Johan Jonatan "Jussi" Björling ( , ; 5 February 19119 September 1960) was a Swedish

tenor A tenor is a type of male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. Composers typically write music for this voice in the range from the second B below m ...

. One of the leading operatic singers of the 20th century, Björling appeared for many years at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City and less frequently at the major European opera houses, including the

Royal Opera House The Royal Opera House (ROH) is a theatre in Covent Garden, central London. The building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. The ROH is the main home of The Royal Opera, The Royal Ballet, and the Orch ...

in London and

La Scala La Scala (, , ; officially , ) is a historic opera house in Milan, Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as (, which previously was Santa Maria della Scala, Milan, a church). The premiere performa ...

in Milan. He sang the Italian, French and Russian opera repertory with taste. Bjorling was ranked the greatest singer of the 20th century by a poll of music critics in ''Classic CD'' magazine (UK) in July 1999.

Early life

Björling (surname also spelled as "Bjoerling" and "Bjorling" in English-language sources) was born in Stora Tuna,

Borlänge Borlänge () is a Urban areas in Sweden, locality in Dalarna County, Sweden, with 44,898 inhabitants as of 2020. It is the seat of the Borlänge Municipality which as of 2017 had a total population of 51,604 inhabitants. History Originally Bor ...

Dalarna Dalarna (; ), also referred to by the English exonyms Dalecarlia and the Dales, is a (historical province) in central Sweden. Dalarna adjoins Härjedalen, Hälsingland, Gästrikland, Västmanland and Värmland. It is also bordered by Nor ...

, Sweden, in February 1911. The midwife's register shows he was born on 5 February, but the church baptism records erroneously show 2 February, and that was the day on which he celebrated his birthday throughout his whole life. He was known throughout his life by the name Jussi, which he received as a child from his Finnish-born grandmother (Henrika Matilda Björling née Lönnqvist, b. 1844 Pori, d. 1918 Borlänge). His father, David, was an accomplished singer and the first teacher of Jussi and his two brothers, Olle and Gösta, who also went on to become professional singers. He also performed with his sons as ''Björlingkvartetten'' or the ''Björling Male Quartet''. Jussi made his debut public appearance at five years of age. The group performed in concerts throughout Sweden and the United States for years. David Björling died in 1926, leading to the disbandment of the quartet and, as a consequence, Jussi Björling found work as a lamp salesman in

Ystad Ystad () is a town and the seat of Ystad Municipality, in Scania County, Sweden. Ystad had 18,350 inhabitants in 2010. The settlement dates from the 11th century and has become a busy ferryport, local administrative centre, and tourist attracti ...

. In 1928, Björling made his radio debut. In the same year, he auditioned for John Forsell, and was admitted to the Opera School and the

Royal Swedish Academy of Music The Royal Swedish Academy of Music (), founded in 1771 by King Gustav III, is one of the Royal Academies in Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in ...

Career

Björling made his first stage appearance in the small part as the Lamplighter in '' Manon Lescaut'' at the

Royal Swedish Opera Royal Swedish Opera () is an opera and ballet company based in Stockholm, Sweden. Location and environment The building is located in the centre of Sweden's capital, Stockholm, in the borough of Norrmalm (borough), Norrmalm, on the eastern si ...

on 21 July 1930. This was soon followed by his official debut role as Don Ottavio in

Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...

's ''

Don Giovanni ''Don Giovanni'' (; K. 527; full title: , literally ''The Rake Punished, or Don Giovanni'') is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. Its subject is a centuries-old Spanish legen ...

'' on 20 August 1930, with his teacher John Forsell as the protagonist. His other two official debut roles followed; Arnold in Rossini's ''

William Tell William Tell (, ; ; ; ) is a legendary folk hero of Switzerland. He is known for shooting an apple off his son's head. According to the legend, Tell was an expert mountain climber and marksman with a crossbow who assassinated Albrecht Gessler, ...

