Music Commons^™

Mr. [David] Björling’S Concert, Eric Westberg

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

Though DB’s concert belongs to a form of art which does not deserve public mention, I am grateful to give my opinion about it due to the pretentious way in which Mr. Björling’s family appears.

Memories Of Jussi In Performance, Robert B. Ardis

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

If memory serves, I was privileged to see and hear Jussi Björling in person five times at the old Met: once in Manon Lescaut, twice in Tosca, once in Faust, and one last time in Cavalleria rusticana. I also saw and heard him twice in recital at Carnegie Hall and several times in recital at the Hunter College Auditorium. I think there was also an appearance at a Swedish Seaman’s benefit at Carnegie Hall.

Mama, Sing With Papa, Herbert Kupferberg

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

The Bjoerling youngsters knew what they liked: a vocal duet by their famous father and their lovely mother. Today, concertgoers are discovering that they like it, too.

Jbs-Usa Caps Its 20th Anniversary Year In Sweden, Janel Lundgren

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

The Jussi Björling Society - USA began its 20th anniversary year last November with a successful conference in Washington, D.C. at the beautiful Swedish Embassy. To conclude this banner year, from August 30 to September 5, 2018, twenty-three members of the Society took our celebrations to Sweden itself for six days of music, travel, and friendship.

From The President, Janel E. Lundgren

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

We twenty-three who are back from our recent journey to Sweden can report that we enjoyed our travels together, especially the music and the friendship--despite the rather hectic travel schedule, which turned out to be more strenuous than I realized!

Full Issue

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

No abstract provided.

University Of Richmond Wind Ensemble, Department Of Music, University Of Richmond

Music Department Concert Programs

No abstract provided.

Fall Piano Studio Recital, Andrews University

Concerts and Event Programs 2021-2022

Performances by students from the Piano Studio.

2021-2022 Philharmonia No. 2, Lynn University Conservatory Of Music, Guillermo Figueroa, Aaron Small, Yance Zheng, Katherine Riley, Yue Yang

Philharmonia

Philharmonia No. 2

• November 20, 2021 at 7:30 PM and November 21, 2021 at 4:00 PM
• Guillermo Figueroa, music directory and conductor ; Aaron Small, trombone ; Yance Zheng, piano ; Katherine Riley, flute ; Yue Yang, violin
• Concerto for Trombone and Orchestra / Henri Tomasi -- Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major, op. 73 / Ludwig van Beethoven -- Concertino for Flute and Orchestra / Cécile Chaminade -- Violin Concerto No. 1 in A minor, op. 77 (99) / Dmitri Shostakovich

Auso Thanksgiving Concert, Andrews University

Concerts and Event Programs 2021-2022

The largest composition on this program is jazz legend Duke Ellington’s orchestral masterpiece The River, which he completed in collaboration with orchestrator Ron Collier. The full composition was commissioned by the American Ballet Theater, and so tonight’s program features the standard “Suite” of musical selections extracted from that ballet. Beginning as a delicate Spring, this Suite includes seven watery miniatures such as Meander, Giggling Rapids, Lake, and Vortex. The contrasts in energy and color are striking! Ellington’s ballet originally debuted in 1970 at Lincoln Center in New York City. Alongside Ellington’s geographical and stylistic journey, the AUSO will present two …

Jbs-Usa 20th Anniversary Trip To Sweden Sign-Up Deadline: July 31, 2018

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

Members and friends of JBS-USA will soon be enjoying the camaraderie of each others’ company, AND the sights and sounds of a musical trip to Sweden, with visits to Stockholm, Strömsbruk, and Borlänge, August 30 to September 5, 2018. The Registration deadline is July 31st, but note that costs of train tickets may go up as the summer progresses.

The Jussi Björling Recording Survey — “Complete Opera”, Walter B. Rudolph

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

How many of you who submitted your list of favorite opera recordings with Jussi Björling have heard his recording of Verdi’s La traviata? The recording is from August 29, 1939 (Stockholm). Here’s an interesting note. This is the only opera which received no votes, yet today it is the most performed opera in the world. Yes, that’s a comparison of no particular consequence for a variety of reasons. (1) It wasn’t common repertoire for Jussi Björling; (2) the recording is not easily available in the United States, and (3) it was not the most popular opera during Björling’s lifetime. …

Jussi Björling At Lyric Opera Of Chicago, Peter C. Hammond, Dan Shea

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

Lyric Opera of Chicago was an important venue for Jussi Björling in the last half-decade of his career. Between 1955 and 1958 he sang 31 performances there in nine of his most famous roles. Of these, Il trovatore was the most frequent. He appeared in this opera nine times over three of his four Chicago seasons.

Remembering Kjerstin Dellert 1925 – 2018, Calle Friedner, Harald Henrysson, Bengt Krantz

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

Kjerstin Dellert was born in Stockholm in 1925. Her career as a vocalist began when she won an Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts contest in 1948 with “Someone To Watch Over Me”. Dellert made her opera debut at Stora Teatern in Gothenburg in the 1950s.

Full Issue

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

No abstract provided.

Jbs-Usa Web Site

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

Please visit our new, ever-so-improved, attractive and updated web site at jussibjorlingsociety.org. Our own Janel Lundgren put in countless and productive hours working with web designer Amory King to give us something we can both use and be proud of. Note that for the first time, both the PHONOGRAPHY and the performance Chronology can be accessed from our site. Many thanks to all those members who helped to defray the cost of this huge and welcome project.

