1. А. Аdam - O Helga Natt,  Stokholm, 8.02.1959
2. G. Bizet - Au fond du temple saint , New York, 30.11.1950
3. G. Verdi - Se quel guerriero io fossi; Celeste Aida / Rome, july 1955
4. G. Verdi  - La donna e mobile / Rome, july 1956 г.
5. P. Mascagni - Siciliana: O Lola/ New York, january 1953 г.
6. Ch. Gounod "Faust" - Salut demeure chaste et pure / New York, 9.03.1951
7. G. Puccini "Tosca" - E lucevan le stelle / Rome, july 1957
8. E. Grieg - En Svane Op.25 Nr.2/ New York, 11.01.1952
9. E. Grieg - En Drøm Op.48 Nr. 6 / New York, 11.01.1952
10. G. Verdi  "La Boheme" - Che gelida Manina / New York, 13.01.1951
11. A. Borodin "Prince Igor" - Vladimirs Resitativ & Cavatina / Stokholm, 23.01.1957
12. P. Tchaikovsky "Еugeny Onegin" - Förbi, Förbi - Lenskij's Arie / Stokholm, 22.01.1957
13. G. Donizetti "L’Eliksir D’Amore" - Una furtiva lagrima / Stokholm, 23.01.1957
14. G. Puccini "Tosca" - O dolci mani / Rome, july 1957
15. G. Puccini "Tosca" - Recondita armonia / Rome, july 1957
16. R. Leoncavallo "I Pagliacci" Vesta la giubba / New York, 9.03.1951
17. G. Puccini "Turandot" - Signore, ascolta! ... Non piangere, Liu/ Rome, july 1959
18. G. Puccini "Turandot" - Nessun Dorma / Rome, july 1959

Kungliga Hovkapellet, Stockholm; dir. - Nils Grevillius (1, 11-13)
Roma Operas Kor & Orkester, dir. - Erich Leinsdorf (17, 18)
RCA Victor Orchestra, dir. - Renato Cellini (2, 5, 6, 10, 16) 
Roma Operas Kor & Orkester, dir. - Jonel Perlea (3, 4, 7, 14, 15)
Frederick Schauweeker - piano (8, 9)

Jussi Björling was one of the most admired tenors of the twentieth century. He was never an effective actor on stage nor was he particularly handsome, but his excellent technique, scrupulous musicianship, and beautiful voice, with its powerful and focused top, made him one of the most-demanded stars of his day. Those with a fondness for such comparisons consistently called him "the second Caruso" or "the Swedish Caruso." Some found his rather smooth timbre inexpressive, particularly those used to Gigli's frequent use of sobs and other extra-musical effects, but others found that its directness, combined with his sensitivity to phrasing, made the music all the more expressive. At times he did have a tendency to sing slightly sharp, but to listeners without an acute sense of pitch it was almost undetectable.

Björling came from a musical family and began his career early -- his singing debut came at the age of five. His father, David, was a fine singer who formed the Björling Male Quartet with the older three boys, Olle, Jussi, and Gosta. They performed world-wide, made some recordings for American Columbia (including Jussi's first solo recordings), and settled in the United States in 1920. While they were wildly popular, they had financial problems, and when David Björling died in 1926, the quartet broke up.

In 1928, Jussi succeeded in getting an audition with Karl-Martin Oehmann. Oehrmann was so impressed that he recommended Björling to the Royal Opera in Stockholm, where he was given a stipend for room, board, studies at the conservatory, and a new suit. Two years later, Björling made his operatic debut as the Lamplighter in Puccini's Manon Lescaut and took on his first leading role a month later as Don Ottavio in Mozart's Don Giovanni. In 1933, he first sang the role of Romeo in Gounod's Romeo et Juliette, a role with which he would later become strongly associated. He met Anna-Lisa Berg, a lyric soprano, while at the Swedish Music Academy and Royal Opera school, and their marriage lasted until his death, despite the alcoholism that troubled his entire adult life.

He made his Vienna debut in 1936, his United States debut in a Carnegie Hall concert in 1937 (his United States operatic debut was a short time later that same year, as the Duke of Mantua, in Chicago), and his Salzburg debut as Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni. In 1936, he also began a long recording association with HMV. He made his Met debut in 1938 in La Bohème and in 1939 his Covent Garden debut as Manrico. Like those of most other opera singers, his international career was limited by World War II, but when the war was over, he again sang all over the world. In 1950, he took the title role in the famous Met production of Verdi's Don Carlo that inaugurated Rudolf Bing's administration. As his career expanded and he was able to be more selective about his stage roles, he began to limit his repertoire to the major Italian and French lyric roles, with a few forays into the lyrico-spinto repertoire. However, he recorded and performed in concert excerpts from many roles he had never explored on stage, as well as lieder and his beloved Swedish songs.

