Jussi Bjorling Made Met Opera Debut in 1938 as Rodolfo in La Bohème

Summary: Jussi Bjorling made his Met Opera debut in 1938 as Rodolfo in La Bohème and reprised the role over six seasons at the opera house.

Jussi Björling in his Metropolitan Opera debut role as Rodolfo in Puccini’s La Bohème; photo by The New York Times Studio: Jussi Björling Museum/Museet @jussi.bjorlingmuseet, via Facebook June 17, 2013

Jussi Björling made his Met Opera debut in 1938 as Rodolfo in La Bohème and reprised his debut role in six seasons over the next 15 years.

Swedish operatic tenor Jussi Björling (Feb. 5, 1911-Sept. 9, 1960) made his Metropolitan Opera debut on Thursday, Nov. 24, 1938, as Rodolfo in the opera company’s 330th performance of La Bohème by Italian opera composer Giacomo Puccini (Dec. 22, 1858-Nov. 29, 1924). Italian operatic soprano Mafalda Favero (Jan. 5, 1905-Sept. 3, 1981) as Mimì and Italian soprano Marisa Morel (born Dec. 13, 1914) as Musetta joined Jussi Björling in making their Met Opera debuts during the 1938-1939 season premiere of La Bohème.

La Bohème received nine performances in the 1938-1939 season. On Nov. 30, Björling made the second of his two appearances in the role of Rodolfo.

Björling reprised Rodolfo in 13 appearances scattered across six seasons over 14 years. His first reprisal occurred in the next season after his Met Opera debut. He sang Rodolfo for the first two performances of the 1939-1940 season’s eight performances.

Björling’s second reprisal took place six seasons later, in the 1945-1946 season. He sang Rodolfo in three of the season’s 11 performances.

His third, fourth and fifth reprisals occurred successively in the next three seasons. Björling reprised Rodolfo for two performances of the 1946-1947 season’s nine performances. He sang Rodolfo in three of the 1947-1948 season’s 13 performances and in two of the 1948-1949 season’s 16 performances.

Five seasons later, Björling made his sixth and last reprisal of Rodolfo. He appeared in the role in one of the 1953-1954 season’s 19 performances.

Björling’s sole appearance during the 1953-1954 season, marked his final appearance in the role at the Metropolitan Opera. His appearance on Feb. 1, 1954, numbered as his 15th performance as Rodolfo at the Metropolitan Opera.

After his Met Opera debut as La Bohème’s Rodolfo, Jussi Björling added nine roles to his Met Opera portfolio. His Met Opera portfolio of 10 operas comprised two operas by 19th century French composer Charles-François Gounod (June 17, 1818-Oct. 18, 1893); one opera by Italian opera composer Pietro Mascagni (Dec. 7, 1863-Aug. 2, 1945); three Puccini operas; and four operas by 19th-century Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi (Oct. 10, 1813-Jan. 27, 1901).

Eight days after his Metropolitan Opera debut, Björling claimed his second role debut in the 1938-1939 season. His role debut as Manrico took place Dec. 2, 1938, in the opera company’s 204th performance of Verdi’s Il Trovatore.

His third and fourth role debuts occurred in the next season, 1939-1940. His role debut in the title role of Gounod’s Faust happened Dec. 28, 1939, in Met Opera’s 419th performance of the opera. He made his role debut as the Duke of Mantua on Jan. 1, 1940, in the opera company’s 233rd performance of Verdi’s Rigoletto.

Björling’s fifth role debut, in the following season, 1940-1941, added a third Verdi opera to his Met Opera portfolio. His role debut as Riccardo occurred Dec. 2, 1940, in Met Opera’s 23rd performance of Un Ballo in Maschera.

Five seasons later, in 1945-1946, Björling’s sixth role debut added his second Puccini opera to his Met Opera repertoire. He made his role debut as Cavaradossi on Dec. 5, 1945, in the Metropolitan Opera’s 270th performance of Tosca.

Björling’s seventh and eighth role debuts at Met Opera occurred successively in the next two seasons, 1946-1947 and 1947-1948. He made his title role debut in his second Gounod opera on Jan. 15, 1947, in the opera company’s 188th performance of Roméo et Juliette. His role debut in the only Mascagni opera in his Met Opera portfolio occurred Dec. 31, 1947, as Turiddu in the opera’s 332nd performance at the Metropolitan Opera.

Two seasons later, in 1949-1950, Björling added his ninth role debut and his third Puccini opera to his Met Opera portfolio. His role debut as Des Grieux happened Nov. 23, 1949, in the opera company’s 69th performance of Manon Lescaut.

In the next season, 1950-1951, Björling garnered his 10th role debut and his fourth Verdi opera at the Metropolitan Opera. He made his role debut on Nov. 6, 1950, in the title role in the 15th performance of Don Carlo at the Metropolitan Opera.

Jussi Björling gave his last performance at the Metropolitan Opera in the 1959-1960 season. He reprised his eighth Met Opera role, as Turiddu, for three of the season’s 10 performances of Cavalleria Rusticana. He sang Turiddu in the season’s third and fourth performances, on Nov. 16 and Nov. 27, respectively. His last appearance at Met Opera took place in the sixth performance, on Dec. 22, 1959.

Jussi was born as Johan Jonatan Björling in Borlänge in the historical, south central region of Sweden known as Svealand. His paternal, Finnish grandmother, Matila Lönnqvist Björling, gave him the Finnish nickname of Jussi.

