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Sony Masterworks

Bjorling Rediscovered - Carnegie Hall Recital September 1955

$11.98

Details

Composer
JUSSI BJOERLING
Artist
Jussi Bjoerling
Format
CD
Label
Sony Masterworks
Released
Sep 09, 2003
Catalog #
82876532312
UPC
828765323123

About

RCA's "Rediscovered" series has given us important, previously unreleased recitals by such major artists as Richter, Horowitz, and Heifetz. Jussi Björling is to singers what those luminaries were to their instruments, among the best of the best. Much of his September 14, 1955 Carnegie Hall recital was issued on LP, and some selections have found their way onto CD. But this is the first issue in any format of the complete recital, encores and all, including some of the tenor's title announcements. Only some of the applause has been excised to keep the disc from spilling over onto a second CD, thus sparing us the annoyance of sitting through whistles and stomps from long-gone strangers, though enough is left to preserve the "live" atmosphere. Nine selections never have been issued before, and producer Jon Samuels has done the requisite detective work to slot them into their proper sequence, no small task since Björling inserted encores at various points of the prepared program, not just at the end.

Björling fans most likely will have the majority of these songs and arias in their collections, many in multiple versions. But if they want the complete 1955 recital--and they should, as should all lovers of great singing--they'll need this welcome disc. The nine new items include arias from Cavalleria rusticana (Addio alla madre), Andrea Chenier (Come un bel di), La Bohème (Che gelida manina), and songs by Grieg, Sibelius, and Sjöberg. Whether this or that selection is the "best" available by Björling is a moot point; those made in the 1930s featured a lighter, ravishing voice, the later ones an instrument with more depth and body. Later often equals more subtle interpretations, as this 1955 Beethoven song "Adelaide" demonstrates, with its sophisticated use of rubato and changes in tonal color that reflect textual nuances, not to mention the added fervor of a singer projecting into Carnegie's vast space.

The Schubert group is highlighted by a tender "Ständchen" and an intense, pull-out-all-the-stops "Die böse Farbe". Björling's gorgeous middle voice and silvery top pay dividends in Mozart's "Il mio tesoro", where he negotiates the coloratura well and makes Don Ottavio less of a wimp than usual. As in any Björling recital, the usual suspects are here, but since he was really "on" that night, they're as thrilling as ever--a "Flower Song" from Carmen both tender and ardent, the ravishing "La Rêve" from Manon, and "Amor di vieta", among others. The latter aria should be heard by benighted individuals who subscribe to the strange notion that Björling was a "cool" singer in the Italian repertoire. The Scandanavian set is another of the many highlights, beautiful songs sung with elegance. And has Stephen Foster's "Jeanie With the Light Brown Hair" ever sounded more lovely? Björling's lightly accented English, wide vocal range, and respect for his material, coloring words as if they were a Schubert song, make it irresistible.

Jon Samuels' transfers easily eclipse all other releases of this material, giving us not only the incomparable sound of Björling's voice, but also a realistic rendering of the important way in which Frederick Schauwecker's piano supports and interacts with that voice, along with a sense of hall ambience rare for monophonic recordings. This disc offers 80 minutes of bliss. Get it.
--Dan Davis, ClassicsToday.com

Tracklist 26 tracks

  1. 1 Applause 00:13
    Track
    1
    Title
    Applause
    Duration
    00:13
    Composer
    na Not Applicable
    Ensemble
    Audience
  2. 2 Adelaide, Op. 46 06:26
    Track
    2
    Title
    Adelaide, Op. 46
    Duration
    06:26
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Performer
    Jussi Björling, Frederick Schauwecker
  3. 3 Fruhlingsglaube, Op. 20, No. 2, D. 686 03:20
    Track
    3
    Title
    Fruhlingsglaube, Op. 20, No. 2, D. 686
    Duration
    03:20
    Composer
    Franz Schubert
    Performer
    Jussi Björling, Frederick Schauwecker
  4. 4 Die Forelle, D. 550 01:54
    Track
    4
    Title
    Die Forelle, D. 550
    Duration
    01:54
    Composer
    Franz Schubert
    Performer
    Jussi Björling, Frederick Schauwecker
  5. 5 Schwanengesang, D. 957: No. 4. Standchen (Serenade) 04:18
    Track
    5
    Title
    Schwanengesang, D. 957: No. 4. Standchen (Serenade)
    Duration
    04:18
    Composer
    Franz Schubert
    Performer
    Jussi Björling, Frederick Schauwecker
  6. 6 Die schöne Müllerin, Op. 25, D. 795: No. 17. Die bose Farbe 02:33
    Track
    6
    Title
    Die schöne Müllerin, Op. 25, D. 795: No. 17. Die bose Farbe
    Duration
    02:33
    Composer
    Franz Schubert
    Performer
    Jussi Björling, Frederick Schauwecker
  7. 7 3 Lieder, Op. 29, TrV 172: No. 1. Traum durch die Dammerung 03:01
    Track
    7
    Title
    3 Lieder, Op. 29, TrV 172: No. 1. Traum durch die Dammerung
    Duration
    03:01
    Composer
    Richard Strauss
    Performer
    Jussi Björling, Frederick Schauwecker
  8. 8 4 Lieder, Op. 27, TrV 170: No. 2. Cacilie 02:00
    Track
    8
    Title
    4 Lieder, Op. 27, TrV 170: No. 2. Cacilie
    Duration
    02:00
    Composer
    Richard Strauss
    Performer
    Jussi Björling, Frederick Schauwecker
  9. 9 5 Lieder, Op. 106: No. 1. Standchen 01:39
    Track
    9
    Title
    5 Lieder, Op. 106: No. 1. Standchen
    Duration
    01:39
    Composer
    Johannes Brahms
    Performer
    Jussi Björling, Frederick Schauwecker
  10. 10 Don Giovanni, K. 527, Act II: Aria: Il mio tesoro intanto 04:01
    Track
    10
    Title
    Don Giovanni, K. 527, Act II: Aria: Il mio tesoro intanto
    Duration
    04:01
    Composer
    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
    Performer
    Jussi Björling, Frederick Schauwecker
  11. 11 Fedora, Act II: Amor ti vieta 01:59
    Track
    11
    Title
    Fedora, Act II: Amor ti vieta
    Duration
    01:59
    Composer
    Umberto Giordano
    Performer
    Jussi Björling, Frederick Schauwecker
  12. 12 Carmen, Act II: Flower Song: La fleur que tu m'avais jetee 03:44
    Track
    12
    Title
    Carmen, Act II: Flower Song: La fleur que tu m'avais jetee
    Duration
    03:44
    Composer
    Georges Bizet
    Performer
    Jussi Björling, Frederick Schauwecker
  13. 13 Manon, Act II: Instant charmant … En fermant les yeux 03:43
    Track
    13
    Title
    Manon, Act II: Instant charmant … En fermant les yeux
    Duration
    03:43
    Composer
    Jules Massenet
    Performer
    Jussi Björling, Frederick Schauwecker
  14. 14 6 Poems, Op. 25: No. 2. En Svane (A Swan) 02:51
    Track
    14
    Title
    6 Poems, Op. 25: No. 2. En Svane (A Swan)
    Duration
    02:51
    Composer
    Edvard Grieg
    Performer
    Jussi Björling, Frederick Schauwecker
  15. 15 6 Songs, Op. 48: No. 6. Ein Traum (A dream) 02:15
    Track
    15
    Title
    6 Songs, Op. 48: No. 6. Ein Traum (A dream)
    Duration
    02:15
    Composer
    Edvard Grieg
    Performer
    Jussi Björling, Frederick Schauwecker
  16. 16 No. 6. Demanten pa marssnon (The Diamond on the March Snow) 03:29
    Track
    16
    Title
    No. 6. Demanten pa marssnon (The Diamond on the March Snow)
    Duration
    03:29
    Composer
    Jean Sibelius
    Performer
    Jussi Björling, Frederick Schauwecker
  17. 17 No. 4. Sav, sav, susa (Reed, reed, rustle) 02:22
    Track
    17
    Title
    No. 4. Sav, sav, susa (Reed, reed, rustle)
    Duration
    02:22
    Composer
    Jean Sibelius
    Performer
    Jussi Björling, Frederick Schauwecker
  18. 18 No. 1. Svarta rosor (Black Roses) 02:20
    Track
    18
    Title
    No. 1. Svarta rosor (Black Roses)
    Duration
    02:20
    Composer
    Jean Sibelius
    Performer
    Jussi Björling, Frederick Schauwecker
  19. 19 Tonerna (Music) 03:19
    Track
    19
    Title
    Tonerna (Music)
    Duration
    03:19
    Composer
    Carl Leopold Sjoberg
    Performer
    Jussi Björling, Frederick Schauwecker
  20. 20 Cavalleria rusticana: Mamma, quel vino e generoso 03:51
    Track
    20
    Title
    Cavalleria rusticana: Mamma, quel vino e generoso
    Duration
    03:51
    Composer
    Pietro Mascagni
    Performer
    Jussi Björling, Frederick Schauwecker
  21. 21 Ideale (version for voice and piano) 03:17
    Track
    21
    Title
    Ideale (version for voice and piano)
    Duration
    03:17
    Composer
    Paolo Tosti
    Performer
    Jussi Björling, Frederick Schauwecker
  22. 22 Tosca, Act III: E lucevan le stelle 03:02
    Track
    22
    Title
    Tosca, Act III: E lucevan le stelle
    Duration
    03:02
    Composer
    Giacomo Puccini
    Performer
    Jussi Björling, Frederick Schauwecker
  23. 23 L'alba separa dalla luce l'ombra (version for voice and piano) 02:31
    Track
    23
    Title
    L'alba separa dalla luce l'ombra (version for voice and piano)
    Duration
    02:31
    Composer
    Paolo Tosti
    Performer
    Jussi Björling, Frederick Schauwecker
  24. 24 Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair: II. Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair 03:36
    Track
    24
    Title
    Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair: II. Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair
    Duration
    03:36
    Composer
    Stephen C. Foster
    Performer
    Jussi Björling, Frederick Schauwecker
  25. 25 Andrea Chenier: Act IV: Come un bel di di maggio 02:57
    Track
    25
    Title
    Andrea Chenier: Act IV: Come un bel di di maggio
    Duration
    02:57
    Composer
    Umberto Giordano
    Performer
    Jussi Björling, Frederick Schauwecker
  26. 26 La bohème, Act I: Che gelida manina! 04:57
    Track
    26
    Title
    La bohème, Act I: Che gelida manina!
    Duration
    04:57
    Composer
    Giacomo Puccini
    Performer
    Jussi Björling, Frederick Schauwecker