I'll never forget the announcement of Wunderlich's senseless death just weeks before his most eagerly awaited debut at the Met. He was the last of the great post WW2 tenors then just on the verge of an outstanding international career...irreplaceable...truly a catastrophe for lovers of great singing
This is exactly the perfect performance of this aria, in my opinion. Wunderlich's technique blends the raw abandon of a heroic tenor with the flying mobility of his essentially lyric instrument. Bravo!
This opera is one of the many masterpieces of Richard Strauss and is well known throughout the world; seen in more performances than many other Strauss operas. The aria under discussion is a bright moment among a completely special work.
Both great singers, yet ,here I prefer Pav over Wunderlich. Sounda more pervading due to the singing technique he applies in that aria. And that catches me.
If anybody's interested, the rest of the cast is Regine Crespin as the Marschallin, Kerstin Meyer as Octavian, & the heavenly Anneliese Rothenberger as Sophie. When I Googled "Buenos Aires Rosenkavalier" I was led to RapidShare, but I don't know if you can download the entire opera or just selections.
@Luck1au Why would you say that? FW's musical virtuosity is well known - not just by me. The Staatskapellmeister quote is taken verbatim from an original letter from the man himself, Heinrich Bender, written on 24 May 1987. It is just one of many similar quotes from people who knew Fritz Wunderlich. All forgeries? I don't think so!
Me too! He was an all-round musical genius and modest with it. Extraordinary life (and death) story. "Er war musikalisch wie im Einsatz seiner stimmtechnischen Mittel von geradezu stupender Virtuositàt" - "He was a musician and singer of positively stupendous virtuosity", as the Bavarian Staatskapellmeister wrote after FW's death. (Sorry - I find it hard to stop writing about this guy!)
If the pitch is lower (a common occurrence on these UA-cam videos), then that would explain the added "heft" to his voice. When the pitch is changed on these recordings, the voices seem to thicken somewhat. That said, he always sang with a virile sound to his production.
This is incredibly beautiful - like Tauber but with a more beautiful legato. Where did this come from - a radio broadcast? These guys who recorded on Angel - FD, FW, ES, JB - formed a whole generation of musicians. I have an old and unplayable Angel LP of FW singing Viennese songs. Does anyone have the ones with the small folk ensemble to post? I'd be very grateful. And a million thanks for this one, Severolus. I'm drying the tears from my keyboard.
@Cantormatis This is a great point. I always thought Strauss included this little 'song' as a response to those who claimed he his music was dissonant and unappealing. It's a mockery of his Italian contemporaries, whom he viewed as sellouts who wrote 'pretty music' to appeal to the masses. Here he proves he was more than capable of composing 'aurally agreeable' melodies, but that he chose not to for artistic reasons.
Or.... listen to the REAL voice of Fritz Wunderlich in Die Zauberflöte (year 1964) when he sings Tamino's aria: Die Bildnis ist bezaubernd schön .... This will shut all criticasters their mouth for ever :-) Sad enough he died in the year 1964, just 36 years old...
if you want to hear how wunderlich can really sing this aria, isten to the live munchen recording under kempe... a version that imho puts all other versions to shame
@1Ooppera Interesting, since FW himself seems to have had the same opinion about singing different repertoire, the style was more crucial to him than the quality of the voice, etc.
True. FW is doing a hilarious pastiche here. This was NOT the way he usually sang! It seems Queen Elizabeth II (on a State visit to Germany) loved it, however - apparently she looked up from her programme and grabbed her opera glasses for the first (and only) time when FW launched into this role.
@GermanOperaSinger This is true, but the more close structure is the "aria da salotto italiana" of F.P.tosti, Denza, etc and not the veristic opera. "Unfortunalety," this aria is better appeciated and known than most part of the opera ( a part the final concertato) , in my opinion not the masterpiece of the great Richard.
I hear Wunderlich doing an affectionate cameo portrait of a vain, rather self-indulgent Italian singer. On a purely vocal level, other versions may be better sung, but I find subtle comedy in this performance irresistable: the slightly exaggerated Italian vocal color and mannerisms, the awkward breath towards the end, the way he barely stays in sync with the orchestra. It's all "acting with the voice", imo.
@@grr8048 I'm certainly not making things up. For instance, the whole Barber of Seville performance was one big mockery about Italian tenor superstars. It's been remarked in the press of the day.
Thank you for putting this on line.
Sill the gold standard for this aria. Bravo!
I'll never forget the announcement of Wunderlich's senseless death just weeks before his most eagerly awaited debut at the Met. He was the last of the great post WW2 tenors then just on the verge of an outstanding international career...irreplaceable...truly a catastrophe for lovers of great singing
Very true, what a loss.....such a beautiful voice my God!!!!!
@@veecalles9280 yes, I remember our whole family crying .. poor fritz RIP
Indisputable benchmark performance by the finest tenor ever to assume the role.
This is exactly the perfect performance of this aria, in my opinion. Wunderlich's technique blends the raw abandon of a heroic tenor with the flying mobility of his essentially lyric instrument. Bravo!
I totally agree with you!!!
Fabulous singing, his voice is so masculine, yet so able to sing the lyric repertoire. he always gave me goosebumps.
Yes, there's something incredibly attractive to his voice. Absolutely stunning.
The best recording of this aria I can find, by a good measure.
Chair de poule! Comme toujours with lui... merci!
Cute anecdote---thanks for sharing! FW never ceases to impress me.
This opera is one of the many masterpieces of Richard Strauss and is well known throughout the world; seen in more performances than many other Strauss operas. The aria under discussion is a bright moment among a completely special work.
Wagner Waldweben
Das Waldweben aus dem Ring
Pavarotti is astounding in this aria but Wunderlich melts the heart in true Viennese style.