'' on 27 December, and Jonatan in '' Saul og David'' by

Carl Nielsen Carl August Nielsen (; 9 June 1865 – 3 October 1931) was a Danish composer, conductor, and violinist, widely recognized as his country's most prominent composer. Brought up by poor yet musically talented parents on the island of Funen, he d ...

on 13 January 1931. This led to a contract with the

, where Björling added 53 parts up to 1938. Among the roles he was entrusted was Erik in '' Der fliegende Holländer'', Almaviva in ''

The Barber of Seville ''The Barber of Seville, or The Useless Precaution'' ( ) is an ''opera buffa'' (comic opera) in two acts composed by Gioachino Rossini with an Italian libretto by Cesare Sterbini. The libretto was based on Pierre Beaumarchais's French comedy ' ...

'', Duca in ''

Rigoletto ''Rigoletto'' is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi. The Italian libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on the 1832 play '' Le roi s'amuse'' by Victor Hugo. Despite serious initial problems with the Austrian censors who had c ...

'', Wilhelm Meister in ''

Mignon ''Mignon'' () is an 1866 ''opéra comique'' (or opera in its second version) in three acts by Ambroise Thomas. The original French libretto was by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré, based on Goethe's 1795-96 novel '' Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre''. ...

'', ''

Faust Faust ( , ) is the protagonist of a classic German folklore, German legend based on the historical Johann Georg Faust (). The erudite Faust is highly successful yet dissatisfied with his life, which leads him to make a deal with the Devil at a ...

'', Vasco Da Gama in ''

L'Africaine ''L'Africaine'' (''The African Woman'') is an 1837 five-act French ''grand opéra'' by Giacomo Meyerbeer, with a libretto by Eugène Scribe. By 1852, the plot had been revised to depict fictional events in the life of Portuguese explorer Vasco da ...

'', Rodolfo in ''

La bohème ''La bohème'' ( , ) is an opera in four acts,Puccini called the divisions '':wikt:quadro, quadri'', ''wikt:tableau, tableaux'' or "images", rather than ''atti'' (acts). composed by Giacomo Puccini between 1893 and 1895 to an Italian libretto b ...

'' with Hjördis Schymberg, Tonio in ''

La fille du régiment LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second most populous city in the United States of America. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note *"L.A.", a song by Elliott Smi ...

'', Florestan in ''

Fidelio ''Fidelio'' (; ), originally titled ' (''Leonore, or The Triumph of Marital Love''), Opus number, Op. 72, is the sole opera by German composer Ludwig van Beethoven. The libretto was originally prepared by Joseph Sonnleithner from the French of ...

'' and Belmonte in ''

Die Entführung aus dem Serail ' () (Köchel catalogue, K. 384; ''The Abduction from the Seraglio''; also known as ') is a singspiel in three acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The German libretto is by Gottlieb Stephanie, based on Christoph Friedrich Bretzner's . The plot concer ...

''. He was the first Swedish Dick Johnson in '' La fanciulla del West'', Luigi in '' Il tabarro'', Elemer in ''

Arabella ''Arabella'', Op. 79, is a lyric comedy, or opera, in three acts by Richard Strauss to a German libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal, their sixth and last operatic collaboration. Performance history It was first performed on 1 July 1933 at the D ...

'' and Vladimir in '' Prince Igor'', notably performing the part opposite

Feodor Chaliapin Feodor Ivanovich Chaliapin ( rus, Фёдор Ива́нович Шаля́пин, Fyodor Ivanovich Shalyapin, ˈfʲɵdər ɨˈvanəvʲɪtɕ ʂɐˈlʲapʲɪn}; 12 April 1938) was a Russian opera singer. Possessing a deep and expressive bass voic ...

in 1935. In July 1931 he appeared in recital at Copenhagen's Tivoli, his first appearance outside Sweden as an adult. Björling appeared quite frequently as a recitalist, often appearing in summer recitals in Scandinavian ''

folkpark In Sweden, a folkpark (also called Folkets park; approximately "people's park" in English) is a public recreation space, usually featuring large grassed areas, trees, children's play facilities, etc. Most towns and cities have a folkpark. These pa ...

s'' and tivolis, while confining himself to more serious music during his recital tours abroad. In 1936–1937 he first appeared in recital and opera in Vienna and Prague and also appeared in Berlin, Dresden and

