...in a land not so far away, there was a man. This man was very popular, both at work and in the pub, the two places he would most frequently be found. At home the man would play a Caruso album, very very loudly. Actually it was a Mario Lanza album, singing Caruso favourites, but you get the picture. This was not just because he enjoyed opera, although he did very much enjoy opera, it was to hide the other sounds coming from that home [mostly the screams of his wife and children].
Like many of my fellow human beings my mood changes, sometimes high, sometimes low. At a very low ebb it's kind of surprising that the one constant that lifts me up is opera, not Caruso or Mario Lanza, although both have their merits, it's the voice of an operatic tenor I may well have mentioned before, Jussi Björling. I was introduced to the music of Jussi Björling by a late friend, some thirty years ago, and I still haven't lost that feeling of complete awe whenever I hear that voice.
Right now it's a low ebb, but
'this too shall pass' as it always does, in the meantime though I am listening to some amazing stuff, so I thought I would share it, feel free however not to listen if it's not your "
cup of tea!". I hasten to add I don't just listen to this stuff at a low ebb, I listen to opera quite a lot, various tenors, baritones etc and even the occasional soprano, but Jussi Björling...
First, this is the greatest version of "The Pearl Fishers" duet I have ever heard, and I have heard a lot of versions, this is Jussi with Robert Merrill, circa 1952:
https://youtu.be/5PYt2HlBuyIAnd here's the man himself, singing "
La fleur que tu m'avais jetee" from Carmen:
https://youtu.be/j_1AqPVqH80Ain't that grand...
