Its kinda weird to watch this video now. Especially after the norwegian navy accidently sunk their frigate in a colission with an oiltanker back in 2018. RIP Helge Ingstad <3
Seems to me that Merrill is a little acidic when he speaks of Bjorling. Do I detect a hint of jealousy ? He should have regarded it an honour to have sung with a man who was certainly regarded as the greatest tenor of his day and by many as the greatest ever. Merrill was good, but never the top of the tree.
I think you're mistaken. Merrill was certainly at the top of the tree, singing with many great tenors and sopranos throughout his career to fine reviews. There were also many great tenors during Bjorling's time in the 1940s and 50s. JB received better reviews at the Met after 1955, but not so good in the 1940 and early 1950s. Bjorling was a great lyric tenor, but I always ask the question ''what criteria are you using in arriving to the conclusion that JB was the greatest tenor of his day or the greatest tenor ever?
@@sugarbist Everything is comparative of course and I know nothing of, ‘Music’, other than my personal likes and dislikes. In that regard Borling is my favourite, but I thoroughly enjoy many others. It was, as I recall, Pavarotti who said that there is a Pavarotti every decade, but a Bjorling only once every century. I am happy to accept what he says. Undoubtedly, Merrill had a great voice but, for me, there are others who are or were, at least, his equal. I cannot recall where I saw it, but in one interview it appeared to me he landed a few low blows on Bjorling. But, whatever shall we agree to differ.
@@johnlewis9745 Dear John, fair enough, as I have a favorite tenor and tenors as well. But I don't believe he or they were the best in history, but enjoy them the most. It's good to accept what Pavarotti stated, but there's not ''ONE WORD'' about Bjorling in Pavarotti's book. Pavarotti's favorite tenor was Giuseppe Di Stefano.
Jussi Bjorling is my #1 favorite 'Golden Age' operatic tenor. Even more than Caruso, Bjorling's virile and plangent voice is ideal for the role of Manrico as well as Romeo.
Older opera goers 50 years ago told me that while Bjoerling’s tone was pure silver and his technique as close to perfection as one could imagine, the voice was not large. They got the most pleasure from his concerts rather than the opera house, where he was often covered by the orchestra.
I too have heard older opera goers say that Bjoerling's voice was not large -- but not that it was often covered by the orchestra; the beautiful, well-placed tone carried even though the sound was not large. And he often sang with big voices beside him -- Merrill, Warren, Milanov, Tebaldi, and more. And while he was also a concert singer, his greatest fame came from the opera house, so he must have carried!
@@galanis38 No doubt he was of course a very famous opera singer. My home base was Chicago, and I remember once being told that Rysanek covered him completely in ‘Aida’ Act III. Perhaps that can be attributed to Radamès being at the far end of his repertoire in terms of vocal heft required - and a young Rysanek at full throttle above the staff. I cannot recall being told anything about the ‘Manon Lescaut’ with Tebaldi. It was her first assumption of the role, and again, she would have been in prime form. The most intriguing Chicago pairing was the ‘Trovatore’ with Callas. The glory days of the Lyric Opera.
He actually personally preferred concert singing against opera, as he hated to rehearse and has said "I'm a concert singer who also sings opera' yes more famous in opera of course, but I liked his concerts very much, lots of different kinds of music and also languages . @@galanis38
True, the 1958 Aida for him was not successful in that big house as I saw him in Rigoletto not long before that also in Chicago, a better role for his voice which was not ever spinto large .@@ransomcoates546
It is said that his voice never changed at puberty in the conventional way. He was a boy alto, as tenors tend to be, and his sound just gradually morphed into the magnificent instrument it was.
well the norwegians didt got it...they were killed befire they knew it ... first of ll - Bofors guns on the Destroyer...second- time torpedos - but tht would hve been long before they knew what was coming
Que emosionante el paseo por el cementerio donde está su familia y él Es triste que su vida fuera tan breve pero es lindo que sea honrado y recordado en su país. Gracias por el vídeo
He made some wonderful films in Sweden and decent studio sound for back then, wish it was in English of course but can enjoy his voice as I saw him in 1958 in Chicago at lyric opera.
