Fritz Wunderlich - Be my love (1965)

Yes, it's Lanza's famous 'Be my love' from the Toast of New Orleans, and he sings in English! I first heard this recording of Fritz in the 90s on an LP called 'Warm Wonderful Wunderlich' and I've only come across the CD version a few weeks ago.

He transposes the piece up one key, from C to D major. Before you ask, he does NOT interpolate a high D at the end...haha.

In some ways this is a very funny recording, since he seems to carry the rather stereotypical German accent. But of course his wonderful voice was perfect for nearly anything he sang, this piece included. Lanza's classic rendition of this song may never be surpassed, but Wunderlich comes close.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• fritz
• wunderlich
• be
• my
• love
• mario
• lanza
• toast
• of
• new
• orleans
• english
• german
• tenor
• opera
• singing

[halavey]

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.

[GermanOperaSinger]

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.

[tomfroekjaer]

Pure Gold! Regardless of his German accent.

[halavey]

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.

[bernard1422]

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.

[lastofthesane]

Happy New Year people! Love will conquer all <3

[Donaukind]

Thank you for posting. The chorus too has the German accent. I think it's wonderful. How cute!

[Melieb90]

sein hübsches

[AegisNova]

@cocoagirl61660 Come on...all these high-pitched, whiny male singers today don't "make it" for you? ; )

[Karen41872]

@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.

[legatofancier]

@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.

[Karen41872]

@legatofancier -- No disrespect to Pavarotti, but Wunderlich's voice is much "richer" than Pavarotti's. It has more "depth."

[legatofancier]

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!

[justaprojection]

@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.