Jussi Björling's son! (Rolf) - Dein ist mein ganzes Herz

Jussi Björling was notorious for his affairs with numerous ladies...I don't know if Rolf was his legitimate or illegitimate child, but anyway, he became a tenor himself. Quite a good one, although not nearly as amazing as his father.
Here he sings 'Dein ist mein ganzes Herz' from Lehar's 'Land of Smiles'...this is a LIVE concert, 1980! In stereo sound. You can hear some striking similarities between the voices of father and son. This is a beautiful rendition, but his voice is not quite the calibre of his Papa's. Hope you enjoy this nice performance of ROLF, not Jussi, Bjoerling.

Listen to him sing 'Di quella pira': http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDhIFSHxrqg

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Jussi
• Björling
• Rolf
• Dein
• ist
• mein
• ganzes
• Herz
• land
• of
• smiles
• lehar
• franz
• bjorling
• Swedish
• tenor
• operetta
• opera
• son

[1Ooppera]

Like i commented his Manrico, i said again. Very different voice than his father had. Much darker and heavier, a real spintovoice!

What is interesting, that they were so different, maybe from his mothers Anna-Lisas side, he got this more heroic, robusto sound.He had the voice that very many tenors could only dream of...he did not need his fathers name nowhere...great!

[GermanOperaSinger]

Rolf was not his son through Anna Lisa, he was born out of wedlock when Jussi had an affair with a woman when he was 19.

[Agorante]

I heard Rolf Bjoerling a couple times (SF Opera, Constitution Hall). I remember my tenor friends being just a little peeved that he could get work becuse of his name but they were better singers. That was true - maybe.

Rolf was just ordinary. Here alas, he has developed a bit of a wobble.

[GermanOperaSinger]

Well, I suppose that was true to a certain degree...if his name were Rolf Meyer than he probably wouldn't have gone as far. Then again, he never was considered by anyone to be a world class singer. He was pretty good, but that was it.

[dracher]

First, I say shame upon the poster for references to this singers Legitimacy, and for the foolish remark about Jussi Bjoerling and infidelities; You should learn better manners before speaking of the dead in a public place.

The singing is very lovely, would be a great thing to have such a voice today, this voice would have been a very fine amateur voice 40 years ago, but today it would be a ray of light in the gloom of many current tenors.

[BernardProfitendieu]

@dracher facts are facts, sister ... what's with the fake indignation?

"speaking of the dead in a public place" - you sound like a little, old victorian spinster!

If the dead don't want people speaking of their infidelities, they ought to be more discrete while living.

btw, the days of hushing up questions of legitimacy ended about 50 years ago, where've you been? working on your needlepoint and crocheting doilies?

get with the times, sister!

[johntmarohn1]

I am not sure the reason for Rolf's very wide wobble in this recording...Could be he was tired or that he had been oversinging or even his age..It is very noticeable.

[MrAndredekock]

It's amazing to think that Rolf was only 17 years younger than Jussi, his dad! It would appear that the Bjorling genes don't have much in the way of longevity, as Jussi died of heart failure (egged on by alcoholism) at only 49 and Rolf apparently died of cancer at 65. I like this voice a lot and as he was already 52 when this was recorded, that may account for the slight wobble in the voice, which is really the battle of controlling the breath as age sets in, making it more difficult and tiring.

[1953airman]

who care it is his life

[1953airman]

wonderfull voice

[UncleLouie867]

If his name was Rudolpho Scungeli- he would have gone further. Dad's name did not help him.

[RingingHeldentenor]

Excellent voice, larger voice than his dads .... musical ... vibrato a bit out of control but other than that ... excellent ... definitely as talented as his old man ... and I actually like his voice better ...

[SHICOFF1]

It must have been tough in a way to be constantly compared to his famous father so it is a two way thing, good and bad both for him.

[SHICOFF1]

He was very nice. I met him after I heard him sing a recital in Chicago at Orchestra hall in the 60's. I went backstage and talked for awhile with him. He was tall friendly and receptive. I can tell you he was better then he is here and had a fine voice then and in the middle voice he sounded much like his father, in the Swedish and German especially and I had heard JB on stage in 1958. I sat in that room and at times heard the likeness on certain notes. He sang with good taste also. RIP

[SHICOFF1]

he died of cancer, did not have heart trouble according to Anna Lisa in the JB book. died in 1993.

[abracadabranque]

Trop engorgé,mais généreux.