Famous Swedes

The following special program was recorded in the studios of Radio Sweden for the National Association of educational broadcasters Eusebio during the noted Swedish tenor died at his home in the archipelago outside Stockholm of a heart attack at the age of 49. He was the most noted member of a famous Swedish musical family even as a boy Eusebio Ling toured the world with his brothers as the bee Erling quartet. Led by their singer father dog they'd be arning. He entered the Royal Swedish opera school at the age of 17 and two years later made his debut at the Royal Opera. One of his fellow students at the school was bad. Whom he married in 135 still another was sent home but noted Wagnerian tenor now General Manager of the Royal Opera in Stockholm. Blessed with a natural high tenor voice and a flair for the dramatic. Eusebio outings intensive training and the valuable experience he gained at the Royal Opera very soon brought him to the very top of his

profession. Opera houses all over the world began vying for his services and he made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York in 1938 when he was only 27 years old. Since then his life has been a peripatetic one leading him to all the world's great opera houses and on numerous concert tours in North America and throughout Europe. He was most noted for his roles in the Italian opera repertory. In 1944 he was given the greatest honor which can be given a singer in Sweden when the king named him Court singer. One of your CB outings colleagues at the Royal Opera and a lifelong friend was sent on a Sunbury. Design ballet. Would you tell us something of your memories of your sea darling. When US of yearling wasn't born the singer eletter singers alive and you die and sing it. In minute respect he was a

singer singer too his voice had a rare beauty and that particular quality which makes even the softness pianissimo cut straight through the orchestra better reach all the way to the back of the theater. It was a remarkable voice. I remember a performance of boy in that there are grand opera stock on back in the early 40s. We were both on the stage is anger at all four corners and I know that the unit suffered from a sore throat and the voice sketched quite audibly. I sneaked up to the rear of the theater to find out if it could be heard. Also out there but imagine my surprise when I heard his voice ring out clear and beautiful without the trace of sketching. Yes he was also envied by all of us for his to Mendus gift of memorisation

during his early years at the Grand Opera of Stockholm. He sang more than 50 parts in all kinds of operas but he never bothered to bring the books to his house. Playfully and easily he learned his parts during the rehearsals while the rest of us have to work for months on them. Yes he also had a tremendous storm and quite recently I read the reviews from his first opera I think impedance gargle Well feelgood among singers for it's a kids music critics. The celebrated Claudia Cassidy and all the others wrote reviews that probably should have made less doubt out of the artist shown in the. Window seat there for the rest of their lives. But Jessie bravely came back and as time went by he could read us through many Chicago successes. Also with the critics that few

singers have experienced. Yes if you're running also have the wisdom to cancel many performances when his voice will stop. Believe me that also takes a lot of courage particularly when a lot of money is at stake. I know that Jessie at times was a bit difficult to work with and that is impresario through classic men are sometimes found a good excuse for developing and elusive. But nevertheless yes is often a widely publicized cancellation this had a very good reason. If you men would have had the courage to act so wisely the situation. I knew Jessie for a good many years. He used to remind me that he made his stock on debut at one of my radio programs. It must have been 1928. We went together to Vienna

for his first recital there. I think it was in 1935 which was tremendously successful and triggered off his intellectual carries. He was also engaged by me for serious or some a concept in the province the same here in summer park all of that lean chirping Sweden had heard rumors that Bjoerling wasn't too generous with corps. So in the agreement he entered a clause that had to sing eight songs. Well as things turned out your sis sang only five numbers and the management found a good excuse for paying only five eighths of the seat. Initially you even as a child your SEE made long tools with us father and brothers in the United States as well as in Sweden. They often used to talk of it as memories from that time. Once when we were discussing the regrettable state of provincial dressing rooms.

He told me all one performance in a small town. The dressing room was situated right over the audience which plainly could be seen between the floor planks and believe me. Yes I said when you're took off your pants up there. It was like having no dressing room at all. Many years later when I was working in Hollywood Yes it came there on the tube. It was in the 1950s. I called on him and his wife at the hotel and we had their happy reunion. I ask yourself what it felt like to be the International Talk number in this category. Being able to give it a cycling anywhere at the time would have suited him best and enjoying a fee for each performance comparable with what most men earn in a year. Yes he considered the matter for a few moments seeking the right words. So I said a little bit on the glum side. You have touched the ground

too. So that's what it felt like for us to be the world's finest lyrical tenor of his time. Really happy. I think he was only during the vacations at his beloved figure in the archipelago of Stockholm where he could concentrate on out within the Pikes with a fishing pole. It was also there is life came to an end. I mean if you have seen New York in molecule 1957 at the time obvious conflict with being at the Metropolitan Opera Company is ringside with this. I have then another opportunity to note that the facts not always on what you read in the papers at the bottom of it all. Yes it was unhappy and restless and entirely unable to enjoy the happiness of ultimate success to which he was so richly intact. Many were there to be a man searcher careers came to your

severely. But in spite of all there is more to tell you didn't happen to us to find in the natural curiosity they had ever seen and the wind this icy at those stratospheric high. The sympathy of older friends school suggests his wife was sacrificed her own career and many other precious gifts of life in order to stand at his side at all times. Without an Elise the world would not have to. UCB running very seldom gave interviews preferring to communicate with the world through his singing. Yet this past summer he made an exception to this rule. This is part of his last known interview. When I started out as a youngster I think I was next to exceptional you know because I made my debut in nine thirty I was 19 years old and the

pro debt I have had two years I couldn't you know study at the right I mean stucco man an opera school and have to dead I was also in the opera school and then you have to make three major DD with her you can call us and. Opera singer that I did during 1930 so 1930 run I brushed against it then I brought it down. For six years as an opera singer but I had studied I had been studying singing all my life because I had the opportunity to have a father who happened to be a runt of a teacher. And since my father died my teacher the musical Academy happened to hear one of the most prominent of the Mozart singers John Purcell of the younger generation doesn't even know his name

but he was one of the most famous most of singers and he was famous for his the Don Giovanni and things like that so he trained me with them in the notes up from the beginning. Now you asked me about the training of the younger generation I would say Did it seems to me nowadays that if you have ever right and you have a top C or things like that. Then nothing else matters you do put you on the stage whenever you're ready for it up see that the nothing else means anything and that is absolutely wrong. And I can assure you wanting that never going to. Absolutely not. My seatmate maybe seven. Yes but you can be sure that's on the run to have a tell me I have to know what you're doing.

The one role which most of the world's opera audience is most associate with U.S. Bjoerling is that of the in their 80s Rigoletto. Is recording other Bravi La Donna e Mobile is famous. There.

Was. The preceding program was recorded in the studios of Radio Sweden for the National Association of educational broadcasters.

This is the end E.B. Radio Network.