There is something amazin about "singers of the past" about their technique, tehir breath control. Here I can see Bjorlng taking the air (breathing) up in the chest, openning the chest instead down in the low abdomen.
A member of an elite group with perhaps two others who set the standards in so many renditions. A maestro of maestro's. No wonder that even great tenors like Pavarotti looked up to him. That reallly says a lot!
One of my favourite pieces of all time. I first heard Jussi Bjorling as a child. My late mother would play her mother's records. I heard them so often I thought I wouldn't like them as I got older [well, Elvis was around then] but no, give me Bjorling any day. Timeless quality and superb voice make for an enduring memory.
Jussi was good looking. Not as "heavy" as som of his followers. Placido is a great singer. Not as good as Jussi, but who is. And a better actor than Jussi? Isn t Mr Domingo a little "boyish" too? Even in old age?
@emanuelpascu there simply is no accounting for stupidity ignorance and lack of taste. Bjorling was probably the most perfect singer ever. Dont let it bother you, it is not worth your energy, all the best.
Not only is this performance outstanding but the quality of the recording is amazing. I have this recording on CD and the sound quality of my CD is nothing like the sound quality of this video.
This is one of the best videos I've ever seen on YouTube. It demonstrates that Bjorling deserves his place in history as one of the world's great operatic tenors. He can be compared to the likes of Caruso, McCormack and Gigli and has the advantage of having lived slightly later. There's nobody who can sing this aria as well today under the same circumstances. We cherish his memory.
Tack Jussi! Ingen annan kan som du beröra våra hjärtesträngar. Det är nästan omöjligt att hålla tårarna tillbaka! Men det är både skandalöst och pinsamt att Jussi inte finns avbildad, på varken frimärken eller våra svenska sedlar.
What is singing? It is about soul. Jussis Daughter told us about her Fathers beautiful soul. Can u hear ?? Tears in his voice and in our eyes too. God the mighty father was on earth between 1911 and 1960 and put his will in Jussis voice..
Queste registrazioni dovrebbero essere custodite nelle astronavi che mandiamo nell'universo per esplorare nuovi mondi, per incontrare altre civiltà. Se ci fossero, e potessero ascoltare il canto magico di Jussi Bjorling, si stupirebbero che sul pianeta Terra sia vissuto, tanti anni fà, un uomo che cantava così.
When I was little I asked my aunt how you can tell when a tenor hits high C. She said "A little sign comes up behind their head and flashes for you." All my life I have been waiting for it until this video. I nearly fell off my chair laughing when the little text box popped up saying "divine high C"! LOL @ 4:01
Jussi at his youthful best. The aria might have been written for him. Apparently he wasn't a student of languages and didn't particularly care if he didn't always get it right. Quite frankly listening to his beautiful sound I don't care either. They say his acting was somewhat naiive. Again who cares?
@MatteoDesigns please, Pavarotti would be just as wonderful. Can you imagine Bjorling singing the 9 high Cs in Fille du Regiment, or Sonnambula, Puritani, Lucia or Favorita as masterfully as Pavarotti? No, it would be impossible for Bjorling. And as far as this aria goes, Bjorling can't touch Alfredo Kraus.
@gettyO89 Yes, ofcourse we can imagine Bjorling singing the 9 C:s!!! Noone surpass Björling in the high C:s!
He has the most beutiful, effortless and floating C ever! Can´t Björling touch Alfredo Kraus??? That´s a new one! Even Kraus himself said he was very touched by Björling.
@opera888able The language errors in Bjoerlings work are actually very few and far between. He did care if he got it right, I know that from working with coaches in Scandinavia who had worked with him. Errors are far more apparent in the work of some of our more recent leading tenors. If you wish to learn a role, Bjoerling and the late Jerry Hadley are the two to listen too. Bjoerling was remarkably accurate musically,as is Domingo, but Domingo has more linguistic lapses.
@opera888able One recording of his has "joy-jelly" instead of gio-i-elli in Che Gelida Manina. That gave me a tickle. His voice is on the dark side, like caruso's; and dorothy caruso praised him as enrico's successor, I read.
@opera888able I don't ! But honestly, I'm a francophone and his French is pretty damn good for a non-francophone, especially for the time, when nobody really cared about diction. He makes a few mistakes here and there, but the text is very clear and comprehensible, and he delivers the musicality of the French language incredibly well.
I love the gestures towards the end, it's like he's trying to pull a rope or sth, lol.
As for the accent, to me it's way above average, (this is coming from sone who is easily bugged by bad French accents esp. the way some Americans butcher it). But here all the words are clear, & more importantly the melody/intonation of the language is well preserved.
Björling must've had perfect ears. In Ange adorable he even pronounces "arret" with the French guttural r, very unlikely for a non-speaker!
@RoyKa2010 "Ange adorable???" I don't believe those words are in the text of this aria. As for the "guttural" r, actually that is forbidden in sung French( "le stil sostenu" as it's called). In sung French, the r is always very slightly flipped with the tongue. He probably rolls his r's a bit too much, but it's still wonderful and better than most.
@assindiastignani Oh, sorry if I wasn't clear enough, I wasn't referring to this aria, but the duet from Gounod's "Roméo et Juliette", a duet starting with "Ange adorable". I wrote this because of the debate that started under this video regarding Bjorling's use of French, etc.
@assindiastignani And the..let's call it French r that I heard in his singing (not here!) must have been inadvertently done! because If it's usage is controversial today, in those days, probably according to "le style soutenu" as you said, it was out of the question. It is true that traditionally the rolled r applies to all serious music, while the other r is for popular French songs, but I don't think it's forbidden, Alagna, Dessay, (and occasionally Felicity Lott, Keenlyside) are using it.
@RoyKa2010 It's still wrong, but nowadays most native speakers don't learn the sung form of their own languages, excusing their artistic laziness by saying, "Oh, that's old fashioned." It's like grammar,split infinitives are incorrect, but you read them all the time.Most young French people don't know how or when to use subjunctive,Germans use dative in place of genitive.There are good reasons for observing the rules of sung languages - it makes them easier to sing and better understood.
What p's me off about these arias is that I can sing Mozart all day with frikkin 20 A's and A flat's and the occasional B flat but can't sing these arias 'cos my top C is non existant....one bloody note in the whole aria and I can't perform it :(
Maybe some tenors wish they could sing Mozart all day (but I don't think so haha)
cannot stop listening to this gorgeous , pure aria , over and over,which is the essence of my beautiful daughter and tears of sadness are all that I can grasp
Thanks, pawelp, for uploading this video. A few scant details as to when and where recorded would have been nice but, hey, it's not the end of the world.
If Heddle Nash's English recording had been as good, quality-wise, as this, I think it may have been numero uno but this now has that spot.
@ mdowden. Yes, I'm one of those who yell at the TV at such times - or just switch if off.
@MrWardie44 -Sir-This recording is from a live broadcast from"The Voice of Firestone" on American TV from 1946. Jussi Bjorling was 35 and still very much in his prime. The voice would deepen in the fifties but did not deteriorate significantly which was a miracle considering how he abused it with his drinking.However these recordings in the 1940's of this and two years earlier of Nessun Dorma are the ones that cast the longest shadows.
I think somteimes that comparing singers are not necessary. If yoy are "moved" by their singing then that´s great!
I am certainly moved by Bjorlings singing! He have made me cry many times out of pure joy of his voice! Corelli has done the same, but only in "piangeriue..."
Bocelli has a beautiful voice as has Pavarotti and Domingo. Still they can´t enter my "inner chamber" like Jussi Bjorling does. Why? I don´t know, but he sings (for me) more authentic. JUSSI, I LOVE YOU!!
@maxhansendk Mozart has 'a smile through tears', Bjoerling is famous for having a voice 'heavy with unshead tears', that's why so many are literally moved to tears when hearing this 'cold' singer...
I think that Gedda, di Stefano and above all Kraus, SINGS this even better, but the sheer beauty of Bjorlings voice is of course towering skyhigh above all others. Bocelli?! Please...OK he is better than Potts, but still!
@vindicari Bocelli is hardly an opera singer; he's a crossover artist who "crossed over" from practically nothing. If you want a good modern tenor, try listening to licitra, villazon, florez, brownlee, vargas, or alvarez.
My very first tenor during my operatic "breaking in" period. JB, along with DiS & Bergonzi remain the only tenors I couls listen to hours & hours on end (in the proper repertoire, that is). Miracles, all of them!
As a professional singer myself (tenor) I can say that Jussi Bjorling has been my life-long exemplar. Wonderful lyrico spinto voice and an excellent sense of style.
There is a complete (live) recording of Faust from the Met with Bjorling, Siepi and Dorothy Kirsten conducted by Cleva recorded in 1950 on Naxos 8.111083-85. Although the recording is far from It has received rave reviews. Many thanks.
What's so remarkable is the apparent effortlessness and the lack of ostentatious distortion of the phrasing so common to singers of his generation and beyond. His first priority is to the fidelity of the line. The purity of the tone is, without question, one of the most beautiful ever.
Le contrôle vocal est le goût sont somptueux. Bien sûr c'est u peu vocal....mais qui s'en plaindrait? Une des grandes voix de ténor. Quel dommage qu'in n'y ait nulle trace de son Trouvère avec Callas....
A wonderful gift. I have long believed that Bjorling was the greatest Tenor of the twentieth century but had never seen him perform. This was it. Thank you.
We may argue if Bjorling has been or not the greatest tenor of last century: many in Anglo-Saxon countries think yes while many in Latin countries, and particularly in Italy, think no. I guess, greatest or not, everybody should agree he has been the most poet, a natural poet, without any intellectual complication. And he is wonderful here
Bien atacado el do, hombre, cuando se acerca el momento monstruo del aria, especialmente en presentaciones en vivo, es momento difícil. Técnica maravillosa de Björling que logra salvarlo magistralmente sin mayor esfuerzo. Bravo
This comment has received too many negative votesshow
Vamos a ver qué eso de divino Do de pecho. En primer lugar, se toma una largísimo respiro antes de asaltar la nota; es interesante comprobar cómo Kraus dice toda la frase en un solo aliento y mantiene el Do mucho tiempo. Segundo, analizando la nota propiamente dicha, si os fijais bien machangos os dareis cuenta que al principio está muy bien emitida pero luego se le mueve un poco y no es un Do tan largo teniendo en cuenta el respirito antes aludido.
Vamos a ver que es eso de un comentario emitido por un krausista abyecto... Por principio de cuentas no es lo mismo utilizar el aire miserablemente ahorrandolo todo el tiempo y emitiendo una voz chillona y de poca proyeccion y volumen que darle la brillantez y prescencia de bjoerling... Hay una gran diferencia de epocas, de estilo, de fuerza y de situaciones... Bjoerling fue grande tal como kraus u otros historicos; somos nosotros los fans quienes enlodamos la memoria de los buenos cantantes.
toda la razón, no tiene cabida hacer ocmparaciones de acuerdo a época, ya que hay tendencias claras, es como si compararamos a bach con chopin... la tendencia era distinta, la exigencia cambiaba, lo mismo con los cantantes.
Es bien fácil criticar, pero ninguno de lso que acá comentan ha logrado lo que Bjorling hizo en su vida (y despues de su muerte).
It is so frustrating when people win talent shows singing opera and people say "aren't they good!" You feel like shaking them and saying "look up Jussi Bjorling to hear a REAL voice" I have heard numerous versions of the pearl fishers duet and none of them come even close to his recording...a true master!
This is by far the greatest performance of this aria I have ever heard; Bjoerling's awestruck, youthful vulnerability suits this scene to perfection, and of course his singing is a lesson in how to sing. In the face of such magic, his incorrect pronunication of the 's' consonant and the occasionally unstylish use of portamento fade into insignificance.
I am one of those people who happen to believe that superb singing technique, musicality, style, grace, dramatic intention,beautiful tone and phrasing are the most important attributes of opera singers. I tend to avoid the circus aspect of opera fans.
Jussis ljuvliga nordiska metall i stämman, fraseringens långa linjer och den otroliga lätthet han till synes sjunger med är tillsammans helt oöverträffbart!
Who cares about his terrible accent !There has been no one, there is no one and there will be no one to achieve his voice quality, timbre and musicianship. Jussi is number ONE!
opera 77 for all the language problems you say bjoerling had, when asked how many roles he could sing with only two weeks notice he replied, in the original language no less than thirty. none of us can speak a foreign language and sound like a native, but to say his language problems plagued his singing is beyond rediculous.
I have a favourite in Jussi Bjorling...Before I saw him as the ultimate tenor! Whom nobody can surpass. Now I am more humble. I enjoy many tenors, Corelli,
Alfredo Kraus, Schipa, just to name a few...
Some tenors of today I do not like at all...They are simply very bad, despite modern technique.
"Comparisons", it is said, "are odious". I adore the tenor voice (also the treble, alto and basso profundo) but I have to admit the Jussi Bjoerling does somethig to me that NO OTHER tenor does, (not even Beniamino Gigli whom I loved, especially in La Boheme on records of course) and Caruso but with the latter we did not have the advantage of modern recording equipment. To me Jussi is the master. In my humble opinion of course. Celeste voce.
In the Classic CD 1999 poll of 20th cent greatest singer, the 25 critics voted him the best singer of ALL, the readers had only Callas before him. He is always placed very high in such polls, but Corelli and del Monaco wasn't even among the 100 on the critics list.
Yes it was UK, but they voted 14 other italian singers among them. Caruso, di Stefano, Bergonzi, Pavarotti etc. I think Caruso or Melchior were the greatest but 796824 certainly isn't alone.
This comment has received too many negative votesshow
critics? boo. UK critics? BOOOOOO. how high was mccormack on this list?? lists?? polls are for putrid sports! NOT ART!! besides, vocally speaking not many can touch the pure power and acrobats of a callas, corelli, london and several others. jussi is a fine tenor. one of the greatest tenors for sure! but, NOT the greatest on any level.
@operabitch77 McCormack was no 37. It's impossible not tobe biased - but U.K. is probably 'fairer' than many other countries would be. And they had no reason to vote Bjoerling as no 1, he seldom sang in UK, he was much bigger in US. Of course polls are a game, but you can't get away from the fact that Corelli wasn't even among the 100. And not more boo to critics than to 'audiences', critics are better judges...But OK, how did the ordinary readers vote then? Bjoerling 2nd, after Callas...
Actually he had several 'off'' nights, and too often he didn't even show up! He had serious drinking problems, but when he was 'in voice', even his fellow artists were stunned...
There have been MANY TENOR'S at and since Bjorlings time . Mario del Monaco, Corelli, Tucker... Di Stefano sang this aria as well or better, Jon Vickers, Giacomini, Bonisolli McCracken and the list can go on and on . Jan Peerce, Pavarotti in his Prime. So please , spare us your absolute opinion that Bjorling was the Best . Bjorling was Great but certainly not the Best. I agree that today there is none to compare and that's a tragedy.
Unlike the tenors you indicate here, Bjorling represented "chiaroscuro" singing, which the others, despite their technique, lacked. Only Gigli and Schipa are included in this august category. The ability to recognize the difference, requires insight.
You are now specifying a category... a special type of singing method which is entirely different from your 1st statement generalizing Tenors in over all singing ability. If you had mentioned this specific type of singing only and not classified Bjorling as the ONLY Tenor then i might have agreed with you.
of singing method. "ALL" singers SHOULD be able to sing with Chiaroscuro just as reflected in the painters of 16-18th C. It is non-existent today because the Voice Teachers are as well.
I can see it's futile to have a reasonable debate with you because you will not address the core basis of your 1st Comment by saying "There has been NO TENOR since BJORLING" When making such a broad statement you are regarding Bjorling as the Quintessential Tenor of which he was not. Bel- Canto is a method of singing ,did every tenor sing Bel Canto? and if they didn't did that make them any less of a singer? I assumed you were talking specifically about Voice which obviously you were not.
Actually, I've never heard Schipa or Bjorling shading their voice without using dynamic varation.Would you please give some examples of them shading their tone?Most singers use dynamic shading to color their voice but only few are able to change their timbre. IMO that's what chiauroscuro really means: /watch?v=JgeEWUMI7n0 and this /watch?v=OMR3boG3RMs
chiaro means 'light' and scuro means 'dark' roughly and I wouldn't say that manipulating them should cause a different timbre altogether. IMO You 'shade' by beefing/lighting up your natural timbre according to what your interpretation requires.
Björling absolutely does this - the difference between Salut and Celeste Aida is noticeable.
Chiaroscuro as a term is used to describe the balance (or lack thereof) between darkness and light in the vocal emission. it's not something you deploy actively.
Jaakob, I disagree with your final sentence. Caruso actively deployed chiaroscuro in his singing, by taking advantage of vowels to induce changes in the ratio of register participation. Listen to his renditions of Ideale, Pecche, & L'alba separa della luce l'ombra, & you will hear huge changes in tone colour due to register rotation. Di Stefano also actively employed chiaroscuro through vowel colours & the occasional use of the umlauted vowel.
Jaaakob is correct, technically speaking. The goal of achieving chiaroscuro is to create a composite of sound wherein all of the vowels from back "u" (oo) to front "i" (ee) produce an optimum balance of vibration in the laryngeal and pharyngeal structures. Skilled singers can manipulate vowel shape to affect the color of the voice, but they do so at peril of harming the vocal instrument. Too much "chiaro" makes the voice spread, and too much "scuro" makes the voice lose focus. Balance is key.
Interesting hypothesis, petrina. Yet, I don't think I can agree that the goal of chiaroscuro is to achieve a form of uniformity in vocal emission, if I understood you correctly. Transitory changes in vowel sound or registration balance can be made quite healthily for affect, providing that the singer never loses sight of his true timbre & vocal balance, & returns to them. Jaaakob is indeed correct, except that it can be deployed actively. As you said, balance, is the key.
well said. jussi was fabolous!!!!! technique flawless. tons of language problems plagued his singing. his french and italian were terrible!! but vocally, no one could touch the velvet power. one of the greatest, no doubt. greatest?? well, opinions are like assholes, we ALL got 'em. my bet is with caruso!! by far the greatest...
I have a French and Italian degree and personally I think he sounds fine singing both. All I noticed here is a slight tendency to say ss where there should be a z sound - like on présence, which I think I heard about three times, and it only really struck me after I read someone else pointing it out, but I can't say this tiny detail spoiled this beautiful rendition for me
I think this is just beautiful. I grew up listening to Jussi Bjorling at my grandparents house, and mum would 'sing' his songs too. So I guess instead of Nursery Rhymes I had Post War music and Jussi Bjorling. I was listening to Paul Potts the other night, but Jussi reigns! his voice is richer, much richer than Paul Potts. Thank you so much for putting this here on U-tube for us to enjoy.
It is rather amusing reading the continual backbiting of the Bjorling and Pavarotti fans.They are both great and impossible to compare.For a change stop bickering and listen to McCormack's recording of this aria.You might get a pleasant surprise.
Jussi seldom made a bad performance, he had this wise and perhaps defensive policy of not trying to hit his ceiling as a singer, to always have a safety distance to your limit. Most singers agree, but many could not stick to the rule, take an outstanding artist like Callas, she really took herself to, and at times, over her limit and there are many other examples. Bjorlings position was wise, but it also says something about what became the trauma of his life, his struggle with all expectations
Out of all the singers I've heard in my lifetime: Bjorling scoops the least if 'at' all.
Not that it 'truly' matters (Caruso was a huge scooper, and we all know how amazing he was), but it impresses me to no end to hear the notes hit with such precision the moment the air leaves Bjorlings' lips.
Imo, I think he was the most technically gifted singer of all time.
I grew up thinking that Bjoerling was second only to Caruso in the pantheon of operatic tenors. With musical maturity, I learned that we can't really rank these guys linearly: each has something unique to offer. While I do think this aria comes across as a bit detached -- perhaps due to the stage concert setting -- it is nevertheless Jussi with optimal voice and impeccable technique. Thank you, Pawelp, but do we really need the comic-book balloon announcing that "divine high C!"??
