BJÖRLING’S LAST RECORDED LIVE RIGOLETTO - Excerpts

Recorded and broadcast from the Royal Opera, Stockholm on 5 January 1957. I believe the only other full broadcast of Rigoletto with Jussi Björling as the Duke is the more familiar Metropolitan performance of 29 December 1945. Although the Swedish performance is eleven years older and JB suffers from some shortness of breath and an occasional tonal problem (possibly caused by the start of his heart trouble), he seems to have more ’smile in the voice’ than on the earlier recording. In any case, I hope you enjoy this souvenir of a great artist’s latter years. Rigoletto -Erik Sundquist Gilda - Eva Prytz Maddelena - Kerstin Meyer Sparafucile - Sven-Erik Jacobsson Count Ceprano - Ingvar Wixell Cond: Kurt Bendix a) Questa o quella b) La donna e mobile c) Bella figlia dell’amore