The Very Best of Fritz Wunderlich

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Fritz Wunderlich is one of those singers whose voice, while you are listening to it, seems to eclipse all others. Ravishingly beautiful, perfectly produced, radiant, even, mellow, it flows out with effortless ease like a golden stream. His breath is endless, and there is nothing that he cannot do. On these two very generous discs he sings arias ranging from Handel to Viennese operettas and sounds equally at home in all of them, vocally and stylistically. Mozart was one of his specialties, and the five arias opening the program have a beguiling, caressing lyricism that melts the heart. The selection includes familiar arias by Wagner, Tchaikovsky, Massenet, Donizetti, Smetana (including a duet with Pilar Lorengar), as well as several by composers whose operas were popular in the 1960s, when the records were made, but have now fallen into oblivion, such as Lortzing, Flotow, Cornelius, Kienzl, Nicolai, Thomas, Boieledieu. Wunderlich sings them all with the same seriousness and commitment, making the lesser ones sound better than they are, and creating real characters with color, nuance and expression. In keeping with the European tradition of performing opera in the local language, he sings everything in German, except the famous "Ombra mai fu" from Handel's Serse, which must have escaped the translators. Choosing from the best operettas by Lehár, Johann Strauss, Millöcker, Kálmán and Fall, he captures their smiling, tongue-in-cheek lightness and never lets the catchy tunes become corny or sentimental. (Listen also to his two very different, but equally wonderful recordings of Mahler's Song of the Earth under Schmidt-Isserstedt on BellaVoce and Klemperer.) In 1966, aged 36, at the peak of his artistry and his career, Wunderlich died after a fall, a month before he was to make his debut at the Metropolitan Opera. --Edith Eisler

The Very Best of Fritz Wunderlich, Music, Francois-Adrien Boieldieu, Peter Cornelius, Gaetano Donizetti, Leo Fall, Friedrich von Flotow, George Frideric Handel, Imre (Emmerich) Kalman, Wilhelm Kienzl, Franz Lehar, Albert Lortzing, Jules Massenet, Carl Millocker, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Adolf Neuendorff, Otto Nicolai, Bedrich Smetana, Johann II Strauss, Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky, Ambroise Thomas, Richard Wagner, Berislav Klobucar, Carl Michalski, Franz Konwitschny, Fried Walter, Hans Moltkau, Hans Müller-Kray, Hans Zanotelli, Horst Stein, Robert Heger, Rudolf Kempe, Werner Eisbrenner, Werner Schmidt-Boelcke, Bamberg Symphony Chorus, Bavarian State Opera Orchestra, Berliner Philharmoniker, FFB Orchestra, Graunke Symphony Orchestra, Orchester der Bayerischen Staatsoper, Edith Mathis, Liselotte Schmidt, Pilar Lorengar, Fritz Wunderlich, Rudolf Schock, Classical, Classical Artists, Classical Music, Classical Vocals

Average customer rating:

no texts -- shame on you EMI

Very Best of Fritz Wunderlich

Wunderlich.. ah what might have been,but glory in what was..

Elegant collection though everything...auf Deutsch!

Very Best of
Fritz Wunderlich
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra | ( B ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B000083GOM
Release Date: 2003-04-22

Tracks:

Nur Ihrem Frieden - Berliner Symphoniker
Folget Der Heissgeliebten (Il Mio tesoro) - Berliner Symphoniker
Konstanze, Dich Wiederzusehen - Berliner Symphoniker
Der Odem Der Liebe (Un' Aura Amorosa) - Berliner Symphoniker
Dies Bildnis Ist Bezaubernd Schon - Berliner Symphoniker
Ombra Mai Fu - Bayerisches Staatsorchester
Ach, So Fromm - Berliner Symphoniker
Mit Gewitter Und Sturm - Orchester Der Staatsoper Berlin
So Leb' Ich Noch...Vor Deinem Fenster - Bayerisches Staatsorchester
Lebe Wohl, Mein Flandrisch' Madchen - Berliner Symphoniker
Selig Sind, Die Verfolgung Leiden - Bayerisches Staatsorchester
Horch, Die Lerche Singt Im Hain - Bayerisches Staatsorchester
Fenton! Mein Madchen - Edith Mathis
Armer Narr...Es Muss Gelingen - N/A
So Find' Ich Dich...Mein Lieber Schatz, Nun Aufgepasst - Bamberger Symphoniker
Wohin Bist Du Entschwunden (Lensky's Aria) - Berliner Symphoniker

Tracks:

Leb' Wohl, Mignon (Adieu, Mignon) - Berliner Symphoniker
Ich Schloss Die Augen (En Ferment Les Yeux) - Bayerisches Staatsorchester
Komm, O Holde Dame (Viens, Gentille Dame) - Bayerisches Staatsorchester
Welche Huld Und Welche Reize (Quanto E Bella) - Bayerisches Staatsorchester
Wohl Drang Aus Ihrem Herzen (Una Furtiva Lagrima) - Bayerisches Staatsorchester
Komm In Die Gondel - N/A
Ach, Wie So Herrlich Zu Schau'n - Berliner Symphoniker
Durch Diesen Kuss Sei Unser Bund Geweiht - Berliner Symphoniker
Freunde, Das Leben Ist Lebenswert - Bayerisches Staatsorchester
Von Apfelbluten Einen Kranz - N/A
Dein Ist Mein Ganzes Herz - Symphonie - Orchester
Allein! Wieder Allein! (Wolgalied) - Bayerisches Staatsorchester
Zwei Marchenaugen - Bayerisches Staatsorchester
Wenn Es Abend Wird... Grub Mir Mein Wien - N/A
Auch Ich Was Ein Feiner Csardaskavalier...Komm, Zigany - Bayerisches Staatsorchester
Kleinen Kindern...O Frag Mich Nicht - Symphonie - Orchester Graunke
Man Sagt Uns Nach...O Rose Von Stambul - N/A
Zwei Augen - Bayerisches Staatsorchester
Der Rattenfanger - FFB Orchester

Amazon.com

Fritz Wunderlich is one of those singers whose voice, while you are listening to it, seems to eclipse all others. Ravishingly beautiful, perfectly produced, radiant, even, mellow, it flows out with effortless ease like a golden stream. His breath is endless, and there is nothing that he cannot do. On these two very generous discs he sings arias ranging from Handel to Viennese operettas and sounds equally at home in all of them, vocally and stylistically. Mozart was one of his specialties, and the five arias opening the program have a beguiling, caressing lyricism that melts the heart. The selection includes familiar arias by Wagner, Tchaikovsky, Massenet, Donizetti, Smetana (including a duet with Pilar Lorengar), as well as several by composers whose operas were popular in the 1960s, when the records were made, but have now fallen into oblivion, such as Lortzing, Flotow, Cornelius, Kienzl, Nicolai, Thomas, Boieledieu. Wunderlich sings them all with the same seriousness and commitment, making the lesser ones sound better than they are, and creating real characters with color, nuance and expression. In keeping with the European tradition of performing opera in the local language, he sings everything in German, except the famous "Ombra mai fu" from Handel's Serse, which must have escaped the translators. Choosing from the best operettas by Lehár, Johann Strauss, Millöcker, Kálmán and Fall, he captures their smiling, tongue-in-cheek lightness and never lets the catchy tunes become corny or sentimental. (Listen also to his two very different, but equally wonderful recordings of Mahler's Song of the Earth under Schmidt-Isserstedt on BellaVoce and Klemperer.) In 1966, aged 36, at the peak of his artistry and his career, Wunderlich died after a fall, a month before he was to make his debut at the Metropolitan Opera. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

no texts -- shame on you EMI.......2007-02-11

This is not a gripe about Wunderlich, one of the greatest IMHO. It is about the EMI folks, who obviously think that song texts are irrelevant. Well, how do you know if the singing does justice to the text? And if you think that these texts are easily available elsewhere, I would be most thankful if you would share with me Lehar's "Das Land des L"achelns" Kalman's "die Zirkusprinzessin" or Neuendorff's "Der Rattenf"anger".

Very Best of Fritz Wunderlich.......2007-01-09

Fritz Wunderlich is still one of the Best. This CD is very good value for money, such a variety of songs, excellent tone quality.

Wunderlich.. ah what might have been,but glory in what was.........2004-12-29

Fritz Wunderlich died at the tragically young age of 36, just weeks before his scheduled Metropolitan Opera debut. I have no doubt that he would have been THE tenor of the 1960s and 70s. This collection is a compendium of some of Wunderlich's finest stuff (although his lieder are not represented here). Among the highlights, Granada.
I know, it's a Spanish song, and as the previous reviewer said, everything here is in German, which can get a little annoying with the Italian opera.. but for sheer vocal glory, Granada will make you want to stand up and shout, what a voice!!
If you don't know Wunderlich, get this disc.

Elegant collection though everything...auf Deutsch!.......2004-05-03

Among the lyric tenors, Wunderlich had one of the most handsome voices and a strength not usually related to this type of tenors. One melancholically wonders how much his repertoire could have expanded, had he lived longer.

This new VERY BEST collection has arias of some of his trademark Mozart roles, songs and arias of less popular composers as well as some famous arias of the Italian repertoire. He sings them all with memorable style, unparalleled beauty of tone and - where needed - the right vigour. I only wish he'd escaped the tradition of those decades and recorded the Italian and French arias in their original language and not in German. Only "Ombra mai fu" is sung in Italian and it doesn't reveal any bad Italian accent. Listening for example to his lovely "Una furtiva lagrima" in German is unique for sure but I prefer the Italian version.

His life was brief but the quality of his singing eternal.

Music Review: