Journal of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

When Wally Rudolph suggested including a “Top Ten” survey in the November Newsletter I thought it an interesting idea but did not give it much thought - then. In fact, it was not until Wally reminded me of it by reporting toward the end of December that he had received a member’s entry that I began to give it more thought. Pick my five favorite songs and arias, in order, and my three favorite operas, in order. Piece of cake, right? I mean, how much time could that take? Well, let me tell you, a lot. But it was great …