Pearl Fishers Duet - Jussi Björling and Robert Merrill

[Bunnies4wool]

Incredible. thank you so much for the link, BDL Love this.

Indygal

[petalsandme]

Just beautiful. A special thank you to my dearest friend BDL for posting such a wonderful song.

Petals.

[Bjorlingmiracle]

There's no topping or even emulating this pair.

[flaze3]

Brownlee and Terfel should duet this :-)

[LittleOnePhedre]

The best ever. Still meakes me quiet and feeling humble to hear those voices together.

[dorothyphyllis]

This has been a favourite uet for many years. I think I am the 3rd generation to love it, and can remember hearing on the wireless many, many years ago. Can't beat Robert Merrill and Jussi Bjorling really I guess.

[NayHarris]

Always thought this was the very best recording ever made of this. Haven't heard it in years and I'm very grateful to hear it again. This was on that spectacular duet album with Merril and Bjoerling, wasn't it? Gosh, I wonder if there's an LP of this in my basement!

[daddio7777777]

Thanks, Mimameior ! Just beautiful ! I reached this recording looking for recordings of '' Your 100 best Tunes ''

which I used to listened to in the 50s : The Palm Court Orchestra, Grand Hotel, Jean Pougnet and Max Jaffa.

Do you have any of these recordings ? Jean Pougnet was a fellow countryman of mine and I loved his violin

pieces. Thanks again.

[Beekeeper911]

What a beautiful presentation of this soul-enriching duet. My Father loved this opera and sang the baritone part to me when I was young. This brings happy memories of my folks' love and participation in opera.

[scoot750]

just a beautiful rendition of this opera, without people trying to outshine the music they are singing.....

My dad played this for for me when I was 7 years old. Still remember it 'til this day. The voices harmonising........... enough said

[delam2]

I have mini orgasm whenever I here that "son voile" ;-)

[baltoman24]

This is the classic recording and will probably remain so. Bjorling is commonly thought to have had the most perfectly placed voice ever- and Merrill was gifted with both richness, fine diction and power. Other fine versions will come, but this one will remain forever. Thank you for this unforgetable rendition- all the stars were aligned in heaven for this!!

[dziady1]

Bjorling and Merrill are not

irreplaceable -it's like saying here comes the last wave ..give Korchak & Ladyuk

a listen -equally as beautiful .

[Siriusfanatiker]

Jussi, Borlänge, Sverige (Sweden) Är den bäste tenoren som har funnits. Inte överträffad före nästa istid. The Best tenor ever. Will not bee reached before the next icetime. Istid/Icetime= In about some 70 000 years. Depends on the climatwarming.

[PiggusVomitus]

if you watch the movie Gallipoli, the Australian CO is listening to this recording on a gramaphone and the music wafts through the trenches. Very moving scene just before the Aussies are slaughtered by the Turks. The main theme music of the movie is Albinoni's Adagio in G Minor for Strings and Organ.

[GerhardOli4]

There are only two others that come close to these guys. I must mention the recording of Nicolai Ghiaurov and Luciano Pavarotti singing this beautiful duet!!

I am still searching for a copy of that recording as mine was stolen from me.

[madisonelectronic]

@GerhardOli4 There is a copy on YouTube. I did not know it existed until last month.

[bethblood]

The best version ever of this fantastic duet!

[lpizzella]

Que maravilloso dueto, con el mas grande tenor de toda la historia y un gran baritono que lo acompaño en muchas de sus perfomances. Bjorling sos eterno a traves de tu bella voz . Doy gracias que mi abuelo le enseñara a mi padre y este a mi de la existencia de semejante cantante inolvidable y maravilloso.

[Calypso47]

I don't know about vogtwo's comments--I, too am an ageing atheist (but not a male). This is a nineteenth century opera about an ageing gay man retelling the story of his lost love (the tenor). This might be considered a hymn to gay pride. (I'm hetero and believe gays should have the same rights in the world.)

[mozzrt]

Yes among all the ravings of the 'great Bjoerling' (which of course he is!), let's not forget that Merrill was a marvellous baritone, always true to the composer's intention, never 'sobbing' or being tediously 'overemotional'. He is simply one of the greatest of all baritones!

[scargo1013]

Thank you, this is pretty much IT for singing.

[jagerfaust2009]

@vogtwo I think maybe you are to hard on yourself, you may be rejecting and denying you own happiness?

[jagerfaust2009]

Absolutely magnificent and very well put together by mimameior. A beautiful distraction from our busy lives to rest upon and reflect.........

Cheers! to you............

[rothwell1984]

First heard this in a music lesson at high school and had me in tears,much to the amusement of all the class!

[Sukiuktv]

Inevitably much mention of Bjorling's outstanding tenor tone. Merrill may not have been the world's greatest baritone but that may be the very reason for the perfection and enduring appeal of this classic recording. There is no ego at work here - just the most exquisite blend of their two voices and it is the blend that makes this version so moving.

[vgw241]

Every time I hear this superb rendition of a beautiful song, iit brings me out in goose-bumps.

For me, having heard many other singers perofrm this piece, this remains the very bestt.

