The Bjorling Sound: A Recorded Legacy (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781580464062)

A half century after his death in 1960, Swedish tenor Jussi Björling remains one of the most beloved singers in the world. He spent forty-five of his forty-nine years performing in public, rapidly conquering opera-house and concert stages on both sides of the Atlantic. Along the way, he left a vast recorded legacy that continues to enchant lovers of vocal music and inspire young singers. In this ground-breaking book, Stephen Hastings analyzes more than four hundred of the great tenor's recordings, comparing them with the output of a hundred other tenors, from Caruso to Alagna. The repertoire ranges from brief art songs by Schubert and Sibelius to entire opera recordings--some made in the studio, others captured live. What emerges is a richly layered portrait of this most musical of singers. As Hastings's comparisons demonstrate, Björling left his unique imprint on all the scores he sang, combining a perennial freshness of approach with the richly inflected phrasing made possible by a perfectly honed technique.

Author: Stephen Hastings
ISBN-10: 1580464068
ISBN-13: 9781580464062
Publisher: University of Rochester Press
Language: English
Published: 05/30/2012
Pages: 424
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.83lbs
Size: 9.35h x 6.34w x 1.50d

Review Citation(s):
Choice 12/01/2012