Perfect. The best of all tenors. Just perfect. Voice, Technique, art, passion, french style, high C, what else could be? Others have sung their own version, very good at all and I appreciate their styles. But Björling is the best of the best in Faust.
There is something amazin about "singers of the past" about their technique, tehir breath control. Here I can see Bjorlng taking the air (breathing) up in the chest, openning the chest instead down in the low abdomen.
aguacun 2 days ago
you should here the live recording of this aria in swedish were he takes the high C in pianisimo, that is truly a "divine high C"!
Ariero22 2 months ago 2
Yes I agree - thanks for the high C indicator! I've never heard a better performance of this aria - ever!
brontedesk 2 months ago
My father always said it was "the voice of God".
shelbyshaffer2002 4 months ago 2
This is perhaps my least favourite of all Jussi's arias and still the shear beauty of his timbre brings tears to my eyes.
Bjorlingmiracle 5 months ago
No Jussi was not in his youth, he was dying at that time. This is his last role
1055otto 6 months ago
@1055otto Yeah, dying at 49, such a shame.
aymthebest 5 months ago
espectacular !!! =)
elyavet666 6 months ago
A member of an elite group with perhaps two others who set the standards in so many renditions. A maestro of maestro's. No wonder that even great tenors like Pavarotti looked up to him. That reallly says a lot!
The99Gambo 6 months ago 2
What a high C !!!
MrFrenchaccent 7 months ago
One of my favourite pieces of all time. I first heard Jussi Bjorling as a child. My late mother would play her mother's records. I heard them so often I thought I wouldn't like them as I got older [well, Elvis was around then] but no, give me Bjorling any day. Timeless quality and superb voice make for an enduring memory.
dorothyphyllis 7 months ago 4
please take the comment at the end out. :P so tacky!
24yotenor 7 months ago
One or two of these words might be slightly wrong. Not verbally perfect but vocally perfect.
JomeAt10 7 months ago
What I would pay to hear someone sing like this day!!!
TheVerdiBaritone 8 months ago
@TheVerdiBaritone There's nobody around who can sing like this today. The modern tenors just can't sing anything like as well.
JomeAt10 7 months ago
I defy anybody to sing this "aria" without audience and light blinded, meisterwerk
Kilchattan7 8 months ago
Jussi was good looking. Not as "heavy" as som of his followers. Placido is a great singer. Not as good as Jussi, but who is. And a better actor than Jussi? Isn t Mr Domingo a little "boyish" too? Even in old age?
Siriusfanatiker 8 months ago
le plus grand de tous.
SuperRoseland 8 months ago
12 people voted dislike:| i just can't understand why; maybe they are deaf
emanuelpascu 8 months ago
@emanuelpascu there simply is no accounting for stupidity ignorance and lack of taste. Bjorling was probably the most perfect singer ever. Dont let it bother you, it is not worth your energy, all the best.
operalament 8 months ago
Not only is this performance outstanding but the quality of the recording is amazing. I have this recording on CD and the sound quality of my CD is nothing like the sound quality of this video.
JomeAt10 8 months ago
Mamma mia che brividi! Questo è cantare!
lanaturale 8 months ago
This is one of the best videos I've ever seen on YouTube. It demonstrates that Bjorling deserves his place in history as one of the world's great operatic tenors. He can be compared to the likes of Caruso, McCormack and Gigli and has the advantage of having lived slightly later. There's nobody who can sing this aria as well today under the same circumstances. We cherish his memory.
JomeAt10 8 months ago
Tack Jussi! Ingen annan kan som du beröra våra hjärtesträngar. Det är nästan omöjligt att hålla tårarna tillbaka! Men det är både skandalöst och pinsamt att Jussi inte finns avbildad, på varken frimärken eller våra svenska sedlar.
Thesnuttan52 9 months ago
Awesome! TY for posting
paulostroff99 9 months ago
What is singing? It is about soul. Jussis Daughter told us about her Fathers beautiful soul. Can u hear ?? Tears in his voice and in our eyes too. God the mighty father was on earth between 1911 and 1960 and put his will in Jussis voice..
Siriusfanatiker 10 months ago
Queste registrazioni dovrebbero essere custodite nelle astronavi che mandiamo nell'universo per esplorare nuovi mondi, per incontrare altre civiltà. Se ci fossero, e potessero ascoltare il canto magico di Jussi Bjorling, si stupirebbero che sul pianeta Terra sia vissuto, tanti anni fà, un uomo che cantava così.
panenrico 11 months ago 3
When I was little I asked my aunt how you can tell when a tenor hits high C. She said "A little sign comes up behind their head and flashes for you." All my life I have been waiting for it until this video. I nearly fell off my chair laughing when the little text box popped up saying "divine high C"! LOL @ 4:01
AECSRQ 11 months ago 20
@AECSRQ Hahahaha. I am glad it brought you such joy!
Pawelp 1 month ago
Oh Jussi,how you could sing!!!
citrussorbet 11 months ago 3
Happy 100th, Jussi.
estnyc 11 months ago 4
Great voice, huge voice! Bravoooooo
tenordramaticitm2 1 year ago
There is NO ONE on the OPERATIC STAGE TODAY who can ever compare to Bjorling who was, and will ever remain the definitive Faust
MrSkylark1 1 year ago
The most beautiful voice in history
telephage 1 year ago 4
wooow!!
krajncrocky1 1 year ago
Jussi at his youthful best. The aria might have been written for him. Apparently he wasn't a student of languages and didn't particularly care if he didn't always get it right. Quite frankly listening to his beautiful sound I don't care either. They say his acting was somewhat naiive. Again who cares?
opera888able 1 year ago 16
@opera888able He did have a boyish naivete in hi acting...
Pawelp 1 year ago 6
@Pawelp He gets it more right than most singers. Can you imagine Pavorotti singing this?
MatteoDesigns 1 year ago 2
@MatteoDesigns please, Pavarotti would be just as wonderful. Can you imagine Bjorling singing the 9 high Cs in Fille du Regiment, or Sonnambula, Puritani, Lucia or Favorita as masterfully as Pavarotti? No, it would be impossible for Bjorling. And as far as this aria goes, Bjorling can't touch Alfredo Kraus.
gettyO89 1 year ago
@gettyO89 Yes, ofcourse we can imagine Bjorling singing the 9 C:s!!! Noone surpass Björling in the high C:s!
He has the most beutiful, effortless and floating C ever! Can´t Björling touch Alfredo Kraus??? That´s a new one! Even Kraus himself said he was very touched by Björling.
suffes 1 year ago
@opera888able The language errors in Bjoerlings work are actually very few and far between. He did care if he got it right, I know that from working with coaches in Scandinavia who had worked with him. Errors are far more apparent in the work of some of our more recent leading tenors. If you wish to learn a role, Bjoerling and the late Jerry Hadley are the two to listen too. Bjoerling was remarkably accurate musically,as is Domingo, but Domingo has more linguistic lapses.
