 | Fritz who? You may well ask, for the great Fritz Wunderlich died before he'd ever achieved true international stardom. But to my ears, at least, he possessed the most beautiful lyric tenor voice on record. He had it all - superb musicality, power, warmth, and a gorgeous and immediately recognisable timbre. He could also be exciting when he wanted to, as his tour de force performance of Granada (available elsewhere) thrillingly proves. Wunderlich's death in 1966 - a few days short of his 36th birthday - deprived music lovers of a fantastic talent.
This 3CD set reinforces that loss. Among the many highlights included here is an unforgettable Folget der Heissgeliebten (Il Mio Tesoro) from Don Giovanni. It matters not a jot that Wunderlich is singing in German rather than Italian. He knew how to overcome the relative harshness of the German language with his poetic phrasing and honeyed diction. Here his breath control is amazing, and his passion transforms the character of Don Ottavio from a one-dimensional fop into a red-blooded hero. Tremendous stuff.
But for me his greatest achievement is his rendition of the aria Komm, O Holde Dame from Boieldieu's La Dame Blanche, featured on Disc One. Play this first, and you'll be entranced by the beauty of Wunderlich's faultless legato, then thrilled by the intensity and energy of the conclusion. (Admirers of Mario Lanza will note how similar to that tenor Wunderlich sounds here when he reaches for the high notes.)
Showcasing Wunderlich's achievements in both opera and operetta, this set is the perfect introduction to one of the greatest tenors of them all. If you enjoy this, I'd also recommend his Deutsche Gramophon 5-CD set (simply entitled "Fritz Wunderlich"), which includes a sublime Pearlfishers Duet with Herman Prey and the aforementioned Granada.
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