In March of 1960, Björling had a heart attack before a performance at Covent Garden. While he chose to finish the performance, his symptoms became still more serious, and he and his family returned to Sweden, where he died that September. --- Anne Feeney, Rovi

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01 - Una Furtive Lagrima	play
02 - Questa O Quella
03 - La Donna E Mobile
04 - Ah Si Ben Mio
05 - Di Quella Pira
06 - Celeste Aida
07 - Cielo E Mar
08 - O Paradiso
09 - M'appari Tutt'amor
10 - Salut! Demuere Chaste E Pure
11 - Ah! Leve-toi Soleil!
12 - Le Fleur Que Tu M'avais Jetee
13 - En Fermant Les Yeux
14 - Ah! Fuyez, Douce Image
15 - O Lola
16 - Quel Vino
17 - Vesti La Giubba
18 - Amor Ti Vieta
19 - Donna Non Vidi Mai
20 - Che Gelida Manina
21 - Recondita Armonia
22 - E Lucevan Le Stella		play
23 - Nessun Dorma

Composed By – Ponchielli (tracks: 7), Gounod (tracks: 10, 11), Giordano (tracks: 18),
 Flotow (tracks: 9), Donizetti (tracks: 1), Bizet (tracks: 12), Meyerbeer (tracks: 8),
 Puccini* (tracks: 19 to 23), Verdi (tracks: 2 to 6), Massenet (tracks: 13, 14),
 Mascagni (tracks: 15, 16), Leoncavallo (tracks: 17)

Royal Orchestra (tracks: 1, 11, 14, 19), 
Symphony Orchestra (tracks: 2 to 10, 12, 13, 15 to 18, 20 to 23)
Conductor – Nils Grevillius

Johan Jonatan "Jussi" Björling (5 February 1911 – 9 September 1960) was a Swedish tenor. One of the leading operatic singers of the 20th Century, Björling appeared frequently at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City as well as at many major European opera houses. Such was his brilliance that his voice is often considered the greatest of all post-war recorded tenors - a considerable achievement in an era which included many exceptionally gifted Italian singers. Bjorling was ranked greatest singer of the century by Classic CD (United Kingdom) "Top Singers of the Century" Critics' Poll (June 1999).

Björling made his professional operatic debut as the Lamplighter in Manon Lescaut at the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm in 1930. This was soon followed by Don Ottavio in Mozart's Don Giovanni, Arnold in Rossini's William Tell and Almaviva in Rossini's The Barber of Seville. This in turn led to engagements in Europe and the United States. Björling made his American concert debut in Carnegie Hall in 1937; the following year, he made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera as Rodolfo in La bohème.

Björling went on to become one of the principal singers at the Metropolitan Opera during the 1940s and 1950s, with an interruption during World War II. He sang many major tenor roles in operas in the French and Italian repertoire, including Il trovatore, Rigoletto, Aida, Un ballo in maschera, Pagliacci, Cavalleria rusticana, Faust, Roméo et Juliette, La bohème, Madama Butterfly, Tosca, and Manon Lescaut.

In December 1940, Arturo Toscanini invited him to sing the tenor part in Beethoven's Missa Solemnis in New York, a recording of which exists. He also performed the Verdi Requiem under Toscanini in 1939 in Lucerne, Switzerland, and in November 1940 in New York, another performance eventually transferred to recordings.

On 15 March 1960, Björling suffered a heart attack before a performance of La bohème at London's Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. However, he still performed that night. He died of heart-related causes (enlarged heart) six months later in Siarö, Sweden, aged 49. One of his final recordings was the Verdi Requiem conducted by Fritz Reiner for Decca Records which was recorded as late as June 1960 alongside Leontyne Price, Rosalind Elias and Giorgio Tozzi. He is buried in the little church cemetery at Stora Tuna, Sweden.

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1. I drömmen du är mig nära (You are near in my dreams), song for voice & piano
2. Bachanal
3. Lilla Prinsessa
4. Sverige, for voice & piano, Op. 22/2
5. En Ballad om Lameks söner, for voice & piano
6. En Ballad om narren och döden, for voice & piano
7. En Ballad om god sömn, for voice & piano
8. I Drömmen di är Mig Nära (You are near in my dreams), song for voice & piano
9. Songs (6) for voice & piano, Op. 36: Svarta rosor (Black Roses) op. 36/1
10. Songs (6) for voice & piano, Op. 36: Säv, säv, susa (Sigh, Rushes, Sigh), op. 36/4
11. Svanes Historiques I (3), suite for orchestra, Op. 25: No. 2, En svane
12. Land du välsignade (Thou Blessed Country)
13. Songs (6) for voice & piano, Op. 36: Diamanten på marssnön (The Diamond On The March Snow)
14. Songs (5) for voice & piano, Op. 37
15. Bland Skogens höga furustammar (Among the high fir-trees in the forest)
16. Trollsjön (The Enchanted Lake)
17. Aftonstämning (Eveing Mood) for voice & piano
18. Till Havs
19. Tonerna (Visions), for voice & piano
20. Trollsjön (The Enchanted Lake)

Most of this is live. Most of it is with orchestra and most of the album is from the 50's. It includes 3 songs from Grona Lund recitals and one from Atlanta. The 3 Rangstrom ballads are pretty nice even if a couple of spots sound like some dust got under the needle during transfer. He only recorded them for a radio concert in 1942 and are pretty hard to find elsewhere. The notes include a paragraph on each of the composers. The wonderful En Svane is from a beautiful performance with orchestra. ---bob turnley, amazon.com

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