Tenor1947 1 year ago 2
@opera888able One recording of his has "joy-jelly" instead of gio-i-elli in Che Gelida Manina. That gave me a tickle. His voice is on the dark side, like caruso's; and dorothy caruso praised him as enrico's successor, I read.
moo7chi7ld 1 year ago
@opera888able I don't ! But honestly, I'm a francophone and his French is pretty damn good for a non-francophone, especially for the time, when nobody really cared about diction. He makes a few mistakes here and there, but the text is very clear and comprehensible, and he delivers the musicality of the French language incredibly well.
tenor9216 2 months ago
I love the gestures towards the end, it's like he's trying to pull a rope or sth, lol.
As for the accent, to me it's way above average, (this is coming from sone who is easily bugged by bad French accents esp. the way some Americans butcher it). But here all the words are clear, & more importantly the melody/intonation of the language is well preserved.
Björling must've had perfect ears. In Ange adorable he even pronounces "arret" with the French guttural r, very unlikely for a non-speaker!
RoyKa2010 1 year ago
@RoyKa2010 "Ange adorable???" I don't believe those words are in the text of this aria. As for the "guttural" r, actually that is forbidden in sung French( "le stil sostenu" as it's called). In sung French, the r is always very slightly flipped with the tongue. He probably rolls his r's a bit too much, but it's still wonderful and better than most.
assindiastignani 1 year ago
@assindiastignani Oh, sorry if I wasn't clear enough, I wasn't referring to this aria, but the duet from Gounod's "Roméo et Juliette", a duet starting with "Ange adorable". I wrote this because of the debate that started under this video regarding Bjorling's use of French, etc.
RoyKa2010 1 year ago
@assindiastignani And the..let's call it French r that I heard in his singing (not here!) must have been inadvertently done! because If it's usage is controversial today, in those days, probably according to "le style soutenu" as you said, it was out of the question. It is true that traditionally the rolled r applies to all serious music, while the other r is for popular French songs, but I don't think it's forbidden, Alagna, Dessay, (and occasionally Felicity Lott, Keenlyside) are using it.
RoyKa2010 1 year ago
@RoyKa2010 It's still wrong, but nowadays most native speakers don't learn the sung form of their own languages, excusing their artistic laziness by saying, "Oh, that's old fashioned." It's like grammar,split infinitives are incorrect, but you read them all the time.Most young French people don't know how or when to use subjunctive,Germans use dative in place of genitive.There are good reasons for observing the rules of sung languages - it makes them easier to sing and better understood.
assindiastignani 1 year ago
Jussi = my secret boyfriend (well, the tenor one, at least ;)
lucyliesinashes 1 year ago
An outstanding rendition by one of the truly great singers!
CanadaPisces 1 year ago
What p's me off about these arias is that I can sing Mozart all day with frikkin 20 A's and A flat's and the occasional B flat but can't sing these arias 'cos my top C is non existant....one bloody note in the whole aria and I can't perform it :(
Maybe some tenors wish they could sing Mozart all day (but I don't think so haha)
donerlich 1 year ago
Jussi is often put in the shadow of Caurso but this and The Pearl Fishers Duet are songs that this master has the ultamet domain over.
BonePhone 1 year ago
cannot stop listening to this gorgeous , pure aria , over and over,which is the essence of my beautiful daughter and tears of sadness are all that I can grasp
onepoetlover 1 year ago
never fails to move me to tears with its tenderness!
onepoetlover 1 year ago
These magic 6 seconds you cannot find i any tenor.
gauss2005 1 year ago
Wondefull..as allways with him. Thanks.
tobobba 1 year ago
Thanks, pawelp, for uploading this video. A few scant details as to when and where recorded would have been nice but, hey, it's not the end of the world.
If Heddle Nash's English recording had been as good, quality-wise, as this, I think it may have been numero uno but this now has that spot.
@ mdowden. Yes, I'm one of those who yell at the TV at such times - or just switch if off.
MrWardie44 1 year ago
@MrWardie44 -Sir-This recording is from a live broadcast from"The Voice of Firestone" on American TV from 1946. Jussi Bjorling was 35 and still very much in his prime. The voice would deepen in the fifties but did not deteriorate significantly which was a miracle considering how he abused it with his drinking.However these recordings in the 1940's of this and two years earlier of Nessun Dorma are the ones that cast the longest shadows.
iduefoscari 1 year ago
Mr. Bjorling sings this aria with exquisite taste. No screaming, no hyperventilating, just beautiful music. Lovely.
LibbySingsMezzo 1 year ago
Gounod's Faust was Bjorling's most popular role at the Met. Here we can witness exactly why. Pure magic!
docmalthus 1 year ago
LOL! Omg, the "divine high C" bubble made me laugh so hard....just so unexpected...and, agreed...voice from God. :)
Ragazzodicore 1 year ago
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RoyKa2010 1 year ago
I think somteimes that comparing singers are not necessary. If yoy are "moved" by their singing then that´s great!
I am certainly moved by Bjorlings singing! He have made me cry many times out of pure joy of his voice! Corelli has done the same, but only in "piangeriue..."
Bocelli has a beautiful voice as has Pavarotti and Domingo. Still they can´t enter my "inner chamber" like Jussi Bjorling does. Why? I don´t know, but he sings (for me) more authentic. JUSSI, I LOVE YOU!!
maxhansendk 1 year ago 3
@maxhansendk Mozart has 'a smile through tears', Bjoerling is famous for having a voice 'heavy with unshead tears', that's why so many are literally moved to tears when hearing this 'cold' singer...
zgopify 1 year ago
I think that Gedda, di Stefano and above all Kraus, SINGS this even better, but the sheer beauty of Bjorlings voice is of course towering skyhigh above all others. Bocelli?! Please...OK he is better than Potts, but still!
zgopify 1 year ago
@zgopify - Listen to Cesar Vezzani, in the 1930 recording ... if possible.
jhb134 1 year ago
great, but still in my opinion, diminuendo high C of Di Stefano has a very magical effect to my ears...
hansquad 1 year ago
Meraviglioso::::)))))))
federricoilgrande 1 year ago
thats a great voice, wonderful rendition, only andrea can beat it (my opinion) you musical snobs need to take off the gloves to wipe your arse.
vindicari 1 year ago
@vindicari
You mean Andrea Bocelli?
hansquad 1 year ago
@vindicari Bocelli is hardly an opera singer; he's a crossover artist who "crossed over" from practically nothing. If you want a good modern tenor, try listening to licitra, villazon, florez, brownlee, vargas, or alvarez.
somewiseguy84 1 year ago
How cheap. To stick in the world "high C" just at the climax. Thanks for ruining a great performance and my night.
