Arie des Fenton 2. Akt
aus: DIE LUSTIGEN WEIBER VON WINDSOR
Lied des Georg 1. Akt
aus: DER WAFFENSCHMIED
Arie des Georg 2. Akt Nr. 9
aus: DER WAFFENSCHMIED
Duett Undine – Hugo 1. Akt • aus: UNDINE
Lied des Veit 3. Akt • aus: UNDINE
Duett Abdul – Nureddin 1. Akt 5. Auftritt
aus: DER BARBIER VON BAGDAD
Arie Don Carlos mit Szene und Duett Carlos – Posa, Finale 1. Akt (vieraktigen Fassung) • aus: DON CARLOS
Canzone des Herzogs 3. Akt • aus: RIGOLETTO
Duett Hans – Kezal 2. Akt
aus: DIE VERKAUFTE BRAUT
Finale 1. Akt • aus: DER KUHREIGEN
Arie des Cavaradossi 3. Akt • aus: TOSCA
It's well known that Fritz Wunderlich was an exceptional singer, yet it never fails to surprise when hearing him singing works from different genres and discovering how he developed from his early performances in 1953 to the opera arias he preferred later in his career. These are now brought together on this album that contains both famous and unknown arias.
Fritz Wunderlich was both a gifted singer and actor, which made him a perfect match for the Spieloper (dramatic opera), a genre to which most of the works on this CD belong. Albert Lortzing (1801–1851) was a leading representative of this genre; also Otto Nicolai (1810–1849) and Peter Cornelius (1824–1874).
With his remarkable voice, Fritz Wunderlich could also sing Italian opera, in which he tried to establish himself with one of the biggest tenor hits of all time: the canzone La donna è mobile, sung by the Duke of Mantua in Verdi’s Rigoletto. While the performance may not sound thoroughly idiomatic, it's pure Wunderlich. And E lucevan le stelle certainly provides a goose bumps moment for everyone.
The SWR spared no effort in re-mastering the original tapes to make the voice of Fritz Wunderlich sound fresh and radiant. The sound engineers explain the complete remastering process in the accompanying booklet.
Both this release and all future volumes of the SWR Fritz Wunderlich series contain recordings the singer made for the company from which the broadcasting company SWR grew. They are available in this compilation only in this SWR series.