Charles GOUNOD
(1818-1893)
Roméo et Juliette: Ah! Lève-toi,
soleil (rec.6.IX.45) (1)
Jules MASSENET
(1842-1912)
Manon: Je suis seul ! … Ah! fuyez,
douce image (6.IX.45) (1)
Gaetano DONIZETTI
(1797-1848)
L’elisir d’amore: Una furtiva lagrima
(?7.IX.45) (1)
Francesco CILEA
(1866-1950)
L’arlesiana: E’ la solita storia (27.XI.47)
(2)
Giacomo PUCCINI
(1858-1924)
Manon Lescaut: Donna non vidi mai (15.IX.48)
(1)
Pietro MASCAGNI
(1863-1945)
Cavalleria rusticana: Ch’ella mi creda
libero (15.IX.48) (1)
Benjamin GODARD
(1849-1895)
Jocelyn: Berceuse (sung in English)
(11.VIII.49) (2)
Georges BIZET
(1838-1875)
Carmen: La fleur que tu m’avais jetée
(19.IX.50) (3)
MASCAGNI
Cavalleria rusticana: Mamma ! …
Quel vino è generoso (19.IX.50)
(3)
Giuseppe VERDI
(1813-1901)
Don Carlo: Io l’ho perduta … Qual pallor
… Dio, che nell’alma infondere* (30.XI.50)
(4), Otello: O mostruosa colpa … Sì,
pel ciel marmoreo giuro* (3.I.51) (4)
PUCCINI
La bohème: In un coupè
… O Mimì, tu più non torni*
(3.I.51) (4)
VERDI
La forza del destino: Solenne in quest’ora*
(3.I.51) (4)
BIZET
Les pêcheurs de perles: Au fond
du temple saint* (3.I.51) (4)
PUCCINI
La bohème : Che gelida manina
(13.I.51) (4)
VERDI
Aida: Se quel guerrier io fossi … Celeste
Aida (13.I.51) (4)
Amilcare PONCHIELLI
La Gioconda: Cielo e mar! (13.I.51)
(4)
As the booklet note
rightly points out, in several polls
in different countries Jussi Björling
has been selected as "the greatest
tenor or even the greatest singer of
the last century". To tell the
truth, one of the penalties I have paid
for living tucked away in Italy is that
I have not, until now, encountered Björling’s
art systematically, and I promised myself
a treat. For listeners in England, America
or many Northern European may not realize
that their idol’s fame is a little more
circumscribed than they imagine. In
Italy, the country which loves to boast
it is the land of "bel canto",
it is quite easy to meet quite knowledgeable
musicians and voice fanciers who have
never heard of Björling at all.
So much the worse for
them, you will say, and yet, if you
play them some of the icon’s records,
they are not exactly bowled over. Yes,
he’s "bravo", they
say – that untranslatable word which
means so much more than "good",
for it suggests a heartfelt participation
in the judgement too – but "freddo"
– "cold". A euro-in-the-slot
Italian reaction to a Nordic singer?
Well yes, it is true that the
Italians find it difficult to believe
that anyone born out of the Mediterranean
basin can sing at all. But if you play
the records "blind" the result
is still the same.
And the trouble is,
I am not sure I don’t agree. Yes, it’s
a gorgeous voice, creamy and even until
the medium high notes, but with a certain
tightening on the top notes which means
you don’t get that sheer gut satisfaction
at a good "acuto" that
you got from Caruso or Gigli, and Pavarotti
too, whatever view you take of his latter
career. And yes, he’s always in tune
and musical in his phrasing – he was
born into a family of musicians after
all. But in all truth, do his interpretations
take us very far into the heart of the
composer? Is there much actual variety
in the delivery? In any of the warhorses
here (most of the pieces are just that),
is there the personality we get from
those three mentioned above, and several
others too?
Take "Che gelida
manina". You will probably never
hear the opening sung so beautifully,
everything in place, but is it not also
a remarkably inert performance? No one
has ever claimed that Giacinto Prandelli
(on the first Tebaldi recording, also
on Naxos) was the greatest singer of
the century or even of the decade or
two in which he worked, yet he manages
a myriad of shading, he makes you listen
to the words, he is Rodolfo and
yes, his top notes have that freedom
we don’t get from Björling. Ah!,
you will say, but he uses a dose of
falsetto (a.k.a. head voice) to help
him out with all those honeyed high
notes, Björling never cheated in
this way. No, but neither did Carlo
Bergonzi (on the second Tebaldi recording,
under Serafin) and he too manages a
myriad of shading, has you hanging onto
the words and his top notes have
a satisfying freedom too.
No, wherever you go
it’s the same story, good singing, even
beautiful singing, but two-dimensional.
Oh, and the duets?! Well, of course
I enjoyed the Pearl Fishers duet (the
best of the five), but quite why it
sold like the hot cakes it did beats
me.
Still, fans (and those
who just want to know what the fuss
was about) will find the recordings
lovingly transferred, and they include
some that have never appeared on CD
before, or even on LP in the case of
the final two tracks.
Christopher Howell
See also review
by Robert Farr
Jussi Björling (tenor), *Robert Merrill
(baritone), Royal Opera Orchestra [Sweden]/Nils
Grevillius (1), Stockholm Concert Association
Orchestra/Nils Grevillius (2), Swedish Radio Orchestra/Nils
Grevillius (3), RCA Victor Orchestra/Renato Cellini
(4) 