Chazzan805 1 year ago
@Chazzan805
You can turn off the annotations you know...
iiAFX 1 year ago
@iiAFX
How? I'm not good with these things.
Chazzan805 1 year ago
@Chazzan805
At the lower right hand corner of the screen is a box with a triangle on it. Hover over it and then click on the red text bubble.
cherishiskisa 1 year ago
I cannot understand how this man sings without breaking at the folds of each register, this is simply excellent singing.
Imforeverone88 1 year ago 2
My very first tenor during my operatic "breaking in" period. JB, along with DiS & Bergonzi remain the only tenors I couls listen to hours & hours on end (in the proper repertoire, that is). Miracles, all of them!
DonPaolissimo 1 year ago
As a professional singer myself (tenor) I can say that Jussi Bjorling has been my life-long exemplar. Wonderful lyrico spinto voice and an excellent sense of style.
There is a complete (live) recording of Faust from the Met with Bjorling, Siepi and Dorothy Kirsten conducted by Cleva recorded in 1950 on Naxos 8.111083-85. Although the recording is far from It has received rave reviews. Many thanks.
Antifogasta 1 year ago
What's so remarkable is the apparent effortlessness and the lack of ostentatious distortion of the phrasing so common to singers of his generation and beyond. His first priority is to the fidelity of the line. The purity of the tone is, without question, one of the most beautiful ever.
hmaren 1 year ago 3
Bravo. Bravo. Timeless
grandslam1998 1 year ago 6
Le contrôle vocal est le goût sont somptueux. Bien sûr c'est u peu vocal....mais qui s'en plaindrait? Une des grandes voix de ténor. Quel dommage qu'in n'y ait nulle trace de son Trouvère avec Callas....
opera75frfr 1 year ago 2
My God, he sounds like an angel :O
lessica01 1 year ago 3
I heard this great tenor many times when I was much younger. I've never heard a more angelic sound come from anyone.
koala501 1 year ago 3
I heard him in his final Duke at 16 years in Chigo Lyric Opera. At 68 years I can say better than Jussi would be impossible!
JWH 41
trh5732 1 year ago
A wonderful gift. I have long believed that Bjorling was the greatest Tenor of the twentieth century but had never seen him perform. This was it. Thank you.
mi44chael2009 2 years ago
We are privileged to see and hear this. Thank you for including this clip. He had a singularly beautiful voice, a gift from God.
99Gambo 2 years ago 3
Thank you, Pawelp!
A brillant voice and a perfectly focussed
high C!
Antenorix 2 years ago
Isn't that a C sharp?
mdcancerian 2 years ago
@mdcancerian:
No, it's "only" a C! If you want to hear a C sharp,
listen to "Ich hab kein Geld, bin vogelfrei", sung
by Jussi.
Antenorix 2 years ago
Yes, and "Cujus animam" has a high D flat as well.
(By Maestro Björling of couse)
BeniaminoGigli 1 year ago
It is a high C indeed :)
BeniaminoGigli 1 year ago 2
Bjorling : such an amazing singer.
tenaures123 2 years ago
thank you!!
I wish we had something likr that for enrico caruso :) the greatest ever.. Jussi is a good #2 ;)
Einherjarnet 2 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
We may argue if Bjorling has been or not the greatest tenor of last century: many in Anglo-Saxon countries think yes while many in Latin countries, and particularly in Italy, think no. I guess, greatest or not, everybody should agree he has been the most poet, a natural poet, without any intellectual complication. And he is wonderful here
panenrico 2 years ago 2
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panenrico 2 years ago
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panenrico 2 years ago
Nunca se acabarán los crìticos"constructivos".Hablar o mejor dicho escribír es mucho mas fácil que cantar.¡Grande Biorling!
kadasapa 2 years ago 2
Sublime Björling Grazie .
bodiloto 2 years ago 4
Bien atacado el do, hombre, cuando se acerca el momento monstruo del aria, especialmente en presentaciones en vivo, es momento difícil. Técnica maravillosa de Björling que logra salvarlo magistralmente sin mayor esfuerzo. Bravo
andytaylor100 2 years ago
Effortless perfection ....
bud21s 2 years ago 6
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Vamos a ver qué eso de divino Do de pecho. En primer lugar, se toma una largísimo respiro antes de asaltar la nota; es interesante comprobar cómo Kraus dice toda la frase en un solo aliento y mantiene el Do mucho tiempo. Segundo, analizando la nota propiamente dicha, si os fijais bien machangos os dareis cuenta que al principio está muy bien emitida pero luego se le mueve un poco y no es un Do tan largo teniendo en cuenta el respirito antes aludido.
zarmona790 2 years ago
Vamos a ver que es eso de un comentario emitido por un krausista abyecto... Por principio de cuentas no es lo mismo utilizar el aire miserablemente ahorrandolo todo el tiempo y emitiendo una voz chillona y de poca proyeccion y volumen que darle la brillantez y prescencia de bjoerling... Hay una gran diferencia de epocas, de estilo, de fuerza y de situaciones... Bjoerling fue grande tal como kraus u otros historicos; somos nosotros los fans quienes enlodamos la memoria de los buenos cantantes.
THESPINTO 2 years ago 2
toda la razón, no tiene cabida hacer ocmparaciones de acuerdo a época, ya que hay tendencias claras, es como si compararamos a bach con chopin... la tendencia era distinta, la exigencia cambiaba, lo mismo con los cantantes.
Es bien fácil criticar, pero ninguno de lso que acá comentan ha logrado lo que Bjorling hizo en su vida (y despues de su muerte).
Saludos, felices fiestas.
t6t6 2 years ago
It is so frustrating when people win talent shows singing opera and people say "aren't they good!" You feel like shaking them and saying "look up Jussi Bjorling to hear a REAL voice" I have heard numerous versions of the pearl fishers duet and none of them come even close to his recording...a true master!
mdowden 2 years ago 51
@mdowden You are absolutely correct. The ART of SINGING is no longer in evidence on any operatic stage. Bjorling was SUPERB
MrSkylark1 1 year ago
@mdowden I wholeheartedly agree.
seektheforce 1 year ago
@mdowden Yes, Jussi is the master. Makes me glad I am human not animal.
wheelnut059 1 year ago
@mdowden I love the voice of Jussi B., but listen also to on youtube:
Alfredo Kraus & Barry McDaniel - Pearlfishers duet
petereuropa 1 year ago
Великолепно! Браво!