Both great singers, yet ,here I prefer Pav over Wunderlich. Sounda more pervading due to the singing technique he applies in that aria. And that catches me.
If anybody's interested, the rest of the cast is Regine Crespin as the Marschallin, Kerstin Meyer as Octavian, & the heavenly Anneliese Rothenberger as Sophie. When I Googled "Buenos Aires Rosenkavalier" I was led to RapidShare, but I don't know if you can download the entire opera or just selections.
And yes, you are absolutely right. I always love to her both versions.
What a tragedy he died so young. I still remember reading about his death in the NYTimes when I was in high school.
His Nessun dorma and Non piangere are online on UA-cam somewhere
You ever heard Pavarotti sing it? It's insane how good it is.
@Luck1au
Why would you say that? FW's musical virtuosity is well known - not just by me. The Staatskapellmeister quote is taken verbatim from an original letter from the man himself, Heinrich Bender, written on 24 May 1987. It is just one of many similar quotes from people who knew Fritz Wunderlich. All forgeries? I don't think so!
Me too! He was an all-round musical genius and modest with it. Extraordinary life (and death) story. "Er war musikalisch wie im Einsatz seiner stimmtechnischen Mittel von geradezu stupender Virtuositàt" - "He was a musician and singer of positively stupendous virtuosity", as the Bavarian Staatskapellmeister wrote after FW's death. (Sorry - I find it hard to stop writing about this guy!)
and even to hear and listen and perceive and examine and...:-)
If the pitch is lower (a common occurrence on these UA-cam videos), then that would explain the added "heft" to his voice. When the pitch is changed on these recordings, the voices seem to thicken somewhat. That said, he always sang with a virile sound to his production.
PS - Do you know that the text "Di rigori" is found in Moliere's "le Bourgeois Gentilhomme" in a similar context?
This is incredibly beautiful - like Tauber but with a more beautiful legato. Where did this come from - a radio broadcast? These guys who recorded on Angel - FD, FW, ES, JB - formed a whole generation of musicians. I have an old and unplayable Angel LP of FW singing Viennese songs. Does anyone have the ones with the small folk ensemble to post? I'd be very grateful. And a million thanks for this one, Severolus. I'm drying the tears from my keyboard.
@Cantormatis This is a great point. I always thought Strauss included this little 'song' as a response to those who claimed he his music was dissonant and unappealing. It's a mockery of his Italian contemporaries, whom he viewed as sellouts who wrote 'pretty music' to appeal to the masses. Here he proves he was more than capable of composing 'aurally agreeable' melodies, but that he chose not to for artistic reasons.
Or.... listen to the REAL voice of Fritz Wunderlich in Die Zauberflöte (year 1964) when he sings Tamino's aria: Die Bildnis ist bezaubernd schön ....
This will shut all criticasters their mouth for ever :-)
Sad enough he died in the year 1964, just 36 years old...
dear hans, he died in 1966 not 1964. i was a senior in highschool. it was the saddest day of my life.
if you want to hear how wunderlich can really sing this aria, isten to the live munchen recording under kempe... a version that imho puts all other versions to shame
True. The tempo is not the same.
@1Ooppera Interesting, since FW himself seems to have had the same opinion about singing different repertoire, the style was more crucial to him than the quality of the voice, etc.
I agree.
Fritz died a sad early death. He was only about 35.
True. FW is doing a hilarious pastiche here. This was NOT the way he usually sang! It seems Queen Elizabeth II (on a State visit to Germany) loved it, however - apparently she looked up from her programme and grabbed her opera glasses for the first (and only) time when FW launched into this role.
Never mind. You can bathe in it :-)) - I found out, he used this phrase himself in an interview about operetta: "So richtig in Tönen baden". So nice!
Becazala has a similar style, but is still not in Fritz's league in terms of voice.
Only Piotr Beczala can sing it as beautiful as Fritz Wunderlich.
Beczala is a joke. Karl Jorn and Helge Rosvaenge are much better.
The best singer ever, but this recording doesn't really bring out the unique beauty of the voice. Thanks anyway
sound great but i think the pitch is lower than original. maybe its because of the recording but its half tone lower
Whoever is on the thumbnail, it’s not Wunderlich.
Who is the picture of? It certainly isn’t Wunderlich.
Try Ben Heppner's joyous version. Fabulous as always.
@GermanOperaSinger This is true, but the more close structure is the "aria da salotto italiana" of F.P.tosti, Denza, etc and not the veristic opera. "Unfortunalety," this aria is better appeciated and known than most part of the opera ( a part the final concertato) , in my opinion not the masterpiece of the great Richard.
peccato che sia durato poco....
I hear Wunderlich doing an affectionate cameo portrait of a vain, rather self-indulgent Italian singer. On a purely vocal level, other versions may be better sung, but I find subtle comedy in this performance irresistable: the slightly exaggerated Italian vocal color and mannerisms, the awkward breath towards the end, the way he barely stays in sync with the orchestra. It's all "acting with the voice", imo.
Great bass though
Must be Kurt Moll
The basso singing Ochs is Kurt Böhme.
Not good no legato worse I ever heard such a great singing
the high B was under pitch. He always had problems with operatic performances over
Bflat
Nonsense. He's done higher than C in mornings. But this is mocking Italian tenors of his day.
@@tesfuweldemikael2902 You are making things up. Except the last Bb4, his first and second Bb4 and B4 were all flat.
@@grr8048 I'm certainly not making things up. For instance, the whole Barber of Seville performance was one big mockery about Italian tenor superstars. It's been remarked in the press of the day.
It's unussual to hear Fritz Wunderlich sing in Italian. He sound uncomfortable in parts, maybe he should stuck to German.
Ignorant this aria (from a German opera) is to be sung in Italian
Sorry, Wunderlich was the best!!