The Nineteenth Jussi Concert at Voxna Church


Ensemble 2019. From left: Lennart Eng, Lena Rieback, Bengt Krantz, Karin Mobacke, Per Lindström and Sabina Bisholt

 

 

With the old team in charge: Stefan Olmårs as compere, Lennart Eng at the concert grand, his daughter Maria turning the sheets and Lena Rieback as pianist for the local artist, the nineteenth Jussi Concert took place at Voxna Church on Monday 8 July. Jussi himself opened the proceedings gramophone wise with Sven Salén’s “Visa kring slånblom och månskära”, whereupon Bengt Krantz made his entrance with Idabelle Firestone’s “If I could tell you”, as an introduction to this year’s Prize Winner Per Lindström, who received the prize amounting to 60 000 SEK and an Orrefors vase, after Bengt had read his well-formulated statement of reasons for the prize. Per thanked for the prize by singing Sjöberg’s “Tonerna”.

Sabina Bisholt, a new rising star on the soprano firmament, opened with Sibelius’s dramatic setting of Runeberg’s Flickan kom ifrån sin älsklings mote” and Hugo Alfvén’s Så tag mitt hjerte”. After that Per sang Oronte’s aria from Verdi’s early opera “I Lombardi” with glow and after that “En fermant les yeux” from Massenet’s “Manon” with fine legato. Young Karin Mobacke was introduced in the programme leaf as “promising soprano” but she turned out to be fully fledged, which she demonstrated through excellent readings of Rangström’s “Pan” and Lindblad’s humoristic “En ung flickas morgonbetraktelse”. Bengt returned with an excerpt from the Triumphal Scene from “Aïda”, Amonasro’s entrance, Sabina sang “Vilja Lied” from “The Merry Widow” and “O mio babbino caro” from Puccini’s “Gianni Schicchi”. More Puccini, this time Per with two tenor gems: “E lucevan le stele” from “Tosca” and the unavoidable “Che gelida manina” from “La bohème” – the latter with a secure high C.

And then, time for the encores! Karin had chosen Susanna’s aria from the third act of “Le nozze di Figaro”, Bengt sang with great insight the inward declaration of love “Min älskling, du är som en ros” by Evert Taube, where Lennart heated the tango rhythms in a swinging interlude. Bengt and Per then sang together the famous duet from “Les pêcheurs de perles” and Sabina performed Mimi’s aria from “La bohème”. For the grand finale Per joined her in the love duet from the same opera.

Presents to the artists and then, in accordance with tradition, everybody sang in unison “Land, du välsignade”.

After the supper at Voxnabruk manor, Sören Tranberg, editor in chief of OPERA Magazine, interviewed Sabina, who due to other assignments had to leave early. “Spisa Jussi” (Diggin’ Jussi) rounded off the evening with Harald Henrysson as DJ. The following morning Sören had a conversation with veteran Bengt and newcomer Per, after which Sören remembered Rolf Björling, Jussi’s son, and his career, illustrated with well-chosen sound clips, most of them from live recordings.

Text och foto av Göran Forsling

More images (photo Hans Thunström):


Church is opening

 


Per Lindström is rewarded by Bengt Krantz

 


Sabina Bisholt

 


Karin Mobacke

 


Bengt Krantz and Per Lindström in the Pearl Fishers Duet

 


Per Lindström and Sabina Bisholt in O soave fanciulla

 


O soave fanciulla ends behind the stage

 


The concert ends with all singing Land, du välsignade

 


Sabina Bisholt is surprised behind the stage

 


Karin Mobacke is not surprised

 


The church hill after the concert

 


Sponsor Stefan Sundh with Karin Perers and chairman Beng Krantz with Maria Hegborn

 


The artists are dining

 


Per Lindström in front of the Voxnabruk Mansion

 


Idyllic Voxnabruk

 


The Mansion

 


Niklas Lindblad, Kerstin and Göran Forsling. Behind them waxworks of Rolf Björling and Jussi

 

 


Sören Tranberg is interviewing Sabina Bisholt

 


Harald Henrysson presenting Jussi

 

 

 

New website for the Jussi Björling Society

We would like to wish you a warm welcome to the Jussi Björlingsällskapet's new website: www.jussibjorlingsallskapet.se Here you are given good opportunities to delve into the life and work of the singer Jussi Björling. But this website will just be in Swedish.

The old website: www.jussibjorlingsallskapet.com, which you are reading now, will remain as a comprehensive archive and will be able to be visited as usual and you can read it in English, click on the British flag.

The new website is intended to be a more up-to-date place for current information from August 2023. 

 

The Jussi Björling Society

The Jussi Björling Society was founded on January 7, 1989. Its task is to promote interest in and spread knowledge about Jussi Björling, his vocal art, life and career.

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Join the Society

HERE you can quickly become a member of The Jussi Björling Society. You will receive our magazine, newsletters and invitations to events and gatherings. The annual fee for 2022 is 275 SEK.

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Jussi Favourites of the Board Members

Hans Thunström presents his favourite recording.

Read about and listen to the favourite


The former Jussi

Björling Museum

Jussi Björling Museet

The museum officially closed on January 1, 2021 and is now vacant. We hope that it will later be replaced by a museum in another location.