AndrewAARus 2 years ago
This is by far the greatest performance of this aria I have ever heard; Bjoerling's awestruck, youthful vulnerability suits this scene to perfection, and of course his singing is a lesson in how to sing. In the face of such magic, his incorrect pronunication of the 's' consonant and the occasionally unstylish use of portamento fade into insignificance.
billyguns2 2 years ago 37
This comment has received too many negative votes show
sorry. the high C is fine, but certainly not among his best. he gets it, but doesn't hold it very long at all. his recordings are much better.
operabeauty 2 years ago
I am one of those people who happen to believe that superb singing technique, musicality, style, grace, dramatic intention,beautiful tone and phrasing are the most important attributes of opera singers. I tend to avoid the circus aspect of opera fans.
billyguns2 2 years ago 7
do u understand what is good voice? u such a layman. please dont show your emptiness anymore.
pigvivivi 2 years ago
I love this aria! Jussi is such a delight to listen to. Thanks for posting
goofyguy340 2 years ago 3
By far one of the greatest voices God gave the world !
chiman60647 2 years ago 4
denna underbara sångröst..
tobobba 2 years ago 3
Jag håller med Dig, en vackrare tenorröst får vi nog inte uppleva!
marinmusiker 2 years ago
Magnifique!!
Siberiaeterna 2 years ago 3
Jussis ljuvliga nordiska metall i stämman, fraseringens långa linjer och den otroliga lätthet han till synes sjunger med är tillsammans helt oöverträffbart!
marinmusiker 2 years ago 2
Jussi could not speak French, he could not play the piano, but he had however an incredible ability to memorize.
The first time he would participate in Faust at the Paris Opera, he memorized the entire role in just 3 days (music, lyrics, drama).
Ok, he his not to be compared with Mozart, but it is very well done,
ForAll23 2 years ago
the master
donkeychonk13 2 years ago 2
this is the best of jussi
musclemaggg 2 years ago
Who cares about his terrible accent !There has been no one, there is no one and there will be no one to achieve his voice quality, timbre and musicianship. Jussi is number ONE!
morehlepituachkol 2 years ago 3
opera 77 for all the language problems you say bjoerling had, when asked how many roles he could sing with only two weeks notice he replied, in the original language no less than thirty. none of us can speak a foreign language and sound like a native, but to say his language problems plagued his singing is beyond rediculous.
operalament 2 years ago 5
I have listened to many great tenors of the past.
I have a favourite in Jussi Bjorling...Before I saw him as the ultimate tenor! Whom nobody can surpass. Now I am more humble. I enjoy many tenors, Corelli,
Alfredo Kraus, Schipa, just to name a few...
Some tenors of today I do not like at all...They are simply very bad, despite modern technique.
Villazon is possibly the worst of them all.
It´s like salt or pepper? garlic or chili?
I try to enjoy them all
maxhansendk 2 years ago 3
all my childhood I used to listen to this silver voice, he is my favourite Faust, thanks a lot for posting this video!
svjatazarov 2 years ago
Jussi is indeed the greatest tenor!!
You will understand that when you can read comments from Pavarotti and Domingo well enough.
They know he was their master.
maxhansendk 2 years ago 3
"Comparisons", it is said, "are odious". I adore the tenor voice (also the treble, alto and basso profundo) but I have to admit the Jussi Bjoerling does somethig to me that NO OTHER tenor does, (not even Beniamino Gigli whom I loved, especially in La Boheme on records of course) and Caruso but with the latter we did not have the advantage of modern recording equipment. To me Jussi is the master. In my humble opinion of course. Celeste voce.
ifuliki 2 years ago 3
In the Classic CD 1999 poll of 20th cent greatest singer, the 25 critics voted him the best singer of ALL, the readers had only Callas before him. He is always placed very high in such polls, but Corelli and del Monaco wasn't even among the 100 on the critics list.
Yes it was UK, but they voted 14 other italian singers among them. Caruso, di Stefano, Bergonzi, Pavarotti etc. I think Caruso or Melchior were the greatest but 796824 certainly isn't alone.
mozzrt 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
critics? boo. UK critics? BOOOOOO. how high was mccormack on this list?? lists?? polls are for putrid sports! NOT ART!! besides, vocally speaking not many can touch the pure power and acrobats of a callas, corelli, london and several others. jussi is a fine tenor. one of the greatest tenors for sure! but, NOT the greatest on any level.
operabitch77 2 years ago
@operabitch77 McCormack was no 37. It's impossible not tobe biased - but U.K. is probably 'fairer' than many other countries would be. And they had no reason to vote Bjoerling as no 1, he seldom sang in UK, he was much bigger in US. Of course polls are a game, but you can't get away from the fact that Corelli wasn't even among the 100. And not more boo to critics than to 'audiences', critics are better judges...But OK, how did the ordinary readers vote then? Bjoerling 2nd, after Callas...
mozzrt 1 year ago
Actually he had several 'off'' nights, and too often he didn't even show up! He had serious drinking problems, but when he was 'in voice', even his fellow artists were stunned...
mozzrt 2 years ago
Did this guy ever have an off night!! He was unbelievable!!!
citrussorbet 2 years ago
now this guy goes by feel.
OperaBaritoneJoe 2 years ago
è bellissimo poter godere di un esempio come il suo.
mi piace molto come prepara ogni suono e come l'esecuzione è costruita con meticolosa attenzione.
il do finale arriva come naturale conseguenza del fraseggio e non come un'esibizione vocale.
è uno di quei cantanti il cui ascolto fa bene alle corde vocali. grazie mille!
udilio 2 years ago
Jussis voice and technique is still so outstanding. Thanks for this clip
otfag 2 years ago
There has been NO TENOR since BJOERLING
796824 2 years ago
And voice teachers neither!
aguacun 2 years ago
There have been MANY TENOR'S at and since Bjorlings time . Mario del Monaco, Corelli, Tucker... Di Stefano sang this aria as well or better, Jon Vickers, Giacomini, Bonisolli McCracken and the list can go on and on . Jan Peerce, Pavarotti in his Prime. So please , spare us your absolute opinion that Bjorling was the Best . Bjorling was Great but certainly not the Best. I agree that today there is none to compare and that's a tragedy.
Etnalleb 2 years ago
Unlike the tenors you indicate here, Bjorling represented "chiaroscuro" singing, which the others, despite their technique, lacked. Only Gigli and Schipa are included in this august category. The ability to recognize the difference, requires insight.
796824 2 years ago 2
You are now specifying a category... a special type of singing method which is entirely different from your 1st statement generalizing Tenors in over all singing ability. If you had mentioned this specific type of singing only and not classified Bjorling as the ONLY Tenor then i might have agreed with you.
Etnalleb 2 years ago
Hardly a category or a special 'type
of singing method. "ALL" singers SHOULD be able to sing with Chiaroscuro just as reflected in the painters of 16-18th C. It is non-existent today because the Voice Teachers are as well.
796824 2 years ago 3
I can see it's futile to have a reasonable debate with you because you will not address the core basis of your 1st Comment by saying "There has been NO TENOR since BJORLING" When making such a broad statement you are regarding Bjorling as the Quintessential Tenor of which he was not. Bel- Canto is a method of singing ,did every tenor sing Bel Canto? and if they didn't did that make them any less of a singer? I assumed you were talking specifically about Voice which obviously you were not.
