Sweden Reaction: Jussi Bjorling - La donna e mobile (1957) Live video - TEACHER PAUL REACTS

[@kelsowins]

I grew up in a home where my Mom LOVED opera, and Jussi Bjorling was her favorite tenor! We had boxed set recordings of Jussi in such operas as "La Boheme," "Tosca," and "Turandot," along with records of mixed arias from other operas. Jussi was always on the stereo! His tone, control, power, and lyricism always seemed so fluid and effortless. In my mind, he was always the best of all time. His early passing was a tragedy, but at least we have so many of his recordings to remember him by. Thank you for reacting to him, and sharing this live recording! Just wonderful!

[@evaforsberg9788]

I am Swedish and LOVE Jussi. Especially at Christmas time. He’s a genius. I just talked to his grandson Raymond Björling who is also an opera Singer.

[@vickiw3335]

I was lucky enough to attend a recital by Raymond Bjorling in Stockholm!

[@petternilsson4393]

He was an unique singer you never forget him if you once heard him.His voice is immedtly recognized.

[@michaelrosendahl4713]

Jussi Björling is one of the greatest operasinger ever!

[@davidnewton9496]

Thanks, Paul, for sharing these wonderful videos and reactions. As for Jussi, he has been my very favorite singer since the moment I first heard his voice. It was 1955 or something and he was singing "Nessun Dorma". A young American tenor said it beautifully: 'When he sang, it was like the clouds parted and the sun shone through'. I'm not sure if you mentioned that this video is from the iconic Ed Sullivan show from way back when. It was live, he was live and it was just 'fabulous' all the way around. Thanks again.

[@marianneobery62]

Jussi was my grandfather’s cousin… he was amazing

[@dennisking7872]

Love Jussi Bjorling! Excellent reaction to La donna e mobile!

[@johnhoie1]

Yes, that was a live TV performance of several scenes from Rigoletto.

[@JohanLofgren-jc4mh]

Thank you Paul! Jussi is very dear and special.. Another great swedish operasinger is Birgit Nilsson, listen to her in Brunhilde for example!

[@0007pvdw]

Listen to his 'Ingemisco' .... Verdi's Requem....just incredible!!

[@rickardhjalmarsson6145]

super!!!!!

[@TheHekateris]

My mom and I had the subtitles on and Jussi Bjorling was translated to 'Juicy Boring' 🤣🤣🤣 We had to watch because my mom loves him. She said his singing is just effortless! 🙂

[@JoakimLindqvist-d2w]

Im from Sweden and my mother loved him,Good music is always good music!

[@miafranlund6982]

I am swedish and Jussis O Helga natt( that you have reacted to), has been played during Christmas in my family for as long as I can remember. One must concider that this a very old recording, and he still sounds so good, so impressive!

[@ingvarbejvel259]

I think the Swedish language, especially in the years of Björling , lent its sound very well to singing in Italian.

[@johanmolin3213]

Everything he did, he turned into gold. Pavarotti said that every opera singer, when taking on a new role, first of all should listen to how Björling did it. Also listen to the Pearl Fishers' duet with Björling and Robert Merrill. Truly awesome!

[@celinejohnston3694]

His voice is so powerful yet so sweet. Jussi bjorling is the 🐐. IMO!!!

[@SymphonyBrahms]

I've been listening to recordings of Bjorling for over 50 years. He is my favorite tenor. Pavarotti admired Bjorling. He is quoted as saying : "When I'm about to train a new opera, I first listen to how Jussi Björling did it. His voice was unique and it's his path that I want to follow. I would more than anything else wish that people compared me with Jussi Björling. It's like so I'm striving to sing."

[@goranomarbockman4604]

Which ever aria Jussi sang that became the standard for other Tenors to try and Emulate. None ever did tho. Had Caruso still been alive at the time he might have come close! 💖

[@sugarbist]

Dear Goranomar, Great tenors like Lauri Volpi, Di Stefano, Gigli, Tucker, Corelli, Del Monaco and many more did NOT attempt to emulate Bjorling. Caruso, whether we like him or not, was the foundation and original interpreter for every tenor that followed. Caruso also successfully sang across a wider variety of roles from Lyric to spinto dramatic than Bjorling had. Bjorling was a fine great lyric tenor, with an impeccable vocal line, but limited in repertoire, never singing Carmen, Chenier, Ernani, Samson, Gioconda and Forza. Bjorling also did not do well as Radames in the big Chicago opera house, capacity 3563 siting that his voice was not big enough. However he did do a great Radames in Stockholm, capacity 1180. Recordings are great, and we are fortunate to have them as a legacy left behind,but don't give us an entire picture.