Nuremberg Nuremberg (, ; ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the Franconia#Towns and cities, largest city in Franconia, the List of cities in Bavaria by population, second-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Bav ...

in operas in Swedish in an otherwise German ensemble. In 1937 Björling made his recital debut in London and his first American tour as an adult. Björling made his American concert debut at the

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhattan), 57t ...

in 1937 – also appearing in opera in Chicago that year. On 24 November 1938 he made his debut at the

Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera is an American opera company based in New York City, currently resident at the Metropolitan Opera House (Lincoln Center), Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Referred ...

as Rodolfo in ''

'', where he remained on the roster until 1941, often appearing in opera in San Francisco and Chicago as well. In December 1940

Arturo Toscanini Arturo Toscanini (; ; March 25, 1867January 16, 1957) was an Italian conductor. He was one of the most acclaimed and influential musicians of the late 19th and early 20th century, renowned for his intensity, his perfectionism, his ear for orche ...

invited Björling to sing the tenor part in

Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...

's ''

Missa solemnis is Latin for Solemn Mass.Mass
, ''Catholic Encyclopedia''. N.p., Appleton, 1910. 797. and is a genre of < ...

'' in New York, a recording of which exists. Björling also performed the '' Verdi Requiem'' under Toscanini in 1939 in

Lucerne Lucerne ( ) or Luzern ()Other languages: ; ; ; . is a city in central Switzerland, in the Languages of Switzerland, German-speaking portion of the country. Lucerne is the capital of the canton of Lucerne and part of the Lucerne (district), di ...

, Switzerland, and in November 1940 in New York, another performance that was recorded and eventually issued as an LP. Björling made his debut at the

in London in 1939 as Manrico in '' Il trovatore''. The war confined his appearances to Europe. He appeared in opera in Copenhagen, Helsinki and Budapest and made his Italian debut at the Teatro Comunale, Florence, in 1943 in ''Il trovatore''. In 1944 Björling was appointed '' hovsångare'' (i.e. "Royal Court Singer") by the Swedish King, Gustaf V. In 1945 Björling returned to the US and appeared frequently at the Metropolitan Opera. He sang many major tenor roles in operas in the French and Italian repertoire, including ''Il trovatore'', ''

'', ''

Aida ''Aida'' (or ''Aïda'', ) is a tragic opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni. Set in the Old Kingdom of Egypt, it was commissioned by Cairo's Khedivial Opera House and had its première there on 24 De ...

'', '' Un ballo in maschera'', ''

Cavalleria rusticana ''Cavalleria rusticana'' (; ) is an opera in one act by Pietro Mascagni to an Italian libretto by Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti and Guido Menasci, adapted from an 1880 Cavalleria rusticana (short story), short story of the same name and subsequent ...

'', ''

'', '' Roméo et Juliette'', ''

'', ''

Madama Butterfly ''Madama Butterfly'' (; ''Madame Butterfly'') is an opera in three acts (originally two) by Giacomo Puccini, with an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It is based on the short story " Madame Butterfly" (1898) by John Lu ...

'', ''

Tosca ''Tosca'' is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It premiered at the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, Teatro Costanzi in Rome on 14 January 1900. The work, based on Victorien Sardou's 1 ...

'' and '' Manon Lescaut''. He appeared as '' Don Carlo'' in the opening of the 1950–1951 season, but the relationship with

Rudolf Bing Sir Rudolf Bing, KBE (January 9, 1902 – September 2, 1997) was an Austrian-born British opera impresario who worked in Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States, including as General Manager of the Metropolitan Opera in New York City f ...

was strained, and as a consequence he was absent for a couple of seasons in the mid 1950s. Meanwhile, Björling appeared with other American opera companies such as

Lyric Opera of Chicago Lyric Opera of Chicago is an American opera company based in Chicago, Illinois. The company was founded in Chicago in 1954, under the name 'Lyric Theatre of Chicago' by Carol Fox (Chicago opera), Carol Fox, Nicola Rescigno and Lawrence Kelly, w ...

and

San Francisco Opera The San Francisco Opera (SFO) is an American opera company founded in 1923 by Gaetano Merola (1881–1953) based in San Francisco, California. History Gaetano Merola (1923–1953) Merola's road to prominence in the Bay Area began in 1906 wh ...