Etnalleb 2 years ago
What do you mean with the term''chiauroscuro''?The ability of modulating dynamics or coloring the timbre of the voice as Gigli and Gobbi did?
cer1n 2 years ago
Yes, the ability to color the voice as Gigli, Schipa, about whom Gigli said "ALL TENORS should take their hats off to him." Not Gobbi, but Bjoerling.
796824 2 years ago
Actually, I've never heard Schipa or Bjorling shading their voice without using dynamic varation.Would you please give some examples of them shading their tone?Most singers use dynamic shading to color their voice but only few are able to change their timbre. IMO that's what chiauroscuro really means: /watch?v=JgeEWUMI7n0 and this /watch?v=OMR3boG3RMs
cer1n 2 years ago
chiaro means 'light' and scuro means 'dark' roughly and I wouldn't say that manipulating them should cause a different timbre altogether. IMO You 'shade' by beefing/lighting up your natural timbre according to what your interpretation requires.
Björling absolutely does this - the difference between Salut and Celeste Aida is noticeable.
Chiaroscuro as a term is used to describe the balance (or lack thereof) between darkness and light in the vocal emission. it's not something you deploy actively.
Jaaakob 2 years ago
Jaakob, I disagree with your final sentence. Caruso actively deployed chiaroscuro in his singing, by taking advantage of vowels to induce changes in the ratio of register participation. Listen to his renditions of Ideale, Pecche, & L'alba separa della luce l'ombra, & you will hear huge changes in tone colour due to register rotation. Di Stefano also actively employed chiaroscuro through vowel colours & the occasional use of the umlauted vowel.
hiyadroogs 2 years ago
Jaaakob is correct, technically speaking. The goal of achieving chiaroscuro is to create a composite of sound wherein all of the vowels from back "u" (oo) to front "i" (ee) produce an optimum balance of vibration in the laryngeal and pharyngeal structures. Skilled singers can manipulate vowel shape to affect the color of the voice, but they do so at peril of harming the vocal instrument. Too much "chiaro" makes the voice spread, and too much "scuro" makes the voice lose focus. Balance is key.
petrina1022 2 years ago
Interesting hypothesis, petrina. Yet, I don't think I can agree that the goal of chiaroscuro is to achieve a form of uniformity in vocal emission, if I understood you correctly. Transitory changes in vowel sound or registration balance can be made quite healthily for affect, providing that the singer never loses sight of his true timbre & vocal balance, & returns to them. Jaaakob is indeed correct, except that it can be deployed actively. As you said, balance, is the key.
hiyadroogs 2 years ago
well said. jussi was fabolous!!!!! technique flawless. tons of language problems plagued his singing. his french and italian were terrible!! but vocally, no one could touch the velvet power. one of the greatest, no doubt. greatest?? well, opinions are like assholes, we ALL got 'em. my bet is with caruso!! by far the greatest...
operabitch77 2 years ago
@operabitch77
I have a French and Italian degree and personally I think he sounds fine singing both. All I noticed here is a slight tendency to say ss where there should be a z sound - like on présence, which I think I heard about three times, and it only really struck me after I read someone else pointing it out, but I can't say this tiny detail spoiled this beautiful rendition for me
orlando098 1 year ago
Ottima interpretazione splendido timbro...
facile il do...
palymusic 2 years ago
Wow - oh for a voice like that today
howldes 2 years ago
Incredible. Incomparable.
VegMedley 2 years ago
1:58 he switched the lyrics (grandi for dormi)! Great rendition though
cornificius22vain 2 years ago
I think this is just beautiful. I grew up listening to Jussi Bjorling at my grandparents house, and mum would 'sing' his songs too. So I guess instead of Nursery Rhymes I had Post War music and Jussi Bjorling. I was listening to Paul Potts the other night, but Jussi reigns! his voice is richer, much richer than Paul Potts. Thank you so much for putting this here on U-tube for us to enjoy.
cilycoed 2 years ago
It's not the whole aria though, the wonderful beginning - so beautifully played on di Stefanos version, is omitted.
mozzrt 2 years ago
No Jussi is not lypsincing, audio and vtv where primitive in those days.
maxhansendk 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
On closer watch, I think he is lip-synching. Still, it's great to see him.
kcschwartz8 2 years ago
Comment removed
dannyboy291 2 years ago
Pawelp, thank you so much for putting this up. It is a wonder to be able to SEE Bjoerling sing.
kcschwartz8 2 years ago
It is rather amusing reading the continual backbiting of the Bjorling and Pavarotti fans.They are both great and impossible to compare.For a change stop bickering and listen to McCormack's recording of this aria.You might get a pleasant surprise.
UBIQUITOUS12 2 years ago
Jussi seldom made a bad performance, he had this wise and perhaps defensive policy of not trying to hit his ceiling as a singer, to always have a safety distance to your limit. Most singers agree, but many could not stick to the rule, take an outstanding artist like Callas, she really took herself to, and at times, over her limit and there are many other examples. Bjorlings position was wise, but it also says something about what became the trauma of his life, his struggle with all expectations
tubgodis 2 years ago
Comment removed
tubgodis 2 years ago
Out of all the singers I've heard in my lifetime: Bjorling scoops the least if 'at' all.
Not that it 'truly' matters (Caruso was a huge scooper, and we all know how amazing he was), but it impresses me to no end to hear the notes hit with such precision the moment the air leaves Bjorlings' lips.
Imo, I think he was the most technically gifted singer of all time.
Panzombren 2 years ago 3
I have just been given a 78 of this fine singer singing O Sole Mio saved from a skip !
spannerworks1 2 years ago
I grew up thinking that Bjoerling was second only to Caruso in the pantheon of operatic tenors. With musical maturity, I learned that we can't really rank these guys linearly: each has something unique to offer. While I do think this aria comes across as a bit detached -- perhaps due to the stage concert setting -- it is nevertheless Jussi with optimal voice and impeccable technique. Thank you, Pawelp, but do we really need the comic-book balloon announcing that "divine high C!"??
erasistratus1 2 years ago
Thank you so much for posting this.
vstasov 2 years ago 3
At 4:11 his crescendo sounded a lot like Franco Corelli. :)
iiAFX 2 years ago
It is so pity that he died so young..Everybody know why..
Bjorling was fantastic...
tobobba 2 years ago
Great tenor. One of the best.
And his has a good accent...
oratorioo 2 years ago
Perfect. The best of all tenors. Just perfect. Voice, Technique, art, passion, french style, high C, what else could be? Others have sung their own version, very good at all and I appreciate their styles. But Björling is the best of the best in Faust.
cmmenah 3 years ago
I'd give ALL of my personal belongings up 'just' to know what it feels like to produce such a tone.
Protoplasym 3 years ago