Word: jussi
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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Luciano Pavarotti is the finest operatic tenor since Jussi Bjoerling, if not since the legendary Enrico Caruso. Ah, but you have to hear Pavarotti in concert. When all 300 Ibs. of him were here in our lovely Music Hall, the city fathers were concerned that the stomping of those in the balconies might cause the balconies to collapse...
...George Cehanovsky, 87, a former baritone at the Metropolitan who has heard most of the great voices of this century, Pavarotti combines the pastosa (soft) beauty of Beniamino Gigli with the effortless high notes of Giacomo Lauri-Volpi. Others hear echoes of Jussi Bjoerling's silvery refinement. Pavarotti inmself cites a more recent predecessor as a model: Giuseppe di Stefano, who at his best had a burnished, flowing style...
...Pavarotti will undoubtedly have additional things to say about them in the future. For now, it can be said that this is a bella voce album of the first order. Devotees of the Leontyne Price-Placido Domingo set, or Price-Richard Tucker, or especially the old Zinka Milanov-Jussi Björling classic-all much more dramatically vivid-may safely keep them on the shelf, however...
...Herbert von Karajan, conductor; London; 2 LPs; $11.96). The LP era has had three recordings of Bohème good enough to be called great. The first two were the Toscanini (with Licia Albanese and Jan Peerce as Mimi and Rodolfo) and the Beecham (Victoria de los Angeles and Jussi Bjoerling), both still available in low-priced reissues. Here is the third, with the unpredictable Karajan sculpting the orchestral part with an irresistible flow befitting the Toscanini approach and a touching songfulness that Beecham might have applauded. The bella voce cast is the finest ever assembled to record this work...
Bing responded to singers in emotional and hard-to-predict ways. In 5,000 Nights, he forgives Tenor Franco Corelli his rages and frequent last-minute cancellations because he is "the incarnation of opera." But the late Jussi Bjoerling, who sang with a lyric grace beyond Corelli's comprehension but who annoyed Bing by his grudging attitude toward rehearsals, is not forgiven his sins-"a very irresponsible artist...