. Björling appeared at

in 1946 in ''Rigoletto'' and 1951 in ''Un ballo in maschera''. His planned Paris début in 1953 was cancelled, however, and except for recitals in United Kingdom, some performances in Yugoslavia, East Germany and South Africa in 1954, Björling rarely appeared outside Scandinavia and United States. On 15 March 1960 Björling suffered a heart attack before a performance of ''La Bohème'' at Covent Garden. He insisted on singing in spite of his condition. Björling then made a short American tour, making his last operatic performance as ''

'' in San Francisco on 1 April 1960 and his final recital at Skansen, Stockholm, on 20 August 1960 (thirty years to the day after his official debut in 1930). He died of heart-related issues on the island of , Sweden, on 9 September 1960, aged 49.

Recordings

In 1951,

RCA Victor RCA Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside Columbia Records (its former longtime rival), Arista Records and Epic ...

recorded a series of duets with Björling and baritone Robert Merrill including a noted performance of " Au fond du temple saint" from the opera '' The Pearl Fishers'' by

Georges Bizet Georges Bizet (; 25 October 18383 June 1875) was a French composer of the Romantic music, Romantic era. Best known for his operas in a career cut short by his early death, Bizet achieved few successes before his final work, ''Carmen'', w ...

. Among the first complete opera recordings to be issued on LP by RCA Victor was a 1952 studio recording of '' Il Trovatore'', with Björling, Zinka Milanov and Leonard Warren. In 1953, Björling recorded the roles of Turiddu and Canio in complete versions of ''

Cavalleria Rusticana ''Cavalleria rusticana'' (; ) is an opera in one act by Pietro Mascagni to an Italian libretto by Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti and Guido Menasci, adapted from an 1880 Cavalleria rusticana (short story), short story of the same name and subsequent ...

'' and ''

Pagliacci ''Pagliacci'' (; literal translation, 'Clowns') is an Italian opera in a prologue and two acts, with music and libretto by Ruggero Leoncavallo. The opera tells the tale of Canio, actor and leader of a commedia dell'arte theatrical company, who mu ...

'' also for RCA Victor. In the summer of 1954, Björling recorded Puccini's '' Manon Lescaut'' with Licia Albanese and Robert Merrill in Rome for RCA Victor followed by ''

'' opposite Milanov and Warren in 1955. Björling,

Victoria de los Ángeles Victoria de los Ángeles López García (1 November 192315 January 2005) was a Spanish operatic lyric soprano and recitalist whose career began after the Second World War and reached its height in the years from the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s. ...

and Merrill, made a widely admired recording of Puccini's ''

La Bohème ''La bohème'' ( , ) is an opera in four acts,Puccini called the divisions '':wikt:quadro, quadri'', ''wikt:tableau, tableaux'' or "images", rather than ''atti'' (acts). composed by Giacomo Puccini between 1893 and 1895 to an Italian libretto b ...

'' conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham in 1956. Björling's 1959

EMI EMI Group Limited (formerly EMI Group plc until 2007; originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At t ...

recording of ''

'', with de los Angeles in the title role and conducted by Gabriele Santini, is also widely celebrated. In Victoria de los Angeles's biography by Peter Roberts (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1982), de los Angeles noted that "In spite of technical developments, none of the Jussi Björling recordings give you the true sound of his voice. It was a far, far more beautiful voice than you can hear on the recordings he left". In 1957, Björling, Milanov and Warren made a complete stereo recording of ''

'', for RCA Victor in Rome with Erich Leinsdorf conducting. The tenor was awarded the 1959

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

for Best Classical Performance – Vocal Soloist (With Or Without Orchestra) for his RCA Victor recital album, ''Björling in Opera''. In 1956, Björling appeared in the

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

television anthology '' Producers' Showcase'' in two programs entitled ''Festival of Music'' hosted by

Charles Laughton Charles Laughton (; 1 July 1899 – 15 December 1962) was a British and American actor. He was trained in London at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and first appeared professionally on the stage in 1926. In 1927, he was cast in a play wi ...

