Helga Görlin ( September 26, 1900 – January 31, 1993) was a Swedish soprano and voice teacher. She performed as a resident leading soprano at the Royal Swedish Opera from 1926 to 1951, and later returned as a guest artist at that theatre for her final stage performance in 1954 as Cio-Cio San in Puccini's Madama Butterfly. A frequent romantic stage partner of tenor Jussi Björling during the 1930s and 1940s, she notably portrayed the role of Minnie in the Swedish premiere of Puccini's La fanciulla del West in 1934 with Björling as Dick Johnson. She also created roles in the world premieres of operas by Kurt Atterberg, Natanael Berg, and Hilding Rosenberg during her career.
In addition to opera, Görlin also performed works from the soprano concert repertoire and was particularly known for her performances of the soprano solos in Handel's Messiah; a work she sang annually for many years at the Royal Theatre, Stockholm. She also was active as a recitalist and was an admired singer of lieder. In 1937 she portrayed the opera singer Jenny Lind in the film John Ericsson, Victor of Hampton Roads. She was the recipient of several awards during her career, including the Litteris et Artibus (1934) and the title of Hovsångare (1941). In 1977 she was elected as a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music. After retiring from the stage in 1954 she taught voice at the Royal College of Music, Stockholm.
Life and career
Born in Nolby Stom, Eda parish, Värmland County, Sweden, Görlin was the daughter of Jan Peter Görlin and Karin Jonsdotter.[1] The youngest of four children, her oldest sibling was 29 years old and already married at the time of her birth.[1] Her father was a master blacksmith.[1]
Görlin began her vocal training with Gillis Bratt in Stockholm before pursuing further studies in Berlin with Ludwig Mantler and also private studies in Paris.[1] In 1925 she auditioned for John Forsell, the director of the Royal Swedish Opera (RSO) in Stockholm, and under his recommendation was admitted into the Royal Opera School (later known as the University College of Opera; and now part of the Stockholm University of the Arts). She studied under Forsell at the Royal Opera School for two years.[1]
Görlin made her professional opera debut in 1926 as Mélisande in Claude Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande at the RSO.[2] She remained at that opera house as a resident artist for the next 25 years; retiring from that position in 1951.[2] She had particular triumphs at that theatre in the roles of Liu in Giacomo Puccini's Turandot (1927) and the title roles in Richard Strauss' Arabella (1938) and Gustave Charpentier's Louise (1932).[2] She also created roles in the world premieres of several operas at that theatre, including Natanael Berg's Engelbrekt (1929, as Karin), Hilding Rosenberg's Die Reise nach Amerika (1932), Kurt Atterberg's Fanal (1934, as Rosamund), and Hilding Rosenberg's Marionetter (1939).[2] In 1934 she portrayed Minnie in the Swedish premiere of Puccini's La fanciulla del West with Jussi Björling as Dick Johnson at the RSO.[3] Görlin was a frequent romantic lead opposite Björling at the RSO in the 1930s and 1940s; portraying role like Adina in L'elisir d'amore, Juliette in Roméo et Juliette, and the title role in Giuseppe Verdi's Aida opposite the tenor.[3]
Don Michael Randel, ed. (1996). "Hagegård, Håkan". The Harvard Biographical Dictionary of Music. Harvard University Press. p.345.
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