Yesterday would (and should!) have been his 80th birthday. I spent it listening online to a 1966 live concert on BR Klassik & tomorrow morning they're playing this Traviata complete. I had the miraculous good luck to see his Don Ottavio in Munich just a few weeks before his death, and he's been my desert island singer ever since. I'm the only person I know who ever heard FW live--and to think I almost went to a movie that night instead!
This is probably from the live performance (available on CD) with the Bavarian State Opera ? Stratas' Violetta is beautiful and dramatic, even if not traditional in sound. She has a marvelous voice too and Fritz is remarkable as Alfredo. I think this is just how the Brindisi ought to sound! I love it.
You need to hear him late in his last recording of Italian songs where it is all in Italian. I played it for Mario Lanza's parents at their home on Toyopa dr. and they swore he sounded Italian and sang with good Italian. His Matinatta and many of the songs where wonderful. All in Italian, Also his last concert live and on a 2 cd set with Lorengar in the butterfly duet was very Italian sounding and a great high C finish Remember had he lived longer he would have more time for the Italian style
He had the most beautiful lyric tenor of his time and one of the best of all time and for me more beautiful then Pav. Jose C and warmer then Bjorling. We will never know how much greater he would have been had he not died before his prime (1930-1966) He was a great artist who sang everything so well.
I personally love Wunderlich. I have a couple postings of him (one of which I need help with actually, check it out.) This is a wonderful posting, thanks. He had such a beautiful, clear, ringing voice.
His 78th birthday will be on the 26...when we talk of great tenors many times we forget to mention singers outside of the Italian school. This man had in my opinion the most beautiful tenor voice in recorded history along with about 3 others. Surely the most beautiful German tenor voice. Sure it didn't sound Italian, who cares? Greatest interpreter of Mozartian roles. Had he lived longer he would have sent all of his contemporaries out of the race.
So true, so true. But I disagree on one point: in my opinion, he sounded a lot more Italiante than Germanic... He had that whole chiaroscuro thing going on.
you may be right. and when i imagine he could live today, he died in such a stupid accident. He could have lived till today, and what he would have sung, recorded if he had 40 additional years to live and work:-) it is such a pity. such a loss for music.
@eurydike Yes, it's sad. 40 more years of work may be too much, but he could have very well been with us, like dear Dame Sutherland and Mr. Gedda, both almost 5 yeas older than him. "What would have been" will remain a gnawing curiosity about Wunderlich for many opera lovers. sigh!
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bobzeschin 1 year ago
Yesterday would (and should!) have been his 80th birthday. I spent it listening online to a 1966 live concert on BR Klassik & tomorrow morning they're playing this Traviata complete. I had the miraculous good luck to see his Don Ottavio in Munich just a few weeks before his death, and he's been my desert island singer ever since. I'm the only person I know who ever heard FW live--and to think I almost went to a movie that night instead!
bobzeschin 1 year ago
bravo!
ddzz37 2 years ago
This is probably from the live performance (available on CD) with the Bavarian State Opera ? Stratas' Violetta is beautiful and dramatic, even if not traditional in sound. She has a marvelous voice too and Fritz is remarkable as Alfredo. I think this is just how the Brindisi ought to sound! I love it.
MastersoftheOpera 2 years ago
Les deux meilleurs ténors: Windgassen et Wunderlich.
isabelle070209 2 years ago
@isabelle070209 Windgassen?????
vivegedda 1 year ago
Wolfgang Windgassen
Lauritz Melchior
Kurt Baum
Jussi Bjorling
Jon Vickers
Fritz Wunderlich(who is an unbelievable singer and an incredible musician)
Richard Tucker
John McCormack
JIMY45GR 2 years ago
Why Baum? He doesn't belong in that list, in my opinion.
GermanOperaSinger 2 years ago
You need to hear him late in his last recording of Italian songs where it is all in Italian. I played it for Mario Lanza's parents at their home on Toyopa dr. and they swore he sounded Italian and sang with good Italian. His Matinatta and many of the songs where wonderful. All in Italian, Also his last concert live and on a 2 cd set with Lorengar in the butterfly duet was very Italian sounding and a great high C finish Remember had he lived longer he would have more time for the Italian style
pearlmuth3 3 years ago
He had the most beautiful lyric tenor of his time and one of the best of all time and for me more beautiful then Pav. Jose C and warmer then Bjorling. We will never know how much greater he would have been had he not died before his prime (1930-1966) He was a great artist who sang everything so well.
pearlmuth3 3 years ago 9
I personally love Wunderlich. I have a couple postings of him (one of which I need help with actually, check it out.) This is a wonderful posting, thanks. He had such a beautiful, clear, ringing voice.
ShawDAMAN 3 years ago 2
His 78th birthday will be on the 26...when we talk of great tenors many times we forget to mention singers outside of the Italian school. This man had in my opinion the most beautiful tenor voice in recorded history along with about 3 others. Surely the most beautiful German tenor voice. Sure it didn't sound Italian, who cares? Greatest interpreter of Mozartian roles. Had he lived longer he would have sent all of his contemporaries out of the race.
GermanOperaSinger 3 years ago 3
So true, so true. But I disagree on one point: in my opinion, he sounded a lot more Italiante than Germanic... He had that whole chiaroscuro thing going on.
forallyouknow 3 years ago 6
@GermanOperaSinger
you may be right. and when i imagine he could live today, he died in such a stupid accident. He could have lived till today, and what he would have sung, recorded if he had 40 additional years to live and work:-) it is such a pity. such a loss for music.
eurydike 1 year ago
@eurydike Yes, it's sad. 40 more years of work may be too much, but he could have very well been with us, like dear Dame Sutherland and Mr. Gedda, both almost 5 yeas older than him. "What would have been" will remain a gnawing curiosity about Wunderlich for many opera lovers. sigh!
RoyKa2010 1 year ago