The takeaways for Jussi Björling’s Met Opera debut in 1938 as Rodolfo in La Bohème are that the Swedish operatic tenor’s 25 appearances as Rodolfo at Met Opera included reprisals of the role in six seasons over the next 15 years and that his last singing of Rodolfo at Met Opera took place Feb. 1, 1954, during the 1953-1954 season.

makeup application for first of three performances given by Jussi Björling in his reprisal of La Bohème’s Rodolfo for the Metropolitan Opera’s 1947-1948 season: Jussi Björling Museum/Museet @jussi.bjorlingmuseet, via Facebook Jan. 3, 2017

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Jussi Björling in his Metropolitan Opera debut role as Rodolfo in Puccini’s La Bohème; photo by The New York Times Studio: Jussi Björling Museum/Museet @jussi.bjorlingmuseet, via Facebook June 17, 2013, @ https://www.facebook.com/jussi.bjorlingmuseet/photos/a.1022770321069743/1022776411069134/

makeup application for first of three performances given by Jussi Björling in his reprisal of La Bohème’s Rodolfo for the Metropolitan Opera’s 1947-1948 season: Jussi Björling Museum/Museet @jussi.bjorlingmuseet, via Facebook Jan. 3, 2017, @ https://www.facebook.com/jussi.bjorlingmuseet/photos/a.1022770314403077/1547460301934073/

For further information:

Jussi Björling.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 124040 La Bohème {330} Metropolitan Opera House: 11/24/1938.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=124040

Henrysson, Harald. “Jussi Björling -- Biography.” Jussi Björling Sällskapet The Jussi Björling Society.
Available @ http://www.jussibjorlingsallskapet.com/id/1267.html

“Jussi Björling 1911-1960.” Jussi Björlingmuseet The Jussi Björling Museum.
Available via Internet Archive Wayback Machine @ https://web.archive.org/web/20090107051134/http://www.jussibjorlingsallskapet.com/english/contents/biografi/main.htm

“Jussi Björling: Last Performance.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 183580 Cavalleria Rusticana {414} Pagliacci {453} Metropolitan Opera House: 12/22/1959.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=183580

Jussi Björling Museum/Museet @jussi.bjorlingmuseet. “DAGENS JUSSI: I logen med operachefen Edward Johnson, vid Jussis operadebut i USA och på Metropolitan som Rodolphe i La Bohème den 24 november 1938.” Facebook. Nov. 24, 2016.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/jussi.bjorlingmuseet/photos/a.1022770314403077/1488548807825223/

Jussi Björling Museum/Museet @jussi.bjorlingmuseet. “DAGENS JUSSI: Sminkning inför föreställning av La bohème på Metropolitan den 3 januari 1948.” Facebook. Jan. 3, 2017.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/jussi.bjorlingmuseet/photos/a.1022770314403077/1547460301934073/

Jussi Björling Museum/Museet @jussi.bjorlingmuseet. “Jussi Björling och Margaret Harshaw i Verids ‘Il Trovatore’, akt 2, på Metropolitanoperan i New York år 1947. Jussi Björling and Margaret Harshaw in Verdi's ‘Il Trovatore’, act 2, at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, 1947.” Facebook. June 14, 2013.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/jussi.bjorlingmuseet/photos/a.1022770321069743/1022777494402359/

Jussi Björling Museum/Museet @jussi.bjorlingmuseet. “Jussi, iförd lockig peruk, som poeten Rodolphe i Puccinis ‘La Bohème’. Porträtt för Metropolitanoperan. Jussi, wearing a curly wig, as the poet Rodolphe in Puccini's ‘La Bohème. Portrait for the Metropolitan Opera.” Facebook. June 17, 2013.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/jussi.bjorlingmuseet/photos/a.1022770321069743/1022776411069134/

Marriner, Derdriu. "La Bohème Is the Jan. 25, 2020, Met Opera Saturday Matinee Broadcast." Earth and Space News. Monday, Jan. 20, 2020.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/01/la-boheme-is-jan-25-2020-met-opera.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “La Bohème Is Feb. 24, 2018, Met Opera Saturday Matinee Broadcast.” Earth and Space News. Monday, Feb. 19, 2018.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2018/02/la-boheme-is-feb-24-2018-met-opera.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “La Bohème Was Franco Zeffirelli’s Fifth Met Opera Production.” Earth and Space News. Monday, July 20, 2020.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/07/la-boheme-was-franco-zeffirellis-fifth.html

“New Production: Don Carlo.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 155000 New Production Don Carlo {15} Metropolitan Opera House: 11/6/1950.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=130120

“New Production: Faust.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 164000 New Production Faust {499} Metropolitan Opera House: 11/16/1953.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=164000

“New Production: Il Trovatore.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 130120 New Production Il Trovatore {207} Metropolitan Opera House: 12/12/1940.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=130120

“New Production: Manon Lescaut.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 152010 New Production Manon Lescaut {69} Metropolitan Opera House: 11/23/1949.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=152010

“New Production: Un Ballo in Maschera.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 130000 New Production Un Ballo in Maschera {23} Metropolitan Opera House: 12/2/1940.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=130000

“Revised Production: La Bohème.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 149170 Revised Production La Bohème {418} Metropolitan Opera House: 12/16/1948.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=149170

“Surprise guest artists at Prince Orlofsky’s party in Act II: Jussi Björling.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 171580 Die Fledermaus {66} Metropolitan Opera House: 04/14/1956.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=171580

Warrack, John; and Ewan West. “Morel, Marisa.” The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Opera: 345. Third edition. Oxford UK; New York NY: Oxford University Press, 1996.
Available via Google Books @ https://books.google.com/books?id=WbDbuLJPKBgC&pg=PA345