Tags
Folk Costume, Folk Costumes, Folkdräkt, Folkdräkter, Svensk, Sverige, Sweden, Swedish
01 Friday Jul 2011
Tags
Folk Costume, Folk Costumes, Folkdräkt, Folkdräkter, Svensk, Sverige, Sweden, Swedish
08 Sunday May 2011
Posted Ethnic, Music, Musicians, Scandinavian
inTags
Folkmusic, Key Fiddle, Nyckelharpa, Svensk, Sverige, Sweden, Swedish
A nyckelharpa (literally “key harp”, plural nyckelharpor or sometimes keyed fiddle) is a traditional Swedish musical instrument. It is a string instrument or chordophone. Its keys are attached to tangents which, when a key is depressed, serve as frets to change the pitch of the string.
The nyckelharpa is similar in appearance to a fiddle or the bowed Byzantine lira. Structurally, it is more closely related to the hurdy gurdy, both employing key-actuated tangents to change the pitch.
A depiction of two instruments, possibly but not confirmed nyckelharpas, can be found on a relief dating from c1350 in one of the gates to Källunge church on Gotland.Early church paintings are found in Siena, Italy, 1408 and in different churches in Denmark and Sweden, i.e. Tolfta church, Sweden, c 1460-1525. Other very early pictures are to be found in Hildesheim, Germany, from c1590.Also during the 16th and 17th centuries, the ’Schlüsselfidel’, or “nyckelharpa”, was known in Germany: the instrument is mentioned in “Theatrum Instrumentorum”, a famous work written in 1620 by the German organist Michael Praetorius (1571–1621). The Swedish province of Uppland has been a stronghold for nyckelharpa music since the late 16th century, including the 1970s revival which drew on musicians like Byss-Calle (1783–1847) from Älvkarleby.
06 Friday May 2011
Tags
Jussi Björling, Jussi Bjoerling, Svensk, Sverige, Sweden, Swedish
Nessun Dorma – Turandot
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 (surname also spelled as “Bjoerling” and “Bjorling” in English-language sources) was born in Borlänge, Dalarna, Sweden, in February 1911. The midwife’s register shows he was born on 5 February; however, the church baptism records erroneously show 2 February, and this was the day on which he celebrated his birthday throughout his life. He was initially taught to sing by his father, David, an accomplished vocalist, and made his debut public appearance at the age of four with the Björling Male Quartet. The group performed in concerts throughout Sweden and the United States for eleven and a half years. He later studied opera with John Forsell.
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’sDon 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 Requiemunder Toscanini in 1939 in Lucerne, Switzerland, and in November 1940 in New York, another performance eventually transferred to recordings.
One of Björling’s first LP sets was a 1950 performance of the complete Il trovatore, with Zinka Milanov, for RCA Victor. In 1953, he recorded the role of Turridu in a complete version ofCavalleria rusticana opposite Milanov for RCA Victor, but because Victoria de los Ángeles was under contract to EMI, the recording of the complete Pagliacci, made concurrently withCavalleria, was not released by RCA, but by EMI. Robert Merrill appeared on both albums, but Leonard Warren was featured only on the Pagliacci one, as Tonio.
Again with de los Angeles and Merrill, Björling made a complete recording of Puccini’s La bohème conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham, a recording considered by some to be the finest ever made of the work, although Toscanini enthusiasts might disagree (Toscanini conducted the premiere of the opera in 1896, and in 1946 conducted a radio performance of it that is considered definitive by some – and was also released on records and CD). Björling’s recording of Madama Butterfly, with de los Angeles in the title role and conducted by Gabriele Santini, is also widely celebrated. In Victoria de los Angeles’ s biography by Peter Roberts (Weidenfield and Nicolson, 1982), de los Angeles noted that “In despite of technical developments, none of the Jussi Björling recordings give you the true sound of his voice. It was a far, far more beautiful voice than you can hear on the recordings he left”. {2}
Björling sang the part of Mario in the 1957 complete stereo recording of Tosca, recorded by RCA Victor in Rome with Erich Leinsdorfconducting. The tenor was awarded the 1959 Grammy Award for Best Classical Performance – Vocal Soloist (With Or Without Orchestra) for his recording Björling in Opera.
In 1956, he appeared in an episode of the NBC television anthology Producers’ Showcase. The episode was one of two programs entitledFestival of Music, and was hosted by Charles Laughton (José Ferrer hosted the second Festival of Music program.) Björling can be seen with soprano Renata Tebaldi in two arias from La bohème. Both Festival of Music programs, originally telecast in color, have since been released on black-and-white kinescopes on DVD.
Björling was known as the “Swedish Caruso“. His son, Rolf, a successful tenor in his own right (although not at the level of his famous father), and his grandson, Raymond are inheritors of the “sound”.
His widow, Anna-Lisa Björling, published a biography with the cooperation of Andrew Farkas that described Björling as a loving family man and generous colleague. However, Anna-Lisa did not attempt in the book to hide the destructive influence of Björling’s alcoholism.
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 alongsideLeontyne Price, Rosalind Elias and Giorgio Tozzi. He is buried in the little church cemetery at Stora Tuna, Sweden.
His name is now used with the prestigious Jussi Björling Music Scholarship at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota, and adorns the concert hall there named in his honor.
An archive of nearly all of Björling’s recorded performances, photographs, letters, recital and opera programs, reviews, obituaries, and other items related to his career is maintained at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University Bloomington.
03 Tuesday May 2011
Posted 1980´s, Music, Scandinavian, Singers
inFrom the Album “Runaway” (1986).
Song written by Robin & Maurice Gibb.
29 Friday Apr 2011
29 Friday Apr 2011
Posted Dance, Design, Ethnic, Fashion, Scandinavian
in