What a shame the greatest voices were lost before Hi-Fi recording was perfected.

[JoanNilson]

Perhaps one of the greatest tenor/baritone duest ever - However - the recording with Nicolai Gedda and the terribly under-appreciated Ernest Blanc remains my favorite of this duet.!! There is a poetry in that performance that remains with me forever!! Particularly in the interlude with the phrase "que rien ne nous separe" Just magic!!

[AndyBetts]

This is one of the most beautiful duets ever sung by two of the best voices of the 20th century. I used to listen to this repeatedly with my husband, who's now deceased. Tears indeed!

[halavey]

Most Italians say Di Stefano early had the sweetest most beautiful voice but for me we need to bring Gigli in as the sweetest tenor voice and also Bjorling for perfection from top to bottom, something few lyric tenors have and jussi had great low notes which is stressed in Swedish training for opera. Richard Tucker once said of Gigli it was sweet as sugar!

[stevevandien]

Good heavens. Almost beyond beautiful, isn't it? What a magnificent record:) --

[blueskysunshinegirl]

my grand mother had a recording of this which she loved and i can never here this without being there in her front room, watching the tears, run down her cheeks . she was the most beautiful woman i have evr known in all respect and i am most of the woman i am because of her. much love to you for taking me back to her. xxxx

[koogala]

Muic for the soul, the spirit soars and is liftied higher by this almost HOLY sound. How to describe, Tears of joy and sorrow mix as one as they roll down my cheeks. SIMPLY MAGNIFICENT IN IT'S SPLENDOR

[honeybabe68]

Thank you so much for this - I can never listen to this definitive recording without tears falling, and all the more , seeing the photos you posted. Thank you.

[runchunchun]

F8cking AMAZING!

[rotkrullen]

poggy998 here. i just think it is transcendentally beautiful and although the beach was an urban one i will always associate this song with the time we spent there

[zsazsamario]

wonderful duett, wonderful singing, I think that is the best ever of this duet! Thanks a lot!

[elrodfk]

Perfect

[legatofancier]

Wow!

[4beatlefans]

I can't understand a word... but one doesn't need too. Simply beautiful.

[franciscoginerlloret]

Hay muchas versiones de este fragmento de " Los pescadores de perlas" de Bizet, francamente me quedo con esta versión, es sencillamente inmejorable creo que no se puede mejorar, no se puede decir perfecto pero la verdad es que J.Bjorling está sensacional.Para mí es de los cinco mejores tenores del mundo. Es una gozada escucharlo.

[sherburneco]

I agree entirely. This version, and the Kraus/McDaniel version of 1970, are by far my favorites - but Jussi was sensational in everything he sang. Vocal perfection, beauty of expression.

[tappytoto]

The Definitive rendition of the this beautiful classic !! A most moving performance - hits you right at the heartstrings !!!

[Lanark8]

:-)

[johnjab]

Always brings me to tears. Thank you Jussi, thank you Robert. RIP.

[jussithomas]

you are welcome

[SpocksSister08]

This is my very favourite version of this. The best voices ever. Not that I am an expert. But it IS beautiful.

[tacfoley]

No two male singers have so completely complemented each other in range and timbre as these two did back then. All attempts to emulate them have failed. Even the likes of Bryn Terfel and Andrea Bocelli could not do it.

Bjorling and Merrill - totally irreplaceable.

tac

[SteiniOFSI]

@tacfoley but by the gods, Bryn and Bocelli are fine singers but nothing can become better than perfection (and Bryn just doesn't have the voice, he just has good publicity), I hope for the future that such perfection can be heard again, but it will not be better. I wonder perhaps Granforte and Jussi could have pulled off a perfect recording of this aria as well but it was not meant to be.

[flaze3]

@tacfoley that's because Bocelli is pretty second rate--Terfel is great, mind.

[operamandan79]

classic... nuf said

[richardyingren]

This is great and vital stuff. Thankyou.

[OperaLover910]

Dear vogtwo, Don't worry about the being moved to tears thing -- it's just part of getting old. As your memory centers become filled with all the crap that life dishes out on a daily basis, your brain finds it increasingly incredulous that beauty exists, and the result is overwhelming emotion. Happens to me all the time...(going on 60)

[hiyadroogs]

Dear vogtwo, SocorroDove is absolutely right, & I sincerely hope that it will help you find resolution. Everything we do in life, & everything that happens to us, or around us, - is all about the internal experience. Cynicism is a form of self denial. As is rejection of beauty & love. What makes you uniquely human, is the understanding of your own mortality, & to feel & relive the memories, sadness, beauty, & joy of your life. There is no more powerful vehicle to do that than music. Best wishes

[OperaLover910]

Dear hiyadroogs, Who ARE you?? How did you develop such insight plus the ability to express it so eloquently? You are so so right on!

[hiyadroogs]

Dear OperaLover, thank you very much for your kind comments. Who am I? I'm just a postman in England! & I guess I've got too much time on my hands for thinking deep thoughts! lol. But I did suffer from depression in the 1980's, & I managed to turn my life around by appreciating the truly beautiful in life, music, & people. I've been happy ever since. & I'm eternally grateful to my beloved late dad for introducing me to Caruso, Jussi, Gigli, & classical music. They were the making of me.