, followed by

José Ferrer José Vicente Ferrer de Otero y Cintrón (January 8, 1912 – January 26, 1992) was a Puerto Ricans, Puerto Rican actor and director of stage, film and television. He was one of the most celebrated and esteemed Hispanic and Latino Americans, Hi ...

. Björling can be seen with soprano

Renata Tebaldi Renata Tebaldi ( , ; 1 February 1922 – 19 December 2004) was an Italian spinto soprano, lirico-spinto soprano popular in the post-World War II, war period, and especially prominent as one of the stars of La Scala, Teatro di San Carlo, San ...

in excerpts from ''La Bohème''. Both ''Festival of Music'' programs, originally broadcast in color, have since been released on black-and-white kinescopes on DVD. One of Björling's final recordings was the Verdi ''

Requiem A Requiem (Latin: ''rest'') or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead () or Mass of the dead (), is a Mass of the Catholic Church offered for the repose of the souls of the deceased, using a particular form of the Roman Missal. It is ...

'' conducted by

Fritz Reiner Frederick Martin Reiner (; December 19, 1888 – November 15, 1963) was an American conductor of opera and symphonic music in the twentieth century. Hungarian born and trained, he emigrated to the United States in 1922, where he rose to promine ...

for RCA Victor in June, 1960 with

Leontyne Price Leontyne Price ( born Mary Violet Leontine Price February 10, 1927) is an American spinto soprano who was the first African-American soprano to receive international acclaim. From 1961 she began a long association with the Metropolitan Opera. ...

Rosalind Elias Rosalind Elias (March 13, 1930 – May 3, 2020) was an American mezzo-soprano who enjoyed a long and distinguished career at the Metropolitan Opera. She was best known for creating the role of Erika in Samuel Barber's '' Vanessa in'' 1958. Early ...

, Giorgio Tozzi, the

Vienna Philharmonic Vienna Philharmonic (VPO; ) is an orchestra that was founded in 1842 and is considered to be one of the finest in the world. The Vienna Philharmonic is based at the Musikverein in Vienna, Austria. Its members are selected from the orchestra of ...

, and the chorus of the

Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde The (), also known as the (German for 'Viennese Music Association'), is an Austrian music organization that was founded in 1812 by Beethoven’s friend Joseph Sonnleithner, general secretary of the Court Theatre in Vienna, Austria. Overview ...

Personal life

Björling was known as the "Swedish Caruso". His son was also a professional tenor and so is his grandson . His widow, Anna-Lisa Björling, published a biography with the cooperation of Andrew Farkas that described Björling as a loving family man and generous colleague. However, in the book Anna-Lisa did not attempt to hide the destructive influence of Björling's

alcoholism Alcoholism is the continued drinking of alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of dependence and withdrawal. Problematic use of alcohol has been mentioned in the earliest historical records. The World He ...

. He is buried in the church cemetery at Stora Tuna, Borlänge, Sweden.

Legacy

Gröna Lunds Tivolis Jussi Björling-stipendium (The

Gröna Lund Gröna Lund (, ), or colloquially ''Grönan'' (), is an amusement park in Stockholm, Sweden. Located on the seaward side of Djurgården Island, it is relatively small compared to other amusement parks, mainly because of its central location, which ...

Jussi Björling Award) was established in 1963 by the Stockholm amusement park where Björling often sang, for its 80th anniversary. Jussi Björlings Minnesstipendium (Jussi Björlingstipendiet) was established in 1970 and is administered by Stiftelsen Kungliga Teaterns Solister (The Royal Opera Soloists Foundation) in Stockholm. The Jussi Björling Recital Hall was dedicated at

Gustavus Adolphus College Gustavus Adolphus College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in St. Peter, Minnesota, United States. It was founded in 1862 by Swedish Americans led by Eric Norelius and is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Gustavu ...

