Search - Schumann, Wunderlich, Giesen :: Fritz Wunderlich's Last Concert (Edinburgh 1966)

Unbelievable sensitivity and musicality

Dan | University of Illinois | 11/19/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Wunderlich's last concert is remarkable apart from the fact that it is his last. His Dichterliebe is much more expressive than any of his previous recordings of the work. And hats off to Hubert Giesen, his accompanist, who shows such masterful interpretive skills during the work that I can hardly pay attention to Fritz sometimes! These two artists are so in-tune with each other during this recital, and their expressivity astounds me. His encore pieces include Ungeduld and An Die Musik--both are exquisite and have something extra that none of his studio recordings could really portray. The "live recording" element of this recital launches this CD into a new realm for me...I just cannot praise it enough. If only I could have been there!"

Wunderbar Wunderlich

Tsaraslondon | London, UK | 04/08/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Two things strike me when listening to Fritz Wunderlich. "Surely this is the most headily beautiful tenor voice ever" and "What a tragedy he died so young". Lest you be tempted to think that you will find something valedictory in this live recording of the last concert he ever gave, his last notes ever captured for posterity, let me straight away disabuse you. This is the work of a singer at the very height of his powers, with still many years ahead of him. If this concert is anything to go by, no doubt these would have been years where his interpretive skills would have been further honed, particularly in the field of Lieder.



Wunderlich was unusual, if not unique, among German tenors in that his impeccable legato remained in tact no matter what language he was singing in. Indeed his recordings of arias by Verdi and Puccini, though mostly sung in German, have an Italianate ardour and passion that would be the envy of many a native Italian tenor. Some have complained that this very ease of emission and beauty of tone act against him when he is singing lieder and his commercial recordings of the same repertoire as at this concert (recorded the previous year for DG) do lack a certain sense if involvement. There is a world of difference between those studio recordings and this concert however, Wunderlich has now thought himself into the plight of the man depicted in the Dichterliebe and here we have all the pain and suffering of a young man. Surely what Heine and Schumann intended. And of course we still have the benefit of that glorious, golden tone.



This is a treasurable memento of a historic occasion and as such should be in any serious collection of vocal music. We are left to wonder what wonders he would have achieved had he not been taken from us so young. Whom the Gods loved indeed.



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