A man by the name of Sir John Hall once said, 'A true music lover loves all kinds of music.' Well that is certainly true of me. I like anything from the Manic Street Preachers to Elvis Presley and beyond - anything in fact, provided it is done well.
I have recently re-discovered a singer who is said by those more knowledgable than myself to be 'the' voice of the twentieth century, but if I mention his name, you could be forgiven for saying 'Who? Never heard of him!'
This man is right up there with, and in some ways even eclipses the great Luciano Pavarotti. His name? Jussi Bjorling.
Jussi Bjorling was Swedish by birth but performed all over Europe and America and sang in many different languages. He was a favourite of my late father and I recall listening to Bjorling when I was very, very young.
Jussi Bjorling was just 49 when he died in his sleep at his home in Sweden on 9th September 1960 having suffered with a failing heart for some years, yet when I was young, 49 seemed ancient. It was a figure beyond my young comprehension, but now that I have exceeded his age, it doesn't seem quite so old and I can appreciate what a loss this man's death was to the world's culture.
If ever you manage to listen to Bjorling's rendition of 'Che Gelida Manina' or 'The Pearl Fishers' (with Robert Merril) and take the time to dwell carefully on each note, I am sure you will see what I mean when I say this man's voice was as near perfect as it is humanly possible to get.
Pinza
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