, St. Peter, Minnesota, in 1970. The Jussi Björling Tenor Competition took place in Borlänge in 1994. 125 tenors from 38 countries participated and winner was the Chinese Deng Xiao-Jun. Jussi Björlingmuseet (The Jussi Björling Museum) was opened in Borlänge in 1994. Björling's name is now used with the prestigious Jussi Björling Music Scholarship at

in St. Peter, Minnesota. An archive of nearly all of Björling's recorded performances, photographs, letters, recital and opera programmes, reviews, obituaries, and other items related to his career is maintained at the Jacobs School of Music at

Indiana University Bloomington Indiana University Bloomington (IU Bloomington, Indiana University, IU, IUB, or Indiana) is a public university, public research university in Bloomington, Indiana, United States. It is the flagship university, flagship campus of Indiana Univer ...

Luciano Pavarotti Luciano Pavarotti (, , ; 12 October 19356 September 2007) was an Italian operatic tenor who during the late part of his career crossed over into popular music, eventually becoming one of the most acclaimed tenors of all time. He made numerou ...

, in a 1988 interview for the Swedish daily newspaper ''

Svenska Dagbladet (, "The Swedish Daily News"), abbreviated SvD, is a daily List of Swedish newspapers, newspaper published in Stockholm, Sweden. History and profile The first issue of appeared on 18 December 1884. During the beginning of the 1900s the pap ...

'', stated:

When I'm about to train a new opera, I first listen to how Jussi Björling did it. His voice was unique and it's his path that I want to follow. I would more than anything else wish that people compared me with Jussi Björling. That's how I'm striving to sing.

Awards and citations

During his lifetime, Björling received many orders, decorations, honorary citizenships and other honours from monarchs, governments and cultural and charity organizations in Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Latvia, Belgium, Greece, Hungary and the US. * Appointed Hovsångare (Royal Court Singer) by the

King of Sweden The monarchy of Sweden is centred on the monarchical head of state of Sweden,See the #IOG, Instrument of Government, Chapter 1, Article 5. by law a constitutional monarchy, constitutional and hereditary monarchy with a parliamentary system.Parl ...

in 1944. * Elected member of Kungl. Musikaliska Akademien (

) in 1956. * Received Grammy Award for Best Classical Vocal Performance, 1960 (for LP "Bjoerling in Opera") * Bjorling was ranked the greatest singer of the 20th century by a poll of music critics in Classic CD magazine in July 1999. * He has a chair dedicated to him in Kilbourn Hall at the internationally renowned

Eastman School of Music The Eastman School of Music is the music school of the University of Rochester, a private research university in Rochester, New York, United States. Established in 1921 by celebrated industrialist and philanthropist George Eastman, it was the ...

* Entered ''

Gramophone A phonograph, later called a gramophone, and since the 1940s a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogue reproduction of sound. The sound vibration waveforms are recorded as corresponding physic ...

'''s Hall of Fame in 2012.

Discography

Complete works issued on CD *''

'', RCA (studio), 1955. *'' Un ballo in maschera'', Met, 1940; New Orleans, 1950. *''

'', Met, 1948; RCA (studio), 1956. *''

'', RCA (studio), 1953; Stockholm Opera, 1954 (other singers in Swedish); Decca/RCA (studio), 1957; Met, 1959. *''

Don Carlos ''Don Carlos'' is an 1867 five-act grand opera composed by Giuseppe Verdi to a French-language libretto by Joseph Méry and Camille du Locle, based on the 1787 play '' Don Karlos, Infant von Spanien'' (''Don Carlos, Infante of Spain'') by Fried ...

'', Met, 1950. *''

'', Met, 1950 & 1959. *''

'', EMI (studio), 1959. *'' Manon Lescaut'', Met, 1949 & 1956; RCA (studio), 1954; Stockholm Opera, 1959 (other singers in Swedish). *''

Missa solemnis is Latin for Solemn Mass.Mass
, ''Catholic Encyclopedia''. N.p., Appleton, 1910. 797. and is a genre of < ...

'' (Beethoven), NBC broadcast, 1940. *''

'', RCA (studio), 1953; Stockholm Opera, 1954 (sung in Swedish). *''

'' (Verdi), NBC broadcast, 1940; Decca/RCA (studio), Vienna, 1960. *''

'', Met, 1945; RCA (studio), 1956; Stockholm Opera, 1957. *'' Roméo et Juliette'', Stockholm Opera, 1940 (sung in Swedish); Met, 1947. *''

'', RCA (studio), 1957. *'' La traviata'', Stockholm Opera, 1939 (sung in Swedish). *'' Il trovatore'', Covent Garden, 1939; Met, 1941 & 1947; RCA (studio), 1952; Stockholm Opera, 1957 & 1960. *''

Turandot ''Turandot'' ( ; see #Origin and pronunciation of the name, below) is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to a libretto in Italian by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni. Puccini left the opera unfinished at the time of his death in 1924; it ...

'', Decca/RCA (studio), 1959. Larger general collections on CD *''Jussi Björling: The Swedish Caruso'', EMI Classics 2 17313 2 (5 CDs, 2008) *''Jussi Björling: The Complete RCA Album Collection'', RCA 88697748922 (14 CDs, 2011) *''The Very Best of Jussi Björling'', EMI Classics 6 78997 2 (2 CDs, 2012) *''Jussi Björling Collection'', Naxos 8.101101 (11 CDs, 2012. Comprises studio recordings. CDs 1–8 earlier issued separately. Released in Sweden with notes in Swedish only.) *''Jussi Björling: The Swedish Caruso'', Documents 600034 (10 CDs, 2013) *''Jussi Björling: The Worldstar Live on Stage'', Documents 600129 (10 CDs, 2013) Selection of special collections and concerts on CD *''Jussi Björling Live: Holland 1939, Norway 1954'', Bluebell ABCD 006 (1 CD, 1987) *''Jussi Björling: The Atlanta Recital 13 April 1959'', Bluebell ABCD 020 (1 CD, 1989) *''Jussi Björling in Song and Ballad'', Bluebell ABCD 050 (1 CD, 1993) *''Jussi Bjoerling: Rarities'', VAI Audio VAIA 1189 (1 CD, 2000) *''Jussi Björling: Fram för framgång: Film and Radio Recordings'', Bluebell ABCD 092 (1 CD, 2002) *''The Jussi Björling Series: Radamès, Alfredo, Roméo'', Bluebell ABCD 103 (2 CDs, 2006) *''Jussi Björling In Song'', Testament SBT 1427 (1 CD, 2008) *''Jussi Björling Live: Broadcast Concerts 1937–1960'', West Hill Radio Archives WHRA-6036 (4 CDs, 2010) *''Bjoerling Sings at Carnegie Hall'', RCA 88697858222 (1 CD, 2011) *''Jussi at Gröna Lund: Complete recordings 1950–1960'', Bluebell ABCD 114 (3 CDs, 2011) *''Jussi Björling in Concert: Finland & the U.S.A. (1940–1957)'', Bluebell ABCD 116 (2 CDs, 2012) A complete list of Björling's recordings and their CD and DVD issues is available on the Jussi Björling Museum's website."Björling's known recordings and their CD and DVD issues"
Matti Ståhlber, 15 May 2013, via borlange.se

References

External links

The Jussi Björling Museum

Jussi Björling biography
at Opera Vivrà

* ttp://www.libraries.iub.edu/index.php?pageId=3900#bjoerl Jussi Björling Collection at Indiana University
The Jussi Björling Society of USA

Discography at SonyBMG Masterworks
* , " O soave fanciulla",

Gaetano Merola Gaetano Merola (4 January 1881 – 30 August 1953) was an Italian conductor, pianist and founder of the San Francisco Opera. Biography Merola was born in Naples, the son of a Neapolitan court violinist and studied piano and conducting at t ...

conducting * * , Björling sings "O Holy Night" in Swedish ("O helga natt")
Jussi Björling sings arias from ''Il trovatore'', ''La fanciulla del West'', ''Rigoletto'', ''Tosca'' on Archive.org

Filmography at the Swedish Film Database
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bjorling, Jussi 1911 births 1960 deaths People from Borlänge Municipality Swedish operatic tenors Grammy Award winners Musicians from Dalarna County 20th-century Swedish male opera singers RCA Victor artists

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