Torsten Ralf - In fernem Land (Stockholm, 1945)

Torsten Ralf (1901-1954) was a gifted Swedish tenor whose quarter century career took him to major theaters on both sides of the Atlantic. The youngest of seven children (including three other singing brothers), Ralf was born in Malmö and began his working life as a telegraph assistant for Stockholm’s National Telephone Company. At the age of 20, he decided to pursue vocal studies and began working with celebrated baritone John Forsell. Disappointed with the results, Ralf left Forsell’s studio after a year and took up studies with Haldis Ingebjart. Under Ingebjart’s tutelage, Ralf developed into a fine tenor and was engaged as soloist with the Stockholm Concert Association early in 1929. Later that same year, the young tenor left his job at the National Telephone Company and moved to Berlin to pursue further studies. Ralf spent a brief period perfecting his technique with famed Wagnerian soprano Hertha Dehmlow, making his debut as Cavaradossi in Stettin (now Szczecin, Poland) in 1930. He remained in Stet