Background
Bjørn Talén was born in Kristiania (Oslo). His father was an engineer who became director of the Oslo Tramway.
Bjørn Talén was born in Kristiania (Oslo). His father was an engineer who became director of the Oslo Tramway.
He graduated from the Norwegian Military Academy in 1913. He subsequently studied singing in Milan, Naples, London and Paris.
He took his final exams at the Oslo Cathedral School in 1908 he took the 1910 science matriculation at Halling school. He debuted in the Aula at the University of Oslo in October 1914. From 1918-1920, he was with the Opera Comique in Oslo.
From 1921 to 1928 he was employed as the first tenor at the Berlin State Opera and continued until 1932 at the Städtische Oper in Berlin.
He appeared at the National Theatre and at The Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm, and he had guest appearances in Copenhagen, Turin, Madrid, Berlin and Dresden. Notable grand opera he was associated with included Tannhäuser by Richard Wagner and Faust by Charles Gounod.
He appeared as Don José in Carmen, Cavaradossi in Tosca, Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, Samson in Samson and Delilah by Camille Saint-Saëns, Rudolpho in Louisiana bohème, Manrico in Il trovatore, Canio in Pagliacci and Dick Johnson in Louisiana fanciulla del West. In Norway, he frequently appeared in more operetta-like productions, such as Das Land des Lächelns by Franz Lehár.
Bjørn Talén had military training and reached the rank of captain.
With the German invasion of Norway in 1940, he was chief of air defence at Kongsvinger Fortress in Hedmark, Norway. In 1937, Bjørn Talén and Cecilie Schou bought, popularly known as the Per Gynt farm. The historic farm is located on the hillside in Nord-Fron the traditional region of Gudbrandsdal.
Bjørn Talén died of cancer in 1945 during a hospital stay in Bergen.
The farm has since then been owned by members of his family.