One has to give Wunderlich credit. Certainly, his German accent stands out like a sore thumb, but at least he attempted to sing in English(a foreign language to him). That is more than one can say for those who sing Franz Lehar's beautiful arias only in their native Italian.
i don't believe that I've ever heard a tenor quite like him. He sings with such heart felt gusto that he makes Pavarotti sound a bit pale by comparison. Fabulous top and beautifully balance sound! An immense talent and an immense loss!
@Karen41872 - You'll get no argument from me. Wunderlich was a very great talent. Had he lived he would have set the bar much higher for Pavarotti & Domingo.
@legatofancier --- Another thing I've noticed about Wunderlich......... he had PERFECT pitch. His much too-early- death is such a great loss for the opera world.
Such a handsome man.... And with a talent that makes me crazy! How I wish there were his equal in today's world..... I am afraid I was born too late... I can't imagine his equal in today's world.
This man makes my heart sing. I wish I knew what the pain was that lead him to the problems that caused his early death. Such talent often foretells great pain. God gave him to us for only a short time. And look what he did with that short time! Amazing!
From the Praefcke listing it seems that this was the only recording in English that FW ever essayed. From this 1965 evidence 'vun vunders' if he ever learned much English at all. When he died the following year he was just a week or two off going to the Met, so he may have bought a phrase book by then. OK, having said that, he remains in my book a true vocal godsend - and a great guy as well.
@Glenmed Hi GM! Still grateful for your upload of "Ich grolle nicht", which led me to rediscover the wondrous FW. Have you heard the unabridged version of his last recital in Edinburgh? It was on amazon.de for a while, I believe. Introducing his last encore ("An die Musik") FW says something like "I would like to end this recital now (sighs from audience, laugh from FW) .... because I learned it not!". Totally charming, audience entranced. That bit of dialogue is not on the CD, sad to say.
@Glenmed Found a link to Der letzte Liederabend on weltbild.de /3/ 14012506 (youtube will not let me post the full URL). The dialogue with the audience is still there on track 31. Unbearably poignant now, of course.
Beautiful singing, but he sounds exactly like Franz Liebkind from THE PRODUCERS! I almost expected Franz to suddenly sing ""Der Guten Tag Hop Clop"! :-D
Yes and I still have it and it is on the Verve FOLKWAYS label international series # fv/fvs 9023 also Toselli Serenade, you are the world to me etc. Big red letters GRANADA and picture of him with a Blue back round, yes.
Ok thanks I see now, 'Warm Wonderful Wunderlich' was a re-release of the 'Granada' LP under a different name. I remember it mentioned his death on the cover in my edition, so it couldn't have been the version released in 1965 when you got it.
Yes I have this recording. The German accent has always made me chuckle as well (if yeeuo, vill be, my luf) :P I was a teensy bit disappointed there was no high note at the end but even without it it's a surprisingly passionate rendition.
@ShawDAMAN "if yeeuo, vill be, my luf"... your little 'transcription' made me laugh too :-))
English must be closer to German than romance languages, being in the same linguistic branch, but it seems (to me, at least ) that Wunderlich's French in 'Plaisir d'amour' was better than his English in this song, interesting!
He was one of the greatest lyric tenors I ever heard he sang with a warmth combined with good taste in all he did and he was one of the best always in the world of opera.
His German accent takes away from that sweetness, sung in English here but his voice was as sweet as Lanza's in anything operatic and in I kiss your hand in English and German he was wonderful, Lanza did not sing in German I wonder how it would have been. Lanza was more of a popular singer of arias and popular songs and Fritz more of an operatic singer mostly, both died so young.
He first sang it on a LP record I bought here in the States called "Granada" with a terrific Granada sung in German and then followed by be my love in this recording. I bought it in 1965 It was on an LP with I kiss your hand and Caro mio ben and many other songs. I will look at the label it is not a familiar one.
I also bought that LP - also in 1965. From memory it was in a blue coloured sleeve. Also on it were "Plaisir d'amour", "Aenchen von Tharau" and many other pieces of exceptional singing. Great that they are available on CDs these days - some of which I've uploaded.
Yes it seems to be the same one I am talking about, "Warm Wonderful Wunderlich". It was a great compilation of him singing some very beautiful songs, also on it was his recording of Tauber's 'Du bist die Welt'.
One has to give Wunderlich credit. Certainly, his German accent stands out like a sore thumb, but at least he attempted to sing in English(a foreign language to him). That is more than one can say for those who sing Franz Lehar's beautiful arias only in their native Italian.
bernard1422 1 week ago
Happy New Year people! Love will conquer all <3
lastofthesane 1 month ago
Thank you for posting. The chorus too has the German accent. I think it's wonderful. How cute!
Donaukind 4 months ago
sein hübsches
Melieb90 6 months ago
i don't believe that I've ever heard a tenor quite like him. He sings with such heart felt gusto that he makes Pavarotti sound a bit pale by comparison. Fabulous top and beautifully balance sound! An immense talent and an immense loss!
legatofancier 1 year ago
@legatofancier -- No disrespect to Pavarotti, but Wunderlich's voice is much "richer" than Pavarotti's. It has more "depth."
