Before there were the Three Tenors there was Jussi Björling, the great Swedish tenor who died in 1960 at the age of 49. His bright, sunny tone had a slight, emotion-laden tear in it that conveyed feeling as well as, or more than, any number of sobs and effects that other tenors use. His Carnegie Hall recital of September 24, 1955 has long been available; in addition, this CD features nine never-before released selections from that recital which either did not fit on the original LP or were omitted for some other reason. He can sing at any dynamic level, the voice is always secure, and his taste and musicianship, as always, are impeccable. I doubt we'll ever hear Tosti's Ideale sung more tenderly or "Che gelida manina" sung with such poetic abandon; the newly discovered Grieg, Sibelius, and Sjoberg songs are sung with an opera singer's--rather than a Lieder singer's--style, but it's doubtful anyone will complain. Björling fans should race to hear this; for those who came to opera after his heyday (or during the reign of other tenors), this will be a stunning ear-opener. A must have. --Robert Levine
