Fritz Wunderlich & Teresa Stratas - "Un di felice eterea"

[Cissy97]

Some tenors croon, some tenors bark. Only the really good ones sing - Wunderlich, Pavarotti both sing.

If Fritz had not had that fatal accident in 1966, operatic world would have BIG TWO tenors instead of BIG THREE of BIG FOUR...Obviously Wunderlich and Pavarotti are both above the rest, however good they are!

[Pyrare1]

Stratas was one of the best Violettas and also Lulu's of her time. Her first Lulu from '79was a sensation in the Opera world.

[chislehurstbat]

Just wantedto add, that this is definitely Wunderlich. Have the BR recording too. Gorgeous!

[forallyouknow]

@chislehurstbat Well, I suppose that closes the discussion on that. Do you mind posting some excerps from it? :)

[RoyKa2010]

Such warmth and ardor, add to these his great articulation and the results become ecstatic! I can't help wishing he had incarnated Roméo or Werther, (among so many other roles). Just imagining it is makes my heart melt!

[cantorgasma]

@RoyKa2010 Thank you so very much for saying articulation and not diction. You are one of the rare ones. I've been on that soapbox all my life. Thanks again.

[ffilchtaeh]

Wow. He is singing other than in German! Beautiful voice as usual.

[Greekbaritone]

Thanks for posting this! Somewhere out there is also another rare live recording of Wunderlich singing the tenor solos in the Requiem Mass by Verdi. Hope it turns up on this channel someday...

[Nadir2711]

Il a ce "plus" dans la voix qui à fait de lui un ténor d'exception....cette sensibilité vocale qui vient de l'intérieur...Ce n'était pas une machine a chanter des aigus.........c'était un véritable chanteur interprête.....

[Reisebuspilot]

Tomorrow (28th) at 7:05pm there will be the whole opera in german radio Bayern Klassik tributing the 80th birthday of Wunderlich which was yesterday (26th). If you can't get the radio go to google-de and look for "Bayern Klassik" click on the first result and on the left down side of the homepage you will finde a rubrik called "Service" and undernath it a link called "Audio & Multimedia" Click it and on the next page you'll find a rubrik called "Live hören!" on the top right. Click on the pic!

[Reisebuspilot]

These are Fritz Wunderlich and Theresa Stratas without any doubt. Even if Wunderlich got famous in german interpretations he even in (for him) foreign Italian shows, that there is no need of compromises between notes and words if you know how to sing. You can not only follow every single note but also understand every single word. He got famous with this especially in german translations of italian and french music, wher it was said the words were unsingable until he prooved the opposite.

[robertocasitenore]

Che bello Fritz!!!...quanto si può imparare da lui...grazie..delizia al cor....

Roberto.

[TenoreMKD]

This is perfect!!!!!

Bravo Fritz Wunderlich!!!!

Of course this is Wunderlich!!!!

[KissaMyEyes]

This can ONLY be Wunderlich!!!

[MastersoftheOpera]

Beautiful! I love this ...it's just great....love Stratas Violetta and Fritz Alfredo

[Glenmed]

No question at all that these are the voices of Wunderlich and Stratas. The only question is is whether it is the March 28th or April 7th recordings at the National Theatre in Munich. My only other comment would be to agree with every word said below by oakroom48. Many thanks to forallyouknow and to Kievest for alerting me, belatedly, to this one.

[ciociosan]

the soprano sounds like a drag queen

[oakroom48]

Wunderlich is marvelous. I like the soprano, too, though. Very heartfelt, emotional singing - so "in character". And if it is Stratas, just look at that photo! Violetta is dying of TB - I wonder if she's supposed to sound full-voiced and voluptuous. Charming and affecting performance - thanks for posting:)

[forallyouknow]

Sure thing! Couldn't pass up an opportunity to share Wunderlich. :)

[oakroom48]

Glad you did !! Thanks :)

[Glenmed]

Excellent analysis, Barbara, I think.

[oakroom48]

High praise! :)

[billyguns2]

Perhaps this is the live performance in Munich on March 28, 1965. I just don't recognize these voices as being those of Stratas and Wunderlich, but if it's from that evening they must be! Whoever they are, they do very well.

[forallyouknow]

I'm not sure of the date, but it sure SOUNDS like them to me. Wunderlich's beautifully open vowels are on display here on almost every word, and the sob was one of his stylistic embellishments. As for Stratas, I am not so certain, but it seems that it is her piercing high attack, her warm timbre and splendid vibrato that we witness here.

[Cissy97]

@forallyouknow

They say that Wunderlich made a terrific Alfredo - here is the evidence!

Too sad that he left before leaving more recordings of Verdi...

[billyguns2]

Teresa Stratas is a friedn of mine and I know almost eveything she did and also the sound of her voice; this surely is not the Stratas I know, and I have my doubts about this being Wunderlich. When and where did this performance take place?

[js59695]

THis is Wunderlich and Stratas. I have the CD and I listened to it again after finding this recording and its a replica. So believe it or not its her. I did read about her performance and evidentally the first act was not a good one for her.

[Torquemada0]

Of course he is WUNDERLICH!!!!!! such high tones are so unique!!. No other tenot in the history was able to sing in such perfect legato regsrdless in which language he was singing. Thanks for posting it!

[GermanOperaSinger]

By the way, do you have the entire performance? I'd love to hear the aria and cabaletta with the high C.

[forallyouknow]

Sadly, I do not. I only have this little bit. I think his other clips with Stratas are on YouTube somewhere.

[cartoonandanime]

@GermanOperaSinger u can find the complete recording. Stratas is a wonderful Violetta, aria is well-sung, but not as in the zeffirelli movie; caballetta is not the best stratas sung: she did not sing heigh C. Anyway only few singers can play violetta as she does. If u don't find recording let me know and i'll try to upload it on utube. :)

[GermanOperaSinger]

Idiots how can you say this isn't Wunderlich. Of course it is. You people are deaf. Anyone could tell this unique voice apart from other tenors'. No other singer attacks the high notes like Wunderlich did.

[ciociosan]

hahahahaha! i love the comment because it is true!

[joanabanyeres]

actually l don't think this is Wunderlich, and Teresa also is a doubt.

[IlgruppoDiDocci]

this it is not fritz wunderlich......... it sounds resemblance a little, but unfortunately it NOT IS WUNDERLICH

[forallyouknow]

No, I'm quite sure that's him. If you need reassurance, it has all his habits and mannerisms (his perfected sob, his diction in Italian, etc... all quite endearing actually). And I think he used a different style in singing Romantic music, which may account for disparity between his usual Mozart/Handel, and this.

[IlgruppoDiDocci]

it is strange. but it is wunderlich. A german friend, song professor in Bayreuth, has listened this piece, and it has reached the conclusion that it is wunderlich, although falsifying the voice a little to make big

[forallyouknow]

see? :D And anyway, i think it's lovely. He could put on that coveted Italianate sound when he wanted to.

[Operasinger1024]

This is indeed Wunderlich. He was getting to a more italianate sound AND better italian diction at this time. You can tell specifically that it is him at the first 'Croce'.