Johan Jonatan 'Jussi' Björling was born in Sweden 100 years ago today and died at the age of only 49. Since my childhood I have loved his silvery voice and consider him the greatest of all operatic tenors. He recorded Che gelida manina from Puccini's La Bohème a number of times. Here is a scene from a performance with soprano Renata Tabaldi in 1956 on NBC TV in the USA. I can hardly bear to listen to Björling singing this, it is so achingly beautiful and moving.
May Jussi Björling be numbered among the heavenly choirs.
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