[@sugarbist]

@@rogerengblom5061 Dear Roger, the BBC has Domingo listed as the number 1 greatest tenor ever. Should you and I agree with that finding? My goal is to share information. If Bjorling is number 1 for you that's fine. But perhaps you could check out some of the Met Archive objective reviews from respected critics and the Andrew Farkas book '' Jussi'' co written by Anna Lisa Bjorling for a better evaluation. Bjorling did not do well in the larger opera houses in the U.S. in the more heroic roles like Radames, Cavaradossi, and Manrico. He also smartly avoided Forza, Chenier, Gioconda, Carmen, Samson, Ernani, Fanciulla, Turandot live, Luisa Miller and I Lombardi. However Jussi was an impeccable singer with a beautiful quality of voice.

[@MichaPersson]

An Italian conductor once told him that "I wish Italian singers would articular so well". Ha was truly one of the greats.

[@kevinheal3415]

Simply phenomenal

[@diplomamilldoc8562]

May I recommend the Joseph Schmidt version of La donna e mobile recorded around 1937. His cadenza at the conclusion is the most rapid fire accurate progression of notes you'll ever hear. All this from a 1.49 meter tall tenor who died in 1942 aged 38 as a result of Nazi persecution and Swiss indifference.

[@Lajsa2000]

Fantastic! I'm from sweden!

[@Lajsa2000]

Have you heard Birgit Nilsson?

[@gazc7684]

Wow!!!!

[@whistel5445]

Legendario es poco

[@jonnyljung9605]

One of Jussis greatest fans was Luciano Pavarotti.

[@sugarbist]

Pavarotti's favorite tenor was Giuseppe Di Stefano, acknowledging that Caruso was number one and that Di Stefano is his favorite. There's not one word written about Bjorling in Pavarotti's book.

[@vickiw3335]

I am a Jussi fan since I first heard his voice in the classic Boheme with Victoria de los Angeles. I quickly joined the Jussi Bjorling Society USA where I can share my love of Jussi with his other devoted fans.

[@TheShrinkDnk]

Hi Paul, love to watch your vids, to answer your request, from Sweden, I sang o sole Mio to a Italian friend in Venice while on vacation there this summer. I gotta say Italians get impressed if you know the lyrics. .😊 due to Jussi

[@olofalriksson2464]

He made his debut on December 12, 1915 only 4 years old in my hometown Örebro with his brothers Olle and Gösta! Even then a success.☺

[@JamesSotomayorSotomayor]

The Greatest Tenor I'm the histery of opera!

[@simoneorecchioni7352]

I prefer Corelli and Pavarotti but Bjorling's voice was really incredible

[@davidgould9431]

You say his Italian is good, but it's not: it's (sometimes) rubbish. At about 2:08 he clearly sings "mal calto el core". It's "cauto". Then, at 2:18 he clearly sings "sena" instead of "seno". Actually, the first one might not be quite so clear. He fluffs his lines in the amazing studio recording of La Bohéme, too, once or twice. The producers obviously didn't care, and neither do I: it's wonderful. He is awesome when he's singing in his native tongue: so relaxed, great legato. "O helga natt" is well known, but Till Havs is amazing. His swedish "In fernem Land" is sublime. And I don't even like Wagner (usually).

[@davidgould9431]

Maybe the thing about Italian is that it's so easy to pronounce (more or less) well: perhaps there's less incentive to actually learn it. I'm probably talking out of the wrong end of my alimentary canal.

[@sjefskakse]

How can you tell?

[@JamesSotomayorSotomayor]

He Jussi Bjoerling! Is not one of the best! He, Bjoerling Is The Best!! Tenor that ever lived!!! James Sotomayor.

[@sugarbist]

Besides your own ears, what criteria are you using to come to your conclusion?

[@ridvansadirxanov1503]

Stai zito !!!