The Jussi Björling Recording Survey – “Song” Results, Walter B. Rudolph

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

In our home, not a day passes without a telephone call survey. Any purchase, chat, or other inquiry one makes on the Internet is followed by a survey. Going to the Post Office or any fast food joint always invites a survey on the receipt. Truly we could call our world today “The Survey World.”

Te Deum, Messa Da Requiem (Verdi), David Cutler

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

It has been thought by some that, of all Toscanini’s performances of the Verdi Requiem, this was the most dispensable of them. This reaction is hard to believe, as it is still a vastly imposing performance with some excellent singing from voices that can easily cope with the demands, especially Jussi Björling and Zinka Milanov. Stephen Hastings, in his book The Björling Sound, describes the “spiritual concentration” of an earlier performance from Lucerne, Switzerland, recorded in the Jesuitenkirche. However that 1939 performance has, as far as I know, not been issued and it is also incomplete.

Dan Shea: Celebrating Math And Music, Kendall Svengalis

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

What is it about a voice that so grips a teenage boy and holds his passionate interest for the rest of his life? And not just any voice, but the voice of that most exemplary of tenors— Jussi Björling. And not just any boy, but a future founder of the Jussi Björling Society—USA: Dan Shea.

Dan Shea In His First 80 Years, Enrique Gilardoni

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

As well as the famous German soprano Gundula Janowitz, our dear friend Dan Shea was born on August 2, 1937. While Gundula did it in Berlin, Dan was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA.

Jbs-Usa Announces 20th Anniversary Mini-Conference And Cd, Sue Flaster

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

JBS-USA is delighted to announce that the celebratory year of our 20th anniversary will kick off with a mini-conference in Washington, D.C. November 17th and 18th along with the issue of a very special members-only CD. We will begin on Friday the 17th by attending a rehearsal of Washington Concert Opera’s presentation of Bellini’s La straniera at the Lissner Auditorium. Those of us who attended this company’s Semiramide a couple of years ago, and the D.C. members who regularly attend their productions, can attest to the very high level of performance we can expect.

Full Issue

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

No abstract provided.

Conference Alert

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

Although there are many details to come, plan to join JBS-USA in Washington, D.C. in November of 2017. Dates are still being firmed up with the Embassy, but we will get together for dinner on Friday evening, and then spend Saturday at Sweden House listening to fascinating speakers and hanging out with friends. Another wonderful occasion to talk about Jussi Björling to one’s heart’s content without watching another person’s eyes glaze over.

The Jussi Favorites Survey

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

I’m sure you’ve noticed that you cannot make an online purchase (or comment) without being pestered into oblivion with surveys. Don’t know about you, but it’s one of my pet peeves (PET PEEVES).

Beecham, Björling And Bohème, Walter B. Rudolph

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

Thomas Beecham—An Obsession with Music by John Lucas (Boydell Press, 2011) has been a recent self-obsession. Since Beecham died in my teenage years, I’ve always admired his Mozart and Haydn, but in particular his last Messiah (Goosens orchestration), Scheherazade, and of course, La bohème. But in today’s world Sir Thomas is probably better known for his definition of the harpsichord than for his contribution to music in the 20th century.

Jussi Björling In Copenhagen, David Cutler

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

Collectors of historical vocal recordings are always wanting more of their particular favorite singer. They do not often get rewarded for their enthusiasm. However, this CD must surely mark a giant find in the vocal annals for which we must be truly thankful. The silver voiced Jussi Björling was one of the 20th century’s great tenors and much has been written about him. There has even been a splendid phonography, improved over the years by new releases, but even this recital escaped the doyen of Björling experts, Harald Henrysson.* This new musical discovery had tangled origins—according to John Haley of …

Leslie Barcza’S Pilgrimage To Jussi Björling Museet, Leslie Barcza

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

(Editor’s introduction) Here’s a stimulating blog title from a man who writes regularly and broadly about music. He describes growing up in a home with recordings of vocal music prominently available—Jussi Björling being a particular favorite.

As the instructor of an opera course, he suggests [opera] is . . . a medium that can be understood in at least these two ways: (1) as a series of composers and periods and styles of opera, stories told in different ways, [and] (2) as a series of big name stars, beautiful voices, larger-than-life personalities, and yes: divas.

Rolf Björling In Utah (1979), Walter B. Rudolph

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

“It’s a mini-cycle,” he explained to me afterwards. ‘Ständchen’ is the serenade (setting up the date). “Heimliche Aufforderung” is the date, and “Zueignung” the expressed thanks at the end.” The three Richard Strauss songs had ended Rolf Björling’s printed program on April 13, 1979 in Ogden, Utah. The Goodfellow review was simple and to-the-point, “…as thrilling as I’ve ever heard them.”

The President’S Pen..., Terry Williams

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

Some might suggest that I spend more time on Facebook and YouTube than one ought. Be that as it may, I enjoy the many wolf pages I follow on Facebook along with lots of pages featuring singers and singing. YouTube is fun because it has figured out what I like and constantly brings me something new to enjoy.

Full Issue

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

No abstract provided.