Description

STEFÁN ÍSLANDI (SKAGAFJORD, ISLAND, 6 OCTOBER, 1907 – SKAGAFJORD, ISLAND, 1 JANUARY, 1994)

His real name was Gud Gudmundsson. Originally a hairdresser, he studied singing from 1930 to 1935 under the renowned Italian baritone Ernesto Caronna. He made his debut in 1933 at the Teatro Comunale in Florence as Cavaradossi in Tosca. From 1935 to 1940, he performed as a guest artist and in concerts across European music centers.

Since 1938, he regularly sang at the Royal Opera in Copenhagen, where he debuted as Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly. He also made guest appearances in Italy, France, Germany, and Sweden. Until 1959, he was a member of the Copenhagen Opera, with a repertoire that included the Duke in Rigoletto, Rodolfo in La Bohème, Turiddu in Cavalleria Rusticana, and Don José in Carmen.

In 1946, he undertook a significant concert tour across North America. During the 1950s, he performed several times in his native Iceland, where he had great success at the National Theatre of Iceland in Reykjavik, appearing in Rigoletto and Tosca.

In 1966, he returned to Iceland and became a pedagogue at the Reykjavík College of Music. He was married to Danish mezzo-soprano Else Brems from 1940 to 1949.

Chronology of some appearances

1933 Florence Teatro Comunale Tosca (Cavaradossi)

1938 Copenhagen Royal Opera Madama Butterfly (Pinkerton)

TRACKLIST

1. Fedora (Giordano): Amor ti vieta HMV DA5202 0CS443
2. Adriana Lecouvreur (Cilea): L’anima ho stanca HMV DA5202 0CS444
3. Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Vesti la giubba HMV DA5218a
4. Bohème (Puccini): Che gelida manina HMV DB5247 2CS1680
5. Rigoletto (Verdi): La donna è mobile DA5218 0CS1681
6. Elisir d’amore (Donizetti): Una furtiva lagrima DB5247 2CS1679
7. Pêcheurs de perles (Bizet): I templets lyse hal (w. Skjær) HMV DB5268 2CS2094
8. Forza del destino (Verdi): Solenne, in quest’ora (w. Skjær) HMV DB5268 2CS2093
9. Trovatore (Verdi): Se m’ami ancor… Ai nostri monti (w. Brems) HMV DB5279 2CS2333
10. Trovatore (Verdi): Mal reggendo (w. Brems) HMV DB5279 2CS2334
11. Rigoletto (Verdi): Questa o quella Fra radio
12. Rondino al nido (de Crescenzo) HMV DA5242 0CS2080
13. Fa la nana, bambin (Sadéro) DA5243 0CS2081
14. Pei, pei og ró, ró (Gudmundsson) Island 101 BJ4
15. Kirkjuhvoll (Pórsteinsson) Island 101 BJ3
16. Vögguljóð rúnu Fra radio
17. Stormar Fra radio
18. Til Skýsins Fra radio
19. Bikarinn HMV HMV JORX 4 2EF 132
20. Í dag skein sól Fra radio
21. Í fjarlægð (På afstand) HMV DA 5201 0CS 446
22. Horfinn Dagur Fra radio
23. Vögguljóð (Vuggesang) HMV DA 5201 0CS 445
24. Ég lít í anda liðna tíd Fra radio