Karen41872 11 months ago
@Karen41872 - You'll get no argument from me. Wunderlich was a very great talent. Had he lived he would have set the bar much higher for Pavarotti & Domingo.
legatofancier 11 months ago
@legatofancier --- Another thing I've noticed about Wunderlich......... he had PERFECT pitch. His much too-early- death is such a great loss for the opera world.
Karen41872 10 months ago
Such a handsome man.... And with a talent that makes me crazy! How I wish there were his equal in today's world..... I am afraid I was born too late... I can't imagine his equal in today's world.
cocoagirl61660 1 year ago
@cocoagirl61660 Come on...all these high-pitched, whiny male singers today don't "make it" for you? ; )
AegisNova 9 months ago
Gee, even the chorus has a German accent. Pretty impressive singing, nonetheless.
larrydonguy 1 year ago
I fact he's not bad at singing english. I think there had been pretty much other singer who sang english with a bad german accent. I love him =)
jeannemeumier 1 year ago
This man makes my heart sing. I wish I knew what the pain was that lead him to the problems that caused his early death. Such talent often foretells great pain. God gave him to us for only a short time. And look what he did with that short time! Amazing!
cocoagirl61660 1 year ago
Une grande perte pour le monde de la musique. Une mort stupide causée par une chûte dans l'escalier trop raide d'un chalet.
Une voix inoubliable qui égale les plus grandes.
mclaudine1 1 year ago
From the Praefcke listing it seems that this was the only recording in English that FW ever essayed. From this 1965 evidence 'vun vunders' if he ever learned much English at all. When he died the following year he was just a week or two off going to the Met, so he may have bought a phrase book by then. OK, having said that, he remains in my book a true vocal godsend - and a great guy as well.
Glenmed 1 year ago
@Glenmed Hi GM! Still grateful for your upload of "Ich grolle nicht", which led me to rediscover the wondrous FW. Have you heard the unabridged version of his last recital in Edinburgh? It was on amazon.de for a while, I believe. Introducing his last encore ("An die Musik") FW says something like "I would like to end this recital now (sighs from audience, laugh from FW) .... because I learned it not!". Totally charming, audience entranced. That bit of dialogue is not on the CD, sad to say.
justaprojection 1 year ago
@Glenmed Found a link to Der letzte Liederabend on weltbild.de /3/ 14012506 (youtube will not let me post the full URL). The dialogue with the audience is still there on track 31. Unbearably poignant now, of course.
justaprojection 1 year ago
Beautiful singing, but he sounds exactly like Franz Liebkind from THE PRODUCERS! I almost expected Franz to suddenly sing ""Der Guten Tag Hop Clop"! :-D
PeterAndres18 2 years ago
Pure Gold! Regardless of his German accent.
tomfroekjaer 2 years ago 6
Beautiful, the accent does kind of ruin the romantic aspect of he song, but still wonderful singing and a good interpretation.
Yoni89 2 years ago
Yes and I still have it and it is on the Verve FOLKWAYS label international series # fv/fvs 9023 also Toselli Serenade, you are the world to me etc. Big red letters GRANADA and picture of him with a Blue back round, yes.
halavey 2 years ago
Ok thanks I see now, 'Warm Wonderful Wunderlich' was a re-release of the 'Granada' LP under a different name. I remember it mentioned his death on the cover in my edition, so it couldn't have been the version released in 1965 when you got it.
GermanOperaSinger 2 years ago
Yes I have this recording. The German accent has always made me chuckle as well (if yeeuo, vill be, my luf) :P I was a teensy bit disappointed there was no high note at the end but even without it it's a surprisingly passionate rendition.
ShawDAMAN 2 years ago
Comment removed
RoyKa2010 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@ShawDAMAN "if yeeuo, vill be, my luf"... your little 'transcription' made me laugh too :-))
English must be closer to German than romance languages, being in the same linguistic branch, but it seems (to me, at least ) that Wunderlich's French in 'Plaisir d'amour' was better than his English in this song, interesting!
RoyKa2010 1 year ago
He was one of the greatest lyric tenors I ever heard he sang with a warmth combined with good taste in all he did and he was one of the best always in the world of opera.
halavey 2 years ago 5
His German accent takes away from that sweetness, sung in English here but his voice was as sweet as Lanza's in anything operatic and in I kiss your hand in English and German he was wonderful, Lanza did not sing in German I wonder how it would have been. Lanza was more of a popular singer of arias and popular songs and Fritz more of an operatic singer mostly, both died so young.
halavey 2 years ago
This is different. We are all used the sweet sound of Mario Lanza.
swanningaround 2 years ago
He first sang it on a LP record I bought here in the States called "Granada" with a terrific Granada sung in German and then followed by be my love in this recording. I bought it in 1965 It was on an LP with I kiss your hand and Caro mio ben and many other songs. I will look at the label it is not a familiar one.
halavey 2 years ago
I also bought that LP - also in 1965. From memory it was in a blue coloured sleeve. Also on it were "Plaisir d'amour", "Aenchen von Tharau" and many other pieces of exceptional singing. Great that they are available on CDs these days - some of which I've uploaded.
Glenmed 2 years ago
Yes it seems to be the same one I am talking about, "Warm Wonderful Wunderlich". It was a great compilation of him singing some very beautiful songs, also on it was his recording of Tauber's 'Du bist die Welt'.
GermanOperaSinger 2 years ago
He was such a marvellous singer. Thank you for sharing these fabulous recordings.
cattleman6420012000 2 years ago