[Mimameior]

I don't quite 'get' your comment - how are all religion, sports, and arts too closely related? What exactly do you mean? However, I would agree with Dove - emotion is an important part of life; don't reject it or feel uncomfortable with it. Anyway, glad you enjoyed the wonderful singing!

[xXxSocorroDovesxXx]

Dear vogtwo, it is so important to feel; sadness, joy, anything - life is short - live it with great passion! I think it's wonderful that you were moved to tears by this beautiful music! It fills my heart to bursting when I hear this, it's bittersweet... tears of sadness and joy at the same time. So many people live without feeling in order to avoid feeling pain; in doing so, they can't feel any pleasure, either. We can't have one... without the other. Regards, Dove :)

[polotottie]

i've spent the past month or so cataloguing a cd library of all these old opera singers - when i saw this guy on the cover, i almost had a heart attack - doesn't he look like rosie o'donnell?! that aside, great voice!

[suzettegm]

Truly ect.

[seekertlk]

People who enjoyed this should try to track down a copy of the 1956 "La Boheme" with Bjorling, Merrill, Victoria De Los Angeles, and Beecham conducting. Has to be one of the two or three best opera recordings ever made. It's truly transcendental, and Bjorling and Merrill have this synergy (pardon the buzzword - it's truly applicable here) that is just extraordinary. I would love to have heard them live.

[Mimameior]

That 'La Boheme' was the first full opera recording I bought! I'd agree, it's one of the finest ever, and Bjorling with De Los Angeles is more than we mortals deserve... utter perfection. The end of Act 1 gives me shivers every time - THE definitive performances of Che Gelida Manina, Mi Chiamano Mimi, and O Soave Fanciulla.

[xXxSocorroDovesxXx]

Superb. I listen to this often. It's so beautiful... gives me shivers.

[bail69bail]

bellissimo!

[exsangue]

Thrilling. Gives me chills. I had been searching for this version for some time. Now to find it on CD or MP3!

[seekertlk]

Not too hard to find - there's a decent 2 disc "Bjorling's greatest hits" type thing, if nothing else. Also has a good "Nessun Dorma" though it's not quite as good as Pavarotti's, IMO.

[ChristinaYYC]

In Canada, look for "Gilmour's Albums". He used to have a radio show on the CBC. This duet is included, and it's where I first heard it.

[VinylToVideo]

Was he better than the queer Bill Richardson we have to put up with today? Well, if he played recordings like this I guess I don't have to ask!

[lskarin]

VinylToVideo:

Is there any point to your comment? Put up with? Turn it off!

I think you get off on using pejorative adjectives. Whether Bill Richardson is homosexual is totally unimportant.

Liking or disliking a radio host is a matter of your taste. I have found CBC hosts, male or female, regional or national, to be almost uniformly excellent in the Peter Gzowski tradition.

I hope you have to "put up with" further comments suggesting you get a life.

[lskarin]

Thank you for mentioning Clyde Gilmour. He is now dead, but he lives through you and me in the art he introduced to us. I have both his albums but I don't think they've been re-released.

He also had a humanistic political stance. He used to play Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech. And his open love for his wife Barbara was wonderful. I have one of his letters that was pen-wrote by either Clyde or Barbara. I treasure it.

[ChristinaYYC]

I really miss Gilmour. I wonder if his shows are archived anywhere, preferably on digital formats. I can't bear the thought of tapes mouldering away in the vaults.

[aaronfledge]

This is definitely the best version of this famous duet I've ever heard. Deservedly popular.

The video's as well-made as ever.

[Sieglinde84]

Beautiful.

Merrill was great and he's a bit underrated. In his times there were Warren, Bastianini, Gobbi... just too many great baritones.

Those were the times.

Beautiful Verdian voice.

And Björling - for me he is THE tenor.

[Mimameior]

Thanks. Yes, I'd totally agree with those comments. Merrill is fantastic, and Bjorling has simply the purest tenor voice I've ever heard.

(A critic once described this recording as 'like listening to a Guarneri cello and a Strad violin duetting...')

[izar1234]

Merrill underrated? Not by knowledgeable opera fans or his colleagues. His voice was in the very top of the operatic baritone pantheon.

[seekertlk]

Bjorling was indeed THE tenor. When compared to Bjorling, Pavarotti responded that he was "merely human."

[xXxSocorroDovesxXx]

Isn't the Pearl Fisher's Duet also in the movie Gallipoli? When the Australian Officer plays the old records to commemorate his wedding anniversary...

That is an absolutely brilliant film. The first time I watched it was in Social Studies class in High School. I'll never forget the final scene - I felt my heart had been torn from my chest and I just cried and cried.

A very good movie to watch this ANZAC Day.

Thankyou again for this wonderful video.

[xXxSocorroDovesxXx]

Absolutely superb... two of the most beautiful male voices I have ever heard!

The photos are a lovely accompaniment to this operatic treasure - you have created a wonderful tribute.

I especially love the picture of the black pearl; an incredibly rare and precious beauty